Many years ago in Russia, a gentleman was returning home one winter's night with his family on a sleigh, with a man servant to drive the horses.

They were enjoying the drive, the crisp winter air making their cheeks glow, as the sleigh sped rapidly over the snowcovered ground. Suddenly there fell on their ears a distant sound that almost made their blood run cold.

A pack of hungry fierce wolves, hard pressed for food by the severity of the Russian winter, was giving chase. With all possible energy the horses were urged forward, but it soon became evident that the wolves were gaining upon them and the horses were becoming exhausted in the terrible race for life.

There were some miles yet to go, so it was decided to sacrifice one of the horses before the wolves came too near, so that they could thus delay the pursuit of the wolves.

The plan succeeded for a time, but before they were in sight of home the wolves had taken up the chase again. As they were coming nearer and nearer, the surviving horse was almost spent and the position seemed hopeless.

Just at this critical moment the man servant, who loved his master, handed the reins to his master and with a hurried farewell jumped off the sleigh. It was a noble act of devoted love, for the wolves were soon upon him, but the delay in their pursuit just enabled the master and his family to reach the shelter of their home in safety.

His master was so deeply moved by the great love of his servant that he had a monument erected to his memory.

This story of the self-sacrificing act of that servant reminds us of the words of the Lord Jesus, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

It is important to know that the saving of the soul is far greater than the saving of the body, for the soul is immortal—it does not die when the body dies. While the cost to that servant was his own life, yet it was a forfeited life that he would soon have had to give up, for "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), and "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

A sacrifice must be perfect to be accepted by a Holy God. Every lamb offered on God's altar had to be "without blemish," so Jesus was God's Lamb—"without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:18,19). His was the only perfect sacrifice, for sinful man.

"The Son of Man came . . . to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). When the enemies, like the hungry wolves came round Him to take Him, He said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).

Himself He could not save,
   Love's stream too deeply flowed;
In love Himself He gave
   To pay the debt we owed.

Jesus suffered for our sins. God accepted that wondrous Sacrifice and on the third day raised Him from the dead as a proof of how satisfied He was with the perfect Sacrifice.

As that grateful master raised a monument to his devoted servant, so God has left in this world sinners saved by grace, cleansed by that only Sacrifice, to be monuments of mercy to tell of the only Saviour who died that they might live. Would you not like to be a living monument to the dying love of Jesus, and tell others of the Saviour who died for you?

—S.G. Sargent