Freedom

is Never Won
without

Cost
Commemorating the
ANZAC Day Centenary

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L O O K I N G A T L I F E
 Commemorating the
ANZAC Day Centenary

Cover Image: iStockphoto.com

Interior image taken from flickr.com

Freedom Is Never Won Without Cost

2015 by David Cook. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version,
Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved.

Printed in Indonesia.
Lest
We
Forget

2
 Freedom Is Never Won
Without Cost
Commemorating the ANZAC Day Centenary

Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of Janu-

ary each year. This is the day when in 1788 elev-
en ships comprising the First Fleet entered what
is now Sydney Harbour under the leadership of
Captain Arthur Phillip. The mission was to es-
tablish white settlement in Australia, initially as
a penal colony. Though this is Australias official
national day, most Australians recognise that the
greater day is the 25th of April, ANZAC Day,
which celebrates the countrys national unity
and what it means to be Australian.

This is the day when we remember those who

have served our nation in wartime, beginning
with the Boer War, World Wars I and II, the wars
in Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan,
and various peacekeeping missions throughout
the world. This is not a day focused on one city,
Sydney, and one place, Sydney Harbour, but a
day that is celebrated by all, from our largest cit-
ies to our smallest towns.

3
Until 31 December 1900, Australia consisted of
six independent states, which federated into the
Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.
Australian troops fought for the first time un-
der centralised Australian leadership during the
Boer War in South Africa (18991902). It was,
however, the Great War, World War I, which saw
Australian men and women enter the war effort
in great numbers.

The population of Australia in 1914 to 1918 was

approximately 4.9 million. 416,000 Australians
enlisted, representing 38.7 percent of the male
population aged between 18 and 44 years old.
61,514 were to perish and 155,133 were wound-
ed in action. This was a massive national and per-
sonal sacrifice on the part of the young nation.

I have visited the First World War battlefields of

the Western Front which ran through Belgium
and northern France. From there, no deceased
Australians were returned home and their head-
stones reflect the tragedy:

Remember their sacrifice and learn from

their experience.

Christ will clasp the broken chain closer,

when we meet again

Aged 24. Another life lost. 8.8.1918.

Our hearts are broken, for what?

4
 Why Do We Celebrate
ANZAC Day on 25 April?
It was because on this day in 1915, ANZAC
(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)
landed at Gallipoli, Turkey. This was the first
major engagement in the First World War for the
ANZAC forces.

At that time, Britain had joined France and Rus-

sia in a war on Germany and the Austro-Hun-
garian Empire. The Turks, on the other hand,
had joined Germany and declared war on the
Allies. Russia was surrounded and Winston
Churchill, Britains First Lord of the Admiralty,
realised that Russia must not fall to the enemy,
for then Germany could concentrate all its forces
on the Western Front. Churchill argued that the
Dardenelles, the narrow sea passage between the
Aegean and the Black Seas, must be kept open
for the shipment of vital supplies to Russia. The
ANZAC forces were dispatched to defend this
strategic location.

5
The result was a bloody failure. Churchill was
sacked from the War Cabinet and all allied forc-
es were eventually withdrawn by January 1916.
Though a failure, great courage was exhibited by
those who landed on the rugged and mountain-
ous western side of what is now known as the
ANZAC Cove.

The ANZAC forces were left holding a front

that was 1.5 kilometres long and barely 500
metres wide; such was the ferocity of the Turk-
ish defence. Australian casualties were 26,111
of which 8,000 were killed in action, died of
wounds or succumbed to disease. Nine Victoria
Crosses for exceptional bravery were awarded.
Nearly 3,000 New Zealanders died and there
were 7,991 casualties and one Victoria Cross
awarded.

The war historian C.E.W. Bean was the first to

suggest the term the spirit of the ANZAC.
He said, It stands for reckless valour in a good
cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity,
comradeship and endurance that will never own
defeat. These qualities are celebrated every
ANZAC Day. It is right for us to honour and re-
member those who fought and some who died
consistent with this ANZAC spirit, for it is im-
portant to remember that freedom is never won
without cost.

6
 Not Taking Freedom
for Granted
As we recall together the price paid for our free-
dom, it is a good occasion to remember another
historical moment in which a costly sacrifice
was made for an even greater freedom.

Just as we remember the courage of those men

on the Turkish cliffs, 100 years ago, so the
Christian faith focuses on the events in first
century Palestine, especially on a Roman cross,
where Jesus Christ died to pay the price for our
freedom. Christianity is unique in that it guar-
antees true freedom from two brutal tyrants.
Firstly, religionmans effort to win and keep
Gods favour. Such religion is a doubly cruel
tyrant, making impossible demands on us and
then threatening adherents with the worst pos-
sible punishment if those demands are not met.

Christianity, on the other hand, is about pro-

vision, not requirement; supply, not demand.
Christianity is about what God has done, not
about what we must do. Christianity triumphs
over the tyranny of reli-
gion by taking away its
necessity. God sets
guilty people in the
right with Him, be-
cause His love has
satisfied His justice.

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How does God do that? The Bible says that the
wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but Jesus
never sinned. Even the worst enemies of Jesus
could not accuse Him of anything apart from
eating with the wrong kinds of people.

When He died, it was a voluntary act on His part

(John 10:17-18). The Bible says, Christ died for
our sin (1 Corinthians 15:3). His death on the
cross was to free us from the tyranny of sin and
its penalty. Sin is the second tyrant. It holds us
captive such that we do not do the right we want
to do, and we keep doing the wrong we do not
want to do. Jesus took all of our wrongs and paid
the penalty by dying on the cross for us. He res-
cued us from being prisoners of sin to be freed
people who could live life to the fullest. That is
what Christianity is aboutthe death of the in-
nocent for the undeserving. A real death in a real
Palestine, in as much turmoil then as it is today.

The real bodily resurrection of Jesus is Gods

warranty that His death was effective and that
guilty people can now be forgiven through Him.

Those for whom Jesus died must recognise their

part in His death. They must renounce their sin,
entrust their lives to Him, and live for Him.

8
 An Appropriate Response
Freedom is precious, for it is always won at
great cost to others.

That is why it is good to pause and remember

each ANZAC Day those who have served the
cause of freedom. And it is good to pause and
remember the greatest victory of all, won at the
cross, where Jesus Christ died for you and me.

Freedom is ours because of costly sacrifice. It

is a great price Jesus freely paid. For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not per-
ish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV).

John 3:16 has been called the Bible in miniature.

This verse sets out clearly how much God loves
us, what He has done about that and how we can
have life forever with Him.

But a personal relationship with God is not auto-

matic; you need to respond. You can do that by
simply praying the words of John3:16, but re-
place the world and who-
ever with your name.
And then begin living a
life of loving Him.

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Hopefully this little leaflet has helped you to

Our Daily Bread Ministries produces a number of publication available to you at no cost that will help you
think further about the cost of freedom. If you
have been challenged to think further about Je-
sus, the best idea is to get hold of a Bible and
start reading. We encourage you to make contact
with a local church as well, where you can get
additional help with any questions you might
have.

We at Our Daily Bread Ministries would also

like to help! We publish two regular booklets
called Our Daily Bread and Our Daily Journey,
which will help you to read the Bible and talk
with God each day. These are available at no
cost to you. To receive samples of these daily
Bible reading notes, fill in the attached tear-off
slip and return it to our office.

Note to the Reader

Share with us your response to
the message of this leaflet.

Send email to
australia@odb.org or
newzealand@odb.org

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Now Available for iOS and Android!
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