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What is a Sacrifice: Definition Paper

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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The Theology of Sacrifice

Other essays.

The biblical idea of sacrifice concerns the way of approach to God, finding acceptance before him by means of an acceptable substitute offered in place of the sinner and bearing the curse of sin.

This essay surveys the idea of sacrifice through the Old Testament in order to determine its intended significance. Next, this essay surveys the significance of the saving death of Christ as it is presented in these sacrificial categories. Special attention is given to Hebrews 9–10.

Introduction

The idea and practice of sacrifice is prominent throughout the biblical narrative. There is at least a hint of it as far back as Genesis 3:21, where God provides coats of skin for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4:2-5 we read of the sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel, who presumably learned of the practice from Adam and Eve. We then read of sacrifices offered by Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (Gen. 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:13), Isaac (Gen. 26:25), Jacob (Gen. 31:54; 33:20; 35:1-7; 46:1), and Job (1:5; 42:8). In Exodus and Leviticus, of course, the theme explodes. God delivers Israel from Egypt so that they may go and offer sacrifice to him (Exod. 3:18; 5:3, etc.; cf. 17:15), and it is by sacrifice, in fact, that they are delivered (Exod. 12). And in Exodus 20ff and in Leviticus God gives Moses detailed instructions for establishing and carrying out the sacrificial system that was to mark Israel’s worship under the terms of the old covenant. Various kinds of sacrifices were to be offered (the burnt offering, the guilt offering, the sin offering, the peace offering) at various times and for various specific purposes. Coming to the New Testament the practice of sacrifice is much less prominent, but the language of sacrifice dominates with reference to the death of Christ. Our objective here is to uncover the meaning and significance of sacrifice in the Old Testament in order better to discern the saving value of the death of Christ as explained by the New Testament writers.

Sacrifice in the Old Testament

As already observed, the idea of sacrifice begins in the early chapters of Genesis at the dawn of history. The significance tied to the coats of skin provided for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21) is not immediately evident but can be understood more fully only by looking back from later revelation. All we can say at this point is that God covered their shame in a way that involved death.

Likewise the significance of the respective offerings of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:2-5) is not immediately evident. We are told only that Cain’s offering was “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (v. 3), that Abel’s was “of the firstborn of his flock” (v. 4), and that the Lord “had regard for” (i.e., accepted) Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s (vv. 4-5). Assuming that Cain and Abel learned the idea and duty of offering to God from their parents (Gen. 3:21) we might further conjecture that Cain’s offering was a departure from the norm, but with no more information than we are given at this point this is just conjecture. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews repeats that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and adds that it was offered “by faith” and that by it Abel was “commended as righteous” (Heb. 11:4). So much seems implicit in the Genesis narrative, but we must survey further revelation to see just how it is so.

The precise purpose of Noah’s sacrifice (Gen. 8:20-21) is not explicitly stated, only that “the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma” and promised continued blessing. This notion of “pleasing aroma” surely does not indicate that the smoking meat “smelled good” but that God was pleased with what the sacrifice signified and so on that basis promised blessing. The idea of satisfaction is not far away, but we will need further revelation to confirm this.

In Genesis 22 God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice. Before the sacrifice was actually carried out, however, God provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place. Here the idea of divinely-provided substitution is prominent (cf. John 3:16; Rom. 8:32).

Although Job’s sacrifices (1:5) are not precisely defined we are told that they were offered to God because of sin. Likewise it was because of the sins of Job’s friends and God’s consequent anger against them that they were commanded to offer sacrifice (42:7-8). Here it is rather explicit that sacrifice is for the purpose of appeasing divine wrath against sinners.

In the command to sacrifice the Lamb of Passover (Exod. 12) the notion of sin is presumed, and the ideas of substitution (v.3, 13), rescue from divine judgment (v.12, 23), the necessity of blood (v.13, 22) become prominent. By the sacrifice of a qualified lamb whose blood was properly applied each Israelite household escaped the death of God’s judgment.

With God’s instructions concerning sacrifice given in Leviticus the theme begins to receive more explicit definition. The repeated occurrence of “sin” and phrases such as “if anyone sins” (or similar) and “for sin” scores of times throughout the book and the requirement that sacrifices be offered “confessing sin” all specify that it is sin that occasions the sacrifices and gives rise to their need. The descriptive terms “guilt offering” and “sin offering” and the requirements that the sacrifice itself be “without blemish” are reflective of the same. Similarly, the often repeated vocabulary of “atonement” ( kaphar / exilaskomai , indicating propitiation, appeasement ) and “forgiven” specify their purpose. Leviticus 5:10 serves well to summarize: “the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.” On the Day of Atonement the priest was required to “lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins” (16:22). This symbolic action was to signify the transference of sin to the animal who, in turn, would “bear all their [Israel’s] iniquities on itself.” Elsewhere in Leviticus this oft-repeated expression “bear sin” consistently connotes responsibility for sin and liability to judgment (5:1, 17; 7:18; 10:17, etc.; cf. Isa. 53:12; 1Pet. 2:24). The killing of the animal thus signifies the divine judgment that sin merits. The symbolism of laying hands on the sacrificial animal, confessing sin, and then the ritual slaughter of the animal therefore conveys the idea of deliverance by substitution. Forgiveness is secured by substitutional sacrifice. Finally, the repeated assurance that the sacrifice was a “pleasing aroma to the Lord” symbolizes God’s satisfaction with the sacrifice and acceptance of the sinner.

Observations

Old Testament sacrifice was intended to signify more than mere homage. The significance was that of securing forgiveness, expiation of sin, through the offering of a substitute. The offeror is not portrayed as a mere creature but specifically as a sinner, a sinful creature in need of forgiveness. The offeror comes with a consciousness of sin seeking restoration to God’s favor by means of the acceptable sacrifice. The sacrificial victim itself is an intermediary, a substitute providing expiation. It bears the sin of the worshiper who receives forgiveness by that substitutional sin-bearing.

All this is to say that it belongs to the very nature of sacrifice that it is directed first to God. That is, it is designed to influence God, to appease him and satisfy his demand of judgment, and it is only with this satisfaction secured that the worshiper finds forgiveness.

The prominent ideas in Old Testament sacrifice are sin, guilt, and judgment on the one hand and satisfaction, expiation, forgiveness, and reconciliation on the other.

Sacrifice in Old Covenant Context

In its historical setting these sacrifices were provided in order to answer the question, How can a holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? In redeeming Israel from Egypt and in establishing them as a theocratic nation at Sinai (the old covenant) God had made Israel his own people. He pledged to be their God and to dwell with them accordingly. But how can his holy presence among sinners be established? The sacrificial system was given to answer this problem.

Of course there are questions that necessarily remain. Can an animal actually take the place of a man or woman? Can the blood of an animal actually atone for the sin of a nation? And if the sacrifices do indeed secure God’s favor and forgiveness, why must they be repeated?

The New Testament will take up these kinds of questions, but at the very least we can say that the Old Testament sacrificial system established the structure and frame of reference with regard to God’s redemptive purpose: Sinners may obtain divine favor if an acceptable substitute could be found to offer to God in sacrifice.

The Death of Christ as a Sacrifice

All this provides the background for the New Testament’s frequent description of the death of Christ in sacrificial terms; indeed, it cannot be understood otherwise. When Jesus himself and the New Testament writers employ language such as “give my life a ransom,” “ransom in his blood,” “by his blood,” “the blood of his cross,” “my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” “reconciled by his blood,” “justified by his blood,” “propitiation by his blood,” “through the death of his cross,” “made peace through the blood of his cross,” “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed,” “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,” “him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” “the lamb which takes away sin,” “he bore our sin,” “was made sin for us,” “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having been made a curse for us,” and so on, they direct us to understand our Lord’s death in sacrificial categories. The terminology of propitiation, ransom, redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation, all find their meaning against the backdrop of Old Testament sacrifice.

All this teaches us just how it is that Jesus’ death effected our salvation. Our Lord’s death was that of a sacrifice. On the cross he offered himself to God in our place, bearing our sin and its deserved judgment; thus satisfying God’s just demands against us he frees us from our sin and reconciles us to God. All that the Old Testament sacrifices symbolized the Lord Jesus actually accomplished in his saving work. The former sacrifices were symbolic and anticipatory of what was actual in Christ’s offering of himself on our behalf. Just as the Old Testament sacrifices were directed first to God (propitiation) in order then to effect expiation, so our Lord’s death was offered to God (Eph. 5:2; Heb.9:14). His sacrifice of himself for his people was in God’s estimation “a fragrant offering” (Eph. 5:2) effecting propitiation (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 2:17; 1Jn. 2:2; 4:10), satisfying his just demands and thus appeasing his wrath and, in turn, expiating sin. Just as through the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement the people of Israel were, in the person of their representative priest, brought behind the curtain into the holy of holies, so also through the death of Christ we are brought into the very presence of God (Heb. 10:19-20; cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

On the one hand, then, we may speak of the Old Testament sacrifices as prospective, anticipating and symbolizing the saving work that Christ would actually accomplish in his death (Heb. 9:9; 10:1; cf. Col. 2:17). To say the same another way, the writer to the Hebrews specifies that the older sacrifices were in fact “copies” of the “true” sacrifice that Christ offered (Heb. 8:2, 5; 9:23-24; cf. 9:11-12). That is, Jesus’ sacrifice is the “original,” the reality – ultimately, his sacrifice was not patterned after the Old Testament sacrifices; rather, they were patterned after his coming sacrifice – the true sacrifice of which they were but a distant shadow.

Hebrews on the Sacrifice of Christ

The writer to the Hebrews highlights in several ways how the sacrifice of Christ excels the sacrifices of the old covenant.

Christ’s sacrifice was offered only once (9:6-7, 11-12, 25-26, 28; 10:1, 10-12, etc.). The older sacrifices had to be repeated over and again, year after year. This would leave the thinking worshiper with doubts as to their real value (10:2-4), with little reason to assume that even the repeated offering of an animal could satisfy God or remove human guilt? The happy announcement of the gospel is that the sacrifice of Christ was of such value that it needed to be offered only once for all. Christ’s saving work is a finished work (cf. John 19:30), accomplished “once for all.”
Christ’s sacrifice effected forgiveness (9:9-10, 12; 10:1, 4, 11, 18). Sin was the problem addressed in sacrifice – it demanded removal. The repetition of the older sacrifices testified to their inability to deal with sin with finality. They were inadequate. The sacrifice was not of sufficient value. But our Lord offered himself (9:12, 13, 26), a sacrifice of supreme value (cf. Heb. 1-2), effectual in removing sin. Again, what the older sacrifices only anticipated the sacrifice of Christ actually accomplished, and it is therefore able to “purge the conscience” (9:14) of guilt.
Christ’s sacrifice was accepted in heaven , the true temple (8:2, 5; 9:1, 9, 11-12, 23, 24; 10:1). That is to say, it was not prospective of anything. It did not symbolize or anticipate the accomplishing of atonement. Accepted by God himself, in the true temple, forgiveness is assured.
Christ’s sacrifice gained access to God (Heb. 9:7-8; 10:19-22). The old sacrificial system was designed to demonstrate that the way to God is not just open to anyone on any terms (v. 8). There must be a qualified priest and an acceptable sacrifice offered in an acceptable way. Even so, the people at large must stay back – only the high priest had access into the holy of holies and that just once a year and by a prescribed ceremony of sacrifice. We must not presume. It is a fearful thing to approach the holy God. But by the sacrifice of Christ the way now is open. All who come by him, on the ground of his sacrificial work, are accepted (cf. Matt. 27:51; John 2:19-21).

At the climax of this discussion the writer draws several applications, marked by the word “therefore”:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:19-24).

That is, if the sacrifice of Christ, offered once for all, was accepted in heaven itself, effecting forgiveness and gaining access to God, then let us be bold , confident in approaching God assured of our acceptance. Let us be confident , assured of our acceptance there with unwavering faith. Let us persevere through any difficulty with confidence of our final salvation, and let us encourage one another to the same.

Concluding Thoughts

The theme of sacrifice, then, takes us to the heart of the gospel and the essence of the Christian faith.

In a very real sense it [the theme of sacrifice] constitutes Christianity. It is this which differentiates Christianity from other religions. Christianity did not come into the world to proclaim a new morality and, sweeping away all the supernatural props by which men were wont to support their trembling, guilt-stricken souls, to throw them back on their own strong right arms to conquer a standing before God for themselves. It came to proclaim the real sacrifice for sin which God had provided in order to supersede all the poor fumbling efforts which men had made and were making to provide a sacrifice for sin for themselves; and, planting men’s feet on this, to bid them go forward. 1

Reflection Essay Example on Sacrifice

Everyone makes sacrifices, a sacrifice being the act of giving something highly valued for the Sake of getting something considered to be of greater value in return, But you don't always understand the cost of the sacrifice. For example, Staying up late to finish An assignment You're sacrificing the amount of sleep you will get another example is Sacrificing something you love for someone you love. What tends to happen when we sacrifice our wants and needs we don't focus on what we lose or miss out on we focus on the reward that will come from that sacrifice. But not all sacrifices are for the better, you might think they are at the time and regret them in the future, sacrifices are like a double edge sword one edge would solve a problem but the other could potentially cause even more problems. Let's get into the pros and cons of sacrifice and how we balance the life of give and take.

There are a lot of great sacrifices that can be made in this world. Such as waking up earlier which means going to bed earlier, You don't have to get up at the crack of dawn, but even waking up 40 minutes earlier can give you more time to prepare for your day or relax before you start your day. Limiting the amount of time you on your phone is another great example of a good sacrifice, social media is great for staying connected to your friends and family but can become addicting limiting the amount of time you are on your phone every day can help connect to the real world and everything that's going on around you.

Not all sacrifices are good though there are sacrifices people make every day that are not good for them in the long run. An example is sacrificing a friendship for your partner might seem like a great idea at the time because your partner is happy but then you have lost a friend at that sacrifice that you have lost for someone who might not always be there. Another example is sacrificing your health and happiness for your job or for family, you are trying to help everyone around you at the cost of yourself and you think that that is ok because it is helping people but that sacrifice has long-term effects on you. You have to think about sacrifices every day cause everything you do is a sacrifice of something else.

A lot of successful people have said that they sacrificed sleep, time, health, and personal life for their success. And this is a great example of sacrifice because while they are sacrificing these important things they are getting rewarded. And for some people that is enough of a reason to do it. It really just depends on the type of person you are and the type of person you want to be. There are people who wouldn't sacrifice any of those things just for wealth and fame and there are some people who would sacrifice everything for it.

In conclusion, sacrifice is all around you every decision you make is a sacrifice of something else. Whether it be for the better or worse is up to you and what you see as success or failure.

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The Sacrifices We Make for Success

What price would you pay to achieve your dreams.

Nine out of ten times, a two hour class is a mini-fugue. The clock ticks in memorandum for the time you could have spent anywhere and everywhere else. You could’ve had the pulse of the world under your thumb, but those two hours (of which you cannot remember learning a thing) robbed you of these opportunities. When the class ends, that fiery fervor you had for life two hours ago has now whimpered into barely-glowing coals raked over your shoulders, under your tongue, below your feet. You feel your will steep, the passion seeping out from all over. The only mercy you crave is for the sweet embrace of a nap to wrap its hands around your shoulders and lull you into comfortable quasi-amnesia. But that’s your bit of sacrifice for a good grade, two hours. Seems relatively harmless, doesn’t it?

Yet, a two hour class I had a few weeks ago was not like the others.The professor usually starts class with an anecdote and leads into the topic; ironically, I don’t remember what the intended lesson was. What I do remember, however, is the lesson I took home:

“We were on a road trip to upstate New York, and I—my wife was driving—I was in the passenger seat reading a research journal for work and was taking notes like I do on all the family trips, and my son was in the back doing something…” He trailed off tangentially, blurring thoughts together. “You know, I once participated in a sleep chamber experiment. I thought I was one of those guys who could run on four-five hours, but I was wrong. That’s when I changed my life around. I started leaving the lab a bit earlier. Taking more vacations with my family. Putting them first and work second. Or at least I tried to. I think I did.”

Maybe I remembered his words wrong. Maybe I should’ve thought twice when he spoke of car rides and family and all I heard was the clock ticking, little boy calling out for attention. Maybe it’s the way my memory held his like hands overlapping, smoothing out the raw edges until I could hold his thoughts like a snow globe between my synaptic gaps. I shook the memory around anyway and watched the pieces of his life I knew float around the scene: top of his field, two time Ivy League graduate, successful, tenured Harvard professor, renowned researcher, former revered medical professional. He had all the attributes a typical Harvard student aspires towards—yet this was simply the snow, the fluff in the globe.

These titles are powerful, indubitably so; however, they are also heavy with the weight of sacrifices. Some of us know the word all too well by now: the typical high school experience lost between the pages of a textbook, the grade in lieu of the adventure, the litany of exciting, carefree potentialities compromised by the actuality of calculated academia and future careers being top priority. Our conception of the word sacrifice is finite. We tell ourselves that what we miss out on is “just for now”, that we can relive these missed opportunities in heaps and reams once we reach our respective successes. We convince ourselves that sacrifice is simply a necessary evil that must occur for us to reach our dreams.

The snow globe tells me a different story. This sacrifice, this torrent of snow, is infinite. Despite the lies we dress up as truths in the mirror, the reality is that the sacrifices never end; they simply reinvent themselves in new ways. One could reach the pinnacle of their respective field as my professor has, yet there will always be something one must give up in order to achieve such success in other aspects of their life.

And this give and take seems logical; one could say that this isn’t really a sacrifice at all, that doing what you love and achieving your lifelong goals is more of a gain than anything else. I’m tempted to agree with this rosier reality. We came here for our studies, and due diligence to them plus tunnel vision and a dash of luck gives way to the results we are looking for. Simple input and output process, as it seems; we shouldn’t be quick to criticize the path we’ve chosen for ourselves. Yet, when I cling to this thought, the thorns bristle under my grasp, drawing out more crimson in me than I expected. To reach such heights, you’re bound to become oxygen-deprived. To accomplish such feats, you’re expected to see only your goals, cataracts developing instinctually in the face of anything else. To be at the top of your field, you can’t quagmire yourself in the moment; you must always be working towards the peak. I don’t know if I am ready to give the sights along the way for the vistas at the top.

Although I don’t want to miss out on the sights or any of these definitive moments, if given the option to throw caution to the wind and follow this path, nine times out of ten I would turn my back to it. Maybe this can be chocked up to negligence or fear of change or some twisted sense of pomp or even out of pure stubbornness, but I fear that I will continue along this trench that so many of us students dig ourselves into, pigeonholing into this hollow mold in the hopes that sacrifice is the wrong word for the choices we’ve made.

Quietly, almost inconspicuously so, most of us will likely marshal ourselves into the contained snow globe world—but to how many will this world be a blizzard? How many will see the beauty beyond the snow—how many would care to know what’s past it?

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Sacrifice: An Unexpected Answer to Family Challenges

"In this world, it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich." –Henry Ward Beecher

Michael Ruse and Julie Dodger had been engaged for six months, but the closer they got to the wedding, the more concerned they were about the marriage. Julie was willing to move to a new location, and Michael was willing to attend all of her family gatherings. When they did the math, it should have worked out. But according to Julie, Michael didn’t earn enough, didn’t listen well enough, and didn’t compromise. And according to Michael, Julie was intolerant, disorganized, and high maintenance. They worried that their differences were irreconcilable.

Through discussion, Michael and Julie came to realize that although their problems were very real, their strengths were real as well, and they showed those strengths best when they sacrificed for one another. Julie felt like it was easier to appreciate Michael when she cleaned her apartment for him and when she forgave his imperfections, and Michael knew from experience that his love for Julie grew when he sacrificed his evening sports show to hear about her day. By focusing on sacrificing for each another, the couple gained the courage to move forward in their relationship. They learned that mutual love grows as we serve and sacrifice for each other.

A Contrary Culture

The couple was surprised at first that a simple principle like sacrifice provided a solution to their problems. We can understand their skepticism. American culture doesn’t value sacrifice as much as it values individuality. Self-care and science are the songs of our day, not sacrifice!

But perhaps what we need is the simple reminder of the truth spoken by Jesus: “[H]e that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

The Great Paradox

There is a certain inevitability that as one struggles to foster someone else’s growth, one’s own growth, in one way or another, is also fostered. –Dag Hammarskjold 1

Sacrifice is a willingness to “forego immediate self-interest to promote the well-being of a partner or relationship”. 10 We frequently see this kind of sacrifice in family relationships. Consider these examples:

Parenting Relationships : A new mother sacrifices much-needed sleep in order to feed her hungry infant.

In the case of childrearing, sacrifice is not just a nicety—it is a necessity. The Family: A Proclamation to the World describes some important parental sacrifices:

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

Marriage Relationships: A husband sacrifices his weekend plans with friends to take his wife on a date.

Marriage requires a lot of sacrifice. Fortunately, sacrifice is easier for people who are united. “For those individuals who have a strong sense of couple identity..., and are therefore more interested in the well-being of the couple unit than their own individual gains, it is theorized that acts of sacrifice will be easier because they do not feel like they are as much of a sacrifice”. 11 When a couple feels committed and unified, sacrifice is a blessing rather than a burden.

Family Relationships: A child sacrifices his lunch money for his younger sister when she forgets hers.

Children benefit from the sacrificial examples of their parents. As recipients of their parents’ sacrifices, they also learn how to sacrifice. In this way, sacrifice makes it more likely for family members to reciprocate good behaviors. The result is a more generous, hospitable home atmosphere.

A Responsibility and a Reward

Sacrifice is so common in family life that we often fail to notice it. Sacrifice can be active (doing something against your own inclination in order to please someone you love) or passive (not doing something that you’d like to do in order to please someone you love). It may seem costly at times, but sacrifice is a gift with many rewards.

Research shows that greater sacrifice leads to happier, longer-lasting relationships. Scholars include it with other “transformative processes” like forgiveness, commitment, and sanctification. Though the reasons why sacrifice is so important to families have not all been identified, some researchers have noted that “sacrifice has surplus value, yielding positive consequences for the partner above and beyond any direct impact on experienced outcomes”. 10 Rather than leaving us empty, sacrifice actually makes us full.

Motive Matters

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity . . . ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ).

Not all sacrifice is created equally. People can sacrifice with two types of motives:

Approach motives seek to obtain positive outcomes. For example, a man could buy flowers for his wife because he loves her and wants her to be happy.

Avoidance motives seek to avoid negative outcomes. For example, the same man could buy flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day because he knows that she would be mad if he didn’t.

Research shows that approach motives are better than avoidance motives. It’s easy to see why. The man who buys flowers for his wife because he loves her will be happy about the gift. He’ll probably feel like a better husband, and he will be confident that his wife will return the affection that he feels for her. In contrast, the man who buys flowers for his wife to avoid her wrath probably feels a little stressed, having to tiptoe around her. He might be mad about the money that it costs, and he will expect her to be ungrateful or undeserving of the gift. Rather than bringing the couple together, sacrificing with avoidance motives has the potential to drive them further apart. Giving sacrifice willingly (with approach motives) is far more beneficial than giving grudgingly.

Learning to Sacrifice

Learning to sacrifice is more than a to-do list. Since motivation matters, sacrifice must be delivered with an attitude of love and appreciation. It is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. So although the following suggestions may help, remember that sacrificing requires a change of heart, and not just a change of behavior:

Sacrificial Speech: Sometimes sacrifice means biting your tongue. When your partner or child makes a negative remark, don’t respond unkindly. Instead, select a calm and caring reply. This is called accommodation or editing.

Sacrificial Stance: Researchers recommend that rather than focusing on how our family members can change, we should shift our attention to something that we have more control over, such as how we can bless them. In the spirit of President John F Kennedy, we ask not “what can this person do for me?” but “what can I do for this person?”

Sacrificial Sight: Change your heart by changing your perspective. Researchers suggest that we should focus on the things that we want to create in our relationships rather than things that we want to avoid. See family members’ needs and interests as important as your own, and notice their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

Sacrificial Savoir-Faire: Savoir-faire is the ability to act with grace and tact. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. Choose your battles wisely and be willing to set aside personal interests when they conflict with couple or family well-being.

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, edited by Justin Dyer and Stephen F. Duncan, professors in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

Bahr, H. S. (2001). Families and self-sacrifice: Alternative models and meanings for family theory. Social Forces, 79(4), 1231-1258.
Burr, W. R., Marks, L. D., Day, R. D. (2012). Sacred matters: Religion and spirituality in families. New York, NY: Routledge.
Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family , 66(4), 848-861.
Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M., Beach, S. R H. (2007). Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends. Journal of Marriage and Family , 69, 275-292.
Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity, justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hinckley, G. B. (1971, June). Except the Lord build the house . Ensign.
Impett, E. A., Gable, S. L., & Peplau, L. (2005). Giving up and giving in: The costs and benefits of daily sacrifice in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(3), 327-344.
Pargament, K., Zinnbauer, B., Scott, A., Butter, E., Zerowin, J., & Stanik, P. (1998). Red flags and religious coping: Identifying some religious warning signs among people in crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychology , 54(1), 77-89.
Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Sadberry, S. L., Clements, M. L., Markman, H. J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process , 45, 289-303.
Van Lange, P. M., Rusbult, C. E., Drigotas, S. M., Arriaga, X. B., Witcher, B. S., & Cox, C. L. (1997). Willingness to sacrifice in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 72(6), 1373-1395.
Whitton, S., Stanley, S., & Markman, H. (2002). Sacrifice in romantic relationships: An exploration of relevant research and theory. In A. L. Vangelisti, H. T. Reis, & M. A. Fitzpatrick (Eds.), Stability and change in relationships (pp. 156-182). Cambridge, UK: University Press.

The popular and professional literature seems to miss the real sources of strength in marriage: the shared goals, the necessary struggles and sacrifices, the calm joy of teamwork, and the comfort in two people carrying out mundane tasks together. All of these elements forge the profound bonds that characterize strong marriage. –Blaine Fowers, Beyond the Myth of Marital HappinessMichael and Julie’s experience illustrates that sacrifice can be a positive influence in family life. The couple was surprised at first that a simple principle like sacrifice provided a solution to their problems. We can understand their skepticism. American culture doesn’t value sacrifice as much as it values individuality. Society places such a large emphasis on self-fulfillment and independence that scholars call modern marriage the “individualized” marriage. 3 Although individuality isn’t necessarily bad, too much focus on self can lead us to forget about sacrificing for others, which leads to families being less effective. In addition, sacrifice is usually seen as a religious rather than an academic principle. Self-care and science are the songs of our day, not sacrifice! But things are changing, and sacrifice is gaining importance in the academic world. It came onto the scene almost by accident. In 1998, a team of researchers discovered that sacrifice has positive outcomes. People who sacrifice are happier and have a better outlook on life. 8 Although it may seem strange that giving oneself away makes a person happier, both research and religion teach us that this is true. In Christian tradition, we are most familiar with the words of Jesus: “[H]e that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

The Sacrifice Paradox

There is a certain inevitability that as one struggles to foster someone else’s growth, one’s own growth, in one way or another, is also fostered. –Dag Hammarskjold 1 Sacrifice is a “willingness to forego immediate self-interest to promote the well-being of a partner or relationship”. 10 We often see this kind of behavior family relationships. For example, a new mother sacrifices sleep to feed her baby. A husband sacrifices his weekend plans with friends to take his wife on a date. Or a child sacrifices his lunch money for his younger sister when she forgets hers. Sacrifice is so common in family life that we sometimes fail to notice it.

Sacrifice can be active (doing something for someone you love) or passive (not doing something in order to please someone you love). Scholars call sacrifice a “transformation of motivation” because it changes how we relate to others. We replace self-interested desires with concern for the people we are with. 7 Rather than leaving us empty, sacrifice actually makes us full.

Research shows that greater sacrifice leads to happier, longer-lasting relationships. 10,9 Scholars include it with other “transformative processes” like forgiveness, commitment, and sanctification. 4 Though the reasons why sacrifice is so important to families have not all been identified, some researchers have noted that “sacrifice has surplus value, yielding positive consequences for the partner above and beyond any direct impact on experienced outcomes”. 10 However it works, it is obvious that it does work!

Family relationships provide countless opportunities to sacrifice. Parenting, in particular, requires more sacrifice than most relationships. In the case of childrearing, sacrifice is not just a nicety—it is a necessity. The Family: A Proclamation to the World describes some important parental sacrifices:Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.Husbands and wives have important responsibilities to each other and to their children. Fortunately, sacrifice is easier when spouses are unified. “For those individuals who have a strong sense of couple identity . . . and are therefore more interested in the well-being of the couple unit than their own individual gains, it is theorized that acts of sacrifice will be easier because they do not feel like they are as much of a sacrifice”. 11 Mature individuals realize that caring for one’s spouse is actually to one’s own benefit because doing so fulfills a deep human need to belong and to nurture. Sacrifice thus becomes a blessing rather than a burden.Children benefit from the sacrificial examples of their parents. As recipients of their parents’ sacrifices, they learn how to sacrifice in return. In this way, sacrifice makes it more likely for family members to reciprocate good behaviors. The result is a more generous, hospitable home atmosphere. 11

To care about someone . . . means devoting them to the person and taking joy in doing so; in the end, one feels richer for one’s efforts, not poorer. –Tzvetan Todorov. 1 Not all sacrifice is created equally. Researchers often categorize sacrificial behaviors as having one of two motives: 7

Approach motives seek to obtain positive outcomes. We call them “approach motives” or “appetitive motives” because the purpose of sacrifice is to gain a reward. For example, a man could buy flowers for his wife because he loves her and wants her to be happy. He is using approach motives because he is seeking the reward of his wife’s happiness and well-being.

Avoidance motives seek to avoid negative outcomes. Avoidance motives (or “aversive motives”) are so-named because the goal is to avoid some sort of punishment. For example, the same man could buy flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day because he knows that she will be mad if he doesn’t. He exemplifies avoidance motives because he is seeking to avoid her anger.

Research shows that approach motives are better than avoidance motives. 7 It’s easy to see why. The man who buys flowers for his wife because he loves her will be happy about the gift. He’ll probably feel like a better husband, and he will be confident that his wife will return the affection that he feels for her. In contrast, the man who buys flowers for his wife to avoid her wrath probably feels a little stressed, having to tiptoe around her. He might be mad about the money that it costs, and he will expect her to be ungrateful or undeserving of the gift. Rather than bringing the couple together, sacrificing with avoidance motives has the potential to drive them further apart.

Emily Impett and her colleagues did a study to show the importance of sacrificing for the right reasons. They asked 161 college students to keep a daily journal. For two weeks, students wrote about their romantic relationships and their sacrificial behaviors, including whether or not they were sacrificing for avoidance or approach reasons. The results were impressive:

“On days when participants sacrificed for avoidance motives, they experienced more negative emotions, lower satisfaction with life, less positive relationship well-being, and more relationship conflict…Further, the more often participants sacrificed for avoidance motives over the course of the 2-week study, the less satisfied they were and the more likely they were to have broken up 1 month later…” . 7

Impett’s findings echo a common theme in the Bible: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity” ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ). Given grudgingly, sacrifice doesn’t benefit the giver or the receiver nearly as much as when it is given willingly. 10 Approach motives and avoidance motives boil down to the principle of sincerity. Approach motives tend to be sincere, while avoidance motives tend to be insincere. Sincere, heartfelt sacrifice benefits both the giver and the receiver. Author Philip Hallie helped explain why sincerity is prerequisite to sacrifice:

[There is a fundamental distinction] between giving things and giving oneself. When you give somebody a thing without giving yourself, you degrade both parties. But when you give yourself, nobody is degraded . . . both parties are elevated by a shared joy. When you give yourself, the things you are giving become . . . féconde (fertile, fruitful). What you give creates new, vigorous life”. 1

Rather than feeling degraded or used when they sacrifice, people who sacrifice with approach motives (sincerely trying to bless someone else) actually feel like beneficiaries. They profit from the possibility of reciprocation, from feeling needed and useful, and from growing to know what is needed and how to meet those needs. 1

To Make Sacred

Sacrifice has found acceptance in academics, but it is also an important religious principle. The roots of the word sacrifice literally mean “to make sacred”. 2 A team of Brigham Young University scholars explored the link between sacrifice and sacredness. They found that “perceiving parts of family life to be sacred gives them a unique, unusually powerful, and salient influence in families… [Thus] the greater the sacredness of sacrificing, the more unique, powerful, and salient the effects of the sacrificing are on other family processes and valued family outcomes”. 2

So, for people who believe that sacrifice is a sacred principle (of special, even transcendent, significance), sacrifice in family life may be more meaningful. For example, the man who believes that fatherhood is a divine duty will probably be more willing to sacrifice work hours for time with his children than the man who thinks little of his fathering efforts. When sacrifices made in the home are considered sacred, we expect individuals and families to sacrifice more often and with purer motives, leading to better family outcomes. We thus recommend that couples and families view sacrifice from a sacred lens, and see family life as directly benefited by religious beliefs.

Sacrificial Speech: Sometimes sacrifice means biting your tongue. When your partner or child makes a negative remark, don’t respond unkindly. Instead, select a calm and caring reply. This is called accommodation or editing. 1
Sacrificial Stance: Researchers recommend that rather than focusing on how our family members can change, we should shift our attention to something that we have more control over, such as how we can bless them. 9 In the spirit of President John F Kennedy, we ask not “what can this person do for me?” but “what can I do for this person?”
Sacrificial Sight: Change your heart by changing your perspective. Researchers suggest that we should focus on the things that we want to create in our relationships rather than things that we want to avoid. 7 See family members’ needs and interests as important as your own 1 , and notice their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
Sacrificial Savoir-Faire: Savoir-faire is the ability to act with grace and tact. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. Choose your battles wisely and be willing to set aside personal interests when they conflict with couple or family well-being. 10

Word of Warning

Sacrifice is wonderful for families, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Research says that sacrifice is most helpful when it is voluntary, when it is given in moderation, when it is reciprocated (given in return), and when it is accompanied by commitment. 9 Sacrifice could easily become harmful if given in the wrong ways. Consider the following circumstances and note how sacrifice could be unhealthy:

Allie and Mark have been married for three months. They love each other, but Mark feels like Allie asks too much of him. She gives him a “honey-do” list every Saturday, and she is constantly nagging him to do things her way. He is happy to do whatever it takes to make theirs a happy marriage, but sometimes he wishes that he could do things for her without being pushed into it.

Mark’s sacrifices would better if he didn’t feel pushed to sacrifice. Remember, the most beneficial sacrifice is given willingly, with approach motivations rather than with avoidance motivations. Allie could help the situation by being less demanding, more grateful, and by doing a good turn for Mark on a more frequent occasion.

Although Melissa is smitten with her boyfriend, her family is not so fond of him. They affectionately call him “Dan the Dud.” Mel has been dating him for nearly 18 months now, and she does everything she can to convince Dan to marry her. She regularly sacrifices social events and school demands to spend time with him, but he doesn’t seem to reciprocate. In reality, she knows that he really is a dud. She is convinced that things would be better if they were married.

Melissa is right in one respect—sacrifice and commitment do go hand-in-hand, though it is foolish to believe that Dan’s behavior will change after they get married. Research shows that for men especially, long-term commitment is related to greater willingness to sacrifice. 9 Sacrifice is always most advantageous when it is reciprocated. Only then can sacrifice contribute to a relationship climate of mutual support and generosity.

Karen and Tanner have three children. Karen has a giving heart, and she rarely considers her own needs. She spends so much time serving her family that she sometimes finds herself crashing, feeling exhausted and burned out. Tanner tries to convince her to take a break to rejuvenate, but she feels guilty about taking care of her own needs.

The answer to Karen’s problem is moderation! Moms are especially susceptible to burn-out. The problem isn’t sacrifice, but how much sacrifice. We all have finite capacities, and we can only give from what we have—in time, energy, or materials. Even mothers have limits. When Karen replenishes herself, she will be more effective in sacrificing and serving others.

Church leader Gordon B. Hinckley wisely defined love in sacrificial terms: “True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one’s companion”. 6 Current research and personal experience support Hinckley’s words. When it comes to family relationships, sacrifice is the vital key to individual happiness and family unity. Kenneth Boulding said it well: “[W]ithout the kind of commitment or identity which emerges from sacrifice, it may well be that no communities, not even the family, would really stay together”. 1

Bahr, H. S., & Bahr, K. S. (2001). Families and self-sacrifice: Alternative models and meanings for family theory. Social Forces, 79(4), 1231-1258.
Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4), 848-861.
Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M., Beach, S. R H. (2007). Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 275-292.
Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity, justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hinckley, G. B. (1971, June). Except the Lord build the house . Ensign .
Pargament, K., Zinnbauer, B., Scott, A., Butter, E., Zerowin, J., & Stanik, P. (1998). Red flags and religious coping: Identifying some religious warning signs among people in crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(1), 77-89.
Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Sadberry, S. L., Clements, M. L., Markman, H. J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process, 45, 289-303.

A Godly Endeavor

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." –Matthew 10:39

Joseph Smith taught the early saints that a “religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to salvation” (Lectures on Faith, 6:5). For the pioneers, sacrifice meant wooden handcarts and wintry treks. Today we have no physical journeys to make in offering. What then can we give? The very definition of sacrifice is to “[give] to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work”. 4 Today there is no godly work more pressing than the interests of home and family.

In face-to-face communion with God, Moses learned that work and glory of God is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). If we want to engage in God’s work, then our mission, like His, is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. How better to promote immortality and eternal life than in a family, where human life is created and eternal principles are taught? Indeed, the family is the setting that God instituted for individuals to learn, develop, and lay hold on immortality and eternal life.

In the Family Proclamation

Although The Family: A Proclamation to the World doesn’t refer to sacrifice in word, the principle is woven throughout. Consider the following instructions from the Proclamation, and notice how sacrifice is a guiding principle in our relationships with children, spouse, extended family, and with our Father in Heaven.

Sacrificing to Marry & Bear Children: The Proclamation has much to say about the sanctity of marriage and parenthood. We learn first that couples are to “multiply and replenish the earth,” and that “children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony.”

Couples may think it is costly to set aside their personal pursuits and worldly endeavors in order to build a family, but we know that marriage and family are worth any price. President Benson taught that “[n]o sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage . . . By this act of faith, we show our love to God and our regard for a posterity yet unborn”. 2 It requires faith to choose to marry and bear children even when school schedules, careers, and finances get in the way. Fortunately, our Heavenly Father provides divine assistance. When we sacrifice for His purposes, He endows us with power from on high and blesses us with commandments to keep us safe and happy.

Sacrificing for Spouse: The Proclamation instructs that “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children” and to “help one another as equal partners.” They are also to “[employ] the sacred powers of procreation … between a man and a woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife” and to “honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

Loving and caring for one’s spouse as an equal partner sometimes means foregoing personal interests. Maintaining chastity and fidelity sacrifices natural man carnal urges for the eternal joys of a covenant bond. These sacrifices ultimately provide couples with greater intimacy, affection, and unity.

Sacrificing to Raise Children: The Proclamation describes specific sacrifices that are required of mothers and fathers: “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live . . . By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

Parenting is not for the faint-hearted! Raising children is the very heart of sacrifice, demanding a total consecration of one’s time, talents, and interests. All other demands outside the home take second-place to the sacred tasks of providing, presiding, protecting, teaching, and nurturing children.

Sacrificing for Family Members: The Proclamation says only a little about extended family, but it teaches an important responsibility. “Extended families should lend support when needed,” it says.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain (Genesis 4:9). We know from the teachings of Jesus Christ that we are our brother’s keepers. We covenant to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” (Mosiah 18:9). This obligation is most important within our immediate and extended family units.

Sacrificing for Our Heavenly Father: The Proclamation helps us see that family life is happier when we do things God’s way. We learn that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

Implicit in the Family Proclamation is the need to sacrifice to God. We choose to do family life in His way, sacrificing some of our own ideas and trusting that the instruction that He provides is the best ways to raise our families.

Blessings and Burdens

Sometimes the demands of family life don’t seem worth the effort. Mothers sacrifice sleep, sanity, and self-interests to nurture their children. Fathers put in forty-hour workweeks to provide for their families. It isn’t always easy to obey laws of tithing, church attendance, chastity, missionary service, or the Word of Wisdom. Yet we believe that it is to our benefit to suspend our personal desires to act in the interest of Heavenly Father’s divine purposes.

To those who tire of giving, remember that the sacrifices are not without reward. Blessings often come as burdens in disguise. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that “[Our] blessings will exceed any sacrifice [we] have made. We can never get the Lord in debt to us.” 2 So central is the role of sacrifice to our happiness that President Harold B. Lee said, “I [am] persuaded of one great truth: Whenever the Lord has a great blessing for one of his children, he puts that son or daughter in the way to make a great sacrifice”. 2 Let us sacrifice willingly, and so reap the rewards of earthly peace and eternal salvation.

Sacrifice yields rewards that far outweigh the costs. It may be in this way that God “reaps where he sow[s] not” (Matthew 25:26). Just as one small seed produces many pieces of fruit, so sacrifice multiplies in effect. It is infectious, and promotes a pattern of generosity among family members. The climate that prevails in a home where individuals willingly sacrifice for each other is one of trust, love, and mutual affection.

Note that not all sacrifice is created equally, however. When we give begrudgingly of our time or resources, we may cause more harm than good. Indeed, scriptures teach us that gifts given without real intent “profiteth [us] nothing” (Moroni 7:6-8). When we give willingly, sacrifice becomes a reward in its own right. It is a blessing rather than a burden.

United and Selfless

Unity is the champion of sacrifice, and selfishness is its destroyer. President Benson recommended that we replace selfishness with sacrifice:

“One of Satan’s greatest tools is pride: to cause a man or woman to center so much attention on self that he or she becomes insensitive to their Creator or fellow beings. It’s a cause for discontent, divorce, teenage rebellion, family indebtedness, and most other problems we face. If you would find yourself, learn to deny yourself for the blessing of others. Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life”. 2

Sacrifice is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. A change of heart is required. As we cultivate a giving heart, sacrifice can become the natural way to live virtuously.

"The principle of sacrifice should be taught in every Latter-day Saint home and should be practiced in many simple yet important ways." 1

–Elder M. Russell Ballard

Sacrifice is a lofty principle, but it is best expressed in ordinary settings. Consider applying sacrifice in some of the following ways:

Sacrifice the impulse to anger. Speak kindly to family members when they speak or behave in unbecoming ways.
Sacrifice time spent in personal pursuits to spend time with a family member.
Sacrifice your negative perceptions for more flattering views of others; rather than magnifying faults, look for the good in family members.

Elder Robert D. Hales taught this principle when he advised that “The secret of a happy marriage is to protect the Achilles’ heel and not take advantage of the weaknesses of those you know the best, love the most, and ultimately can hurt the most.” 3

Give gifts to family members; gifts could include material goods, service, attention, or time.
Sacrifice your personal hurts in exchange for healing. Forgive generously and refuse to take offense when wronged.
Teach your children to sacrifice. Your example of willingness to sacrifice for Heavenly Father through obedience to the commandments is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

The Wise Gift

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 6 reminds us to “forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. Good sacrifices give in exchange for something of far greater worth, while lesser sacrifices give in exchange for something of negligible value. He compares the good sacrifice of a parent giving up sleep to soothe a child after a nightmare with the foolish sacrifice of a mother staying up all night to make the perfect accessory for her daughter’s Sunday dress.

“Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, ‘Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?’ There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective.”

The Atoning Sacrifice

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for [our] brethren."

–1 John 3:16

The scriptures remind us that “the great and last sacrifice” is not of man, but is an infinite and eternal sacrifice (Alma 34:10). Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our earthly sacrifices would mean nothing. Because Jesus Christ overcame death and hell, family relationships are eternal, and we know that our small daily sacrifices will benefit our families now and into eternity. Elder M. Russell Ballard reminds us of the central and pivotal role of our Savior’s sacrifice:

“Having power over life and death, He chose to submit himself to pain, ridicule, and suffering, and offered His life as a ransom for our sins. Because of His love, He suffered both body and spirit to a degree beyond our comprehension and took upon Himself our sins if we repent. Through His personal sacrifice, He provided a way for us to have our sins forgiven and, through Him, to find our way back into the presence of our Heavenly Father”. 1

Sacrifice is central to our Eternal Father’s plan for families. Our small daily sacrifices act as reminders of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. We will develop greater reverence for the Savior’s atonement when we thus act in his similitude. When we sacrifice at home, we remember that “This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14).

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, and edited by Stephen F. Duncan, professor in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

Ballard, M. R. (1992, May). The blessings of sacrifice . Ensign.
Benson, E. T. (1979, May). This is a day of sacrifice . Ensign.
Hales, R. D. (2011, September). A little heaven on earth . Ensign, 45-49.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2009). Gospel principles . Chapter 26: Sacrifice, 149-154.
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995, November). The family: A proclamation to the world . Ensign, 102.
Uchtdorf, D. F. (2011, October). Forget me not . Ensign.

Essay on Sacrifice For Family

Students are often asked to write an essay on Sacrifice For Family in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Sacrifice For Family

Sacrifice: a family’s bond.

Family is the most precious thing in life. It’s a bond that is built on love, trust, and understanding. Sometimes, it’s necessary to make sacrifices for our families. These sacrifices can be small, such as giving up our favorite food or toy.

Sacrifices Made By Parents

Parents often make big sacrifices for their children. They work hard to provide for their family and give their children the best possible life. They may have to miss out on their own wants and needs in order to put their children first.

Sacrifices Made By Children

Children also make sacrifices for their families. They may have to share their toys or clothes with their siblings. They may have to help out with chores around the house. They may have to miss out on some activities that their friends are doing in order to spend time with their family.

Sacrifice Strengthens Family Bonds

Making sacrifices for our families is a way of showing our love and commitment to them. It also helps to strengthen the bonds between family members. When we know that our family is willing to sacrifice for us, it makes us feel loved and secure.

Sacrifice is an important part of family life. It’s a way of showing our love and commitment to each other. It also helps to strengthen the bonds between family members.

250 Words Essay on Sacrifice For Family

What is sacrifice for family.

Sacrifice for family refers to the acts of giving up something of importance or value for the well-being or happiness of one’s family. It can involve making sacrifices in terms of time, money, effort, or personal desires to ensure the family’s needs are met.

Why is Sacrifice for Family Important?

Sacrifice for family is essential because it shows love, care, and commitment to the family members. It helps strengthen family bonds, creates a sense of unity, and provides a solid foundation for the family’s growth and happiness. By making sacrifices, family members demonstrate their willingness to put the family’s interests above their own, fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for all.

Examples of Sacrifice for Family

Sacrifice for family can take many forms. It can be as simple as a parent staying up late to help their child with homework or as significant as a family member donating a kidney to save the life of another family member. Other examples include working extra hours to provide for the family’s needs, adjusting personal plans to accommodate family events, and giving up personal belongings to help a family member in need.

Benefits of Sacrifice for Family

Sacrifice for family brings numerous benefits. It helps create a sense of gratitude and appreciation among family members, strengthening their relationships. It also teaches children the importance of selflessness and empathy, shaping their character and values. Additionally, sacrifice for family can lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment and meaning in life, as individuals experience the joy of contributing to the happiness and well-being of loved ones.

Sacrifice for family is a fundamental aspect of strong and loving family relationships. By making sacrifices, family members demonstrate their commitment to one another, fostering a sense of unity and support. The benefits of sacrifice for family are numerous, including stronger bonds, enhanced gratitude, and a deeper sense of fulfillment in life. Embracing sacrifice for family helps create a nurturing and supportive environment where every member feels valued and loved.

500 Words Essay on Sacrifice For Family

Sacrifice: a profound expression of love.

Family serves as the cornerstone of our lives. It’s a haven where boundless affection, unwavering support, and unconditional acceptance abound. In the tapestry of family life, sacrifice often emerges as the vibrant thread that weaves the bonds of love even tighter. When we selflessly prioritize the well-being of our loved ones above our own desires, we embark on a journey of sacrifice that not only strengthens the family unit but also elevates our spirits.

Parents: The Embodiment of Sacrifice

From the moment we draw our first breath, our parents shower us with boundless love and unwavering support. They selflessly dedicate their lives to nurturing us, providing for our needs, and guiding us through life’s labyrinthine paths. Countless sleepless nights, countless tears shed in secret, and countless sacrifices made – all for the sake of their children’s happiness and well-being. Their unwavering commitment serves as a testament to the profound power of parental love.

Siblings: Sharing the Journey

The bond between siblings is a unique and precious gift. As we grow up together, we share laughter, tears, secrets, and dreams. We learn the true meaning of compromise, cooperation, and forgiveness. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the sake of sibling harmony. Perhaps one sibling gives up their favorite toy to bring joy to another, or they volunteer to take on extra chores to lighten the load for their busy sibling. These acts of kindness, though small, leave an indelible mark on our hearts, strengthening the bond of brotherhood or sisterhood.

Extended Family: A Tapestry of Love and Support

The extended family, like a vibrant tapestry, weaves together the threads of love, support, and shared history. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins – each member contributes their unique hue to the family’s rich tapestry. They offer guidance, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. At times, sacrifices must be made to maintain this intricate web of relationships. Perhaps a family member travels long distances to attend a special event, or they rearrange their schedule to provide care for an elderly relative. These acts of selflessness, though often unseen, are the threads that hold the extended family together.

The Ripple Effect of Sacrifice

The ripples of sacrifice extend far beyond the immediate family circle. When we prioritize the well-being of our loved ones, we create a domino effect of positive change. The love, support, and kindness we extend to our family members radiate outward, touching the lives of others. It inspires them to do the same, creating a ripple effect of kindness and compassion that permeates the community and the world at large.

Conclusion: A Love Beyond Measure

In the grand symphony of life, sacrifice for family stands as a testament to the enduring power of love. It is a selfless act that strengthens bonds, nurtures hearts, and weaves together the tapestry of our shared existence. While sacrifices may require us to relinquish our own desires or endure hardships, the rewards are immeasurable. The love, gratitude, and unity that stem from sacrifice far outweigh any perceived loss. As we navigate life’s journey, let us embrace the transformative power of sacrifice for family, knowing that it is the ultimate expression of love.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

The New York Times

The learning network | what are your family stories of sacrifice.

What Are Your Family Stories of Sacrifice?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

See all Student Opinion »

Family histories often include events in which people make a sacrifice, hoping that future generations will benefit. Perhaps relatives fled political oppression in their home country or moved to a place where their children and grandchildren were likely to have more opportunities. Perhaps they worked long hours to provide for the family. What stories are there in your family history of personal sacrifice?

In the article “Tight-Knit Family Shares Lin’s Achievement,” Sam Borden and Keith Bradsher tell the story of basketball sensation Jeremy Lin’s parents. People who know the family contend that “in order to fully comprehend Lin’s rise from relative anonymity, his parents’ story must be understood.” The article continues:

Indeed, long before there were Madison Square Garden and endorsement opportunities and an unending spotlight on a quiet family from the Bay Area, there were two graduate students in a cramped apartment in Indiana, a rattling Ford Taurus and bills so overwhelming they once gripped the family’s finances. At its roots, though, the parents’ journey is simple: Some 40 years ago, Lin Gie-Ming, a boy from Beidou, and Wu Xinxin, a girl from Kaohsiung, thought of coming to the United States. They dreamed of pursuing an education. They dreamed of perhaps, someday, raising a family. Gie-Ming’s immigration to the United States arose from a fortunate connection. Ping Tcheng, a professor at Old Dominion University, graduated from National Taiwan University in 1961, he said, and about 15 years later sent a letter back to his alma mater seeking an engineering student who might be interested in working as his research assistant. In 1977, Gie-Ming arrived on campus in Norfolk, Va. Gie-Ming, now 59, came from an educated family. His father, Lin Xinken, was part of the seventh generation of a family that crossed the Taiwan Strait in 1707 from Fujian province in mainland China, according to a short family history provided by a relative. Lin Xinken survived the massacre of thousands of Taiwanese by Chiang Kai-shek’s mainland Chinese troops in the spring of 1947. The purge was aimed at eliminating possible Communist sympathizers and advocates of Taiwanese independence, and fed decades of antipathy between longtime Taiwanese and new arrivals from the mainland. … In addition to earning his master’s degree in engineering, Gie-Ming also met his future wife at Old Dominion. Wu Xinxin — who changed her name to Shirley Wu after arriving in Virginia — was studying computer science, and after finishing their studies at O.D.U., the couple went together to Lafayette, Ind., to pursue additional degrees at Purdue. There, they lived in a tiny student apartment that rented for “no more than $120 a month,” according to Steve Tolopka, who also studied computer science at Purdue. “I’m not sure you would call these places furnished,” Tolopka said. “Maybe ‘barely furnished’? They had a bed, I think.” … For the first four years of Jeremy’s life, his parents worked continually — Gie-Ming as an electronics engineer and Shirley as an engineer for airports, specializing in ticket dispensers — and Gie-Ming’s mother, Lin Chu A Muen, spent 11 months a year in the United States to help raise the children. “Jeremy’s mother would go on business trips for a whole week, and I would cook Taiwanese dishes for him the whole time,” Jeremy’s grandmother recalled during a recent interview in Taipei.

Students: Tell us how the actions and decision of your parents, grandparents or other relatives spoke, or speak, to their hopes for their children. What did they do? How have you benefited by their sacrifices, hard work or planning? What have you learned from their examples?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

my great granpa bought 32 acers of land.he also left alot of money for us.he gave up alot of time and money for us.

my family was never about the education yes we care about it but we don’t study or sit down and read books for hours. I think that has reflected me now that i am in high school i am not very good at most of the subjects here and I no that somewhere in me I no that i have to ability to do the things they want. I feel since my mother never really took education seriously so now that effects me in high school.

My grandpa fought in the Vietnam war when he was younger. He has never spoke about it so it must have been pretty bad. He has sacrificed his life for his country and I respect him greatly for that.

In order to sacrifice anything for someone, you must really feel passionate and believe in whomever your making the sacrifice for. My mother made a huge sacrifice for me. I got pregnant and had a child my senior year of high school. my mother had a child two weeks before me. she stays home a few days out the week and keeps after our children by hersself so that i can go to school and graduate. She believes in my future. She sacrificed her time, and peace of mind in order for my future to be brighter.

My parents sacrificed much, by leaving South Korea with me and my sister, when I was only 6th months old. They me that we immigrated to the US for a better immigration. So far, because of their decision, I’ve learned a lot of things.

To begin with, my parents has sacrificed alot for me. They even have to take away their personal life just to take care of me as i was a child. It was difficult for them so they got seperated. But i was child and didn’t understand what was happening. Now they still keep in touch and i appreciate everything they have done for me.

My mother has sacrificed most her life just to take care of me, see my whole family has done a huge amount of sacrifices for me mainly i was born when my parents were 17 and i was a very sudden thing to happen to my family. My parents couldn’ handle each other while taking care of me so they seperated. They dont talk much anymore and i dont talk to my dad much but they both still try to be the best parents they can be.

Neither of parents have made huge sacrifices for my family. However, as a teen, my father left his family behind and came to Connecticut for a better job and a better life. He works until late at night to support the family. I have benefited by this because I have a good home life. My mom sacrificed her social life to take care of the family because every day she works, and when she gets home, she takes care of the house, along with my father and I.

I dont know. Stuff. I Get presents. buy kid presents

My family would do anything for their children, and I know this for a fact because my mom would quit a job and start a new business just to spend more time with her family so she sacrificed the amount of money coming in. I have benefited from this because she spends more time with her family and creates a more loving environment. I have learned that people make sacrifices and when I have kids to do the same for them as my family has done for me.

I think that the fact that my grandpa was in the Vietnam War, makes me realizes how lucky it is for me to know him. A lot of people diseased in that war, and he was not one of them. I think that the fact that my great grandfather was a deep sea diver with the whole metal helmet and everything, and the fact that my dad is a navy diver, helps me want to dive even more than I have already. Their lives do inspire me, and it sometimes helps me keep on rolling with whatever is happening in life at the moment. I have learned that nothing is impossible, and if someone works hard enough, anyone can achieve anything.

Well right now actually my parents are making a huge sacrifice with their money and their time. They are letting my brother and I try out for a premier team called Southeast Premier. It costs over $3000 plus tournaments and the drive. They want us to become the best soccer players that we can be. It’s also an opportunity for my brother because he wants to be a soccer player when he grows up. What I’ve learned from their examples is that if they can make sacrifices then I could probably make them too.

My parents sacrifice both their time and their money for their children. They use their money towards food, utilities, clothes etc. They also use it toward schooling. My parents used to send me to Fishers Island School which required tuition to enter. They had also helped put my brothers through college. My parents sacrifice their time to help with homework, taxes (My brothers) and anything we need help with.

In my family we have sacrificed birthdays, outings, and vacations because of the life of a military family. My parents have missed birthday dinners because of Navy balls, actual birthdays because of deployment, and outings because of too much work to be done. My dad is in the Navy and rarely has any time to go places with any of us and misses a lot of family time because of his work. Even though my dad misses a lot of family time he still is a big part of us and still makes time for family.

My family is more of the family rather to give, rather than receive. My mom and dad are extremely hard workers and work and do a lot to provide and make their kids happy. Because my parents work so much, my grandma stays with my siblings and I after school to pick us up, help with homework, and get us to sporting events. She has sacrificed her time to spend time with us kids and help my mom out. My family around me has inspired me to do things to help others if you love them.

My parents have made many sacrifices for my brother and I. To some people they may not seem like ‘sacrifices’, but my parents give up so many things, like time with their friends, so that we can do all the things we want and need to do.

One way my mom tried to give me a better life was going back to school when I was younger. I have benefited from this greatly. She now has her massage therapy degree and can therefore support her children. I have learned from her because now I know that when times are hard, if I work hard enough, I can succeed at what I want to do and make things work.

My mom and dad sacrificed both their jobs to run a gymnastics gym to make my sisters and I happy as well as other kids in the surrounding area. My family has greatly benefited from this decision because all of my sisters and I because we all are now very good at gymnastics and we are all healthy and active. And even now my older sister wants to take over the business when she gets older.

My family’s past isn’t filled with heartbreak, of leaving family members. My family hasn’t had to make sacrifices. Sure my great-great Grandparents came over from Scotland, and Ireland, but no on e alive now knew them. My Mom’s Grandparents lived in Connecticut their whole life, and my Dad’s parents lived in and around New England. I have still learned from my family to try my hardest, and live life to the fullest.

My grandparents worked very hard to support their four children. Without them doing so i would probably be very poor. I have learned to plan out my life so that i wont run into a wall later in life. I have also learned to set money aside to save. When i get a job i will set money aside for retirement so i can live a good life when i am old.

My Parents have always told me how when they were younger they didn’t have as much as we do now. They also talk about how when they had me and my sister, they had hoped for better for us. They sacrifice a lot of their time for me and I am grateful. Between bringing me and my sisters to schools over a half hour away from our house, to working every day of the week, my mom still has time to drive me to my friends and different events. I hope to do the same for my children.

My mom was a single mom for eight years with no degree, and barley having a job. She gave up a lot to raise me like her education and buying semi-nice things. I have learned the value of money and education from her. I am not afraid to say I want a better life than my mother had. I thrive to get good grades, and save money for college so I can get a good job, and give my kids a better life than I had.

My dad has sacrificed his entire college for my sister, my brother and I. My dad went to college at URI and graduated, after college he got a job doing peoples taxes in Hartford. But because my mom worked nights and he worked late he had to quit and now he works with my grandfather. The job he has now, did not require him to have graduated college. My dad risked a lot but in the end, it was a move that did not cost his kids (us) anything.

My mom wants me, and the rest of my siblings, like any parent would, to get a great education and to work hard in life to get into a good college to get a good paying job. As my mom says ” You can’t live in this economy without money nowadays.” She used to be a judo champion for the boys team, and she was amazing. She flew across the world and missed school sometimes for her love of dance and judo. She burned all her trophies and medals and everything, and I still don’t know why. She could have made it in the entertainment business. My mom wants our education first because I have a passion for dance. Always did and always will. I have been dancing since I was 2 years old, and, as my grandmother says “Dance is like a gene in the family. It might miss one, but it will always carry on.” I believe this statement because my sister also loves to dance. My mom and grandmother are always on top of my grades because, they don’t want me to end up missing school and going into a career of entertainment, or the arts. The only way I believe that I have benefited from this was that I do my homework right when I get home, and no matter how tough my life gets for me, I put it aside and I think of school first. School is always important to me, it always comes first, than dance. I wish that sometimes she wouldn’t be so hard on me, meaning, she wants me to never cry and stand strong no matter how hard the situation is. She wants the best for me, I know, but sometimes I wish I could just be a kid again.

My mom has sacrificed so much for me. She was a single mom most of her life with 2 kids. She gave up half her college life to raise me & my sister. My grandparents didn’t give up much for me, but they do so much for me. They never have a problem giving me anything I need. Thanks to them, my mom was able to come to the U.S from Puerto Rico and leave me and my sister behind with my grandparents. I love my family so much, I’d give the world to be with them.

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BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

The binding or sacrifice of isaac.

How Jews and Christians see differently

binding-of-isaac-bassus, in the article the binding sacrifice of Isaac

Detail of the upper left scene on the marble sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (see the next photo). The story of how God tested Abraham by ordering him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Moriah is depicted. Abraham stands with the knife (now broken off) in hand, prepared to follow God’s command. Isaac kneels in front of the altar. A servant stands at right, and the ram, which Abraham will sacrifice in Isaac’s place, is at left.

The Akedah (ah-kay-DAH), or binding of Isaac, is one of the most powerful narratives in the Hebrew Bible. For nearly 2,000 years, however, it has been read somewhat differently by Jews and Christians. It is even portrayed differently in the pictures they make. For most Christians, the Hebrew word akedah is unfamiliar; more often than not, they will refer to the episode as the sacrifice of Isaac rather than the binding of Isaac.

Yet, as we shall see, at various times Christians and Jews were aware of each other’s interpretation of the story.

According to the narrative in Genesis 22:2–18, God, without any warning, commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son as a burnt offering. Father and son travel three days to Moriah, the place of sacrifice, where they build an altar. Abraham binds Isaac , lays him on the firewood and raises his knife to slay him. At the last moment, however, an angel calls out to Abraham to do no harm to the lad, and a ram caught in a nearby thicket is substitute for Isaac.

In Judaism and Christianity ( as well as Islam ), Abraham is the paradigm of the man of faith, put to the ultimate test and found to be steadfast. Isaac, however is variously interpreted according to time and tradition. In Islam, the son is unidentified and could have been Ishmael (Abraham’s son by Hagar and the ancestor of the Arabs) instead of Isaac, thus extending God’s covenant to the Arab peoples. In Jewish literature around the turn of the era, Isaac is portrayed as the prototype of the voluntary and joyful martyr, willing to go bravely to his death. The first-century C.E. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus describes Isaac as a 25-year-old who rushes to the altar, knowing that he is to be the victim. According to this portrayal, in future times of distress, God will remember Isaac’s binding, the Akedah , and heed the prayers of the Jewish people for deliverance from enemies. As the text says, “Because you have done this…I will bestow my blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore” (Genesis 22:16–17). That is why the shofar the ram’s horn is blown at Rosh Hashanah to remind God of the Akedah and his promise; the shofar represents the horn of the ram that was substituted for Isaac.

The marble sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (compare with previous photo), a Roman prefect who died in 359 C.E. Early Christian images of the story of the near-sacrifice of Isaac frequently occur in funerary contexts—in catacombs and on sarcophagi. The highly popular scene often appears among other images depicting salvation and deliverance from death, as, for example, on this sarcophagus, which includes a panel showing Daniel in the lion’s den (lower register, second from right). Photo: Tetraktys.

The Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 C.E. may have stimulated a profound new understanding of the Akedah in Jewish tradition. Since sacrifices could no longer be offered at the Temple, Isaac became the archetypal sacrifice, a kind of substitute for the now-defunct sacrificial system of the Temple. In Jewish tradition, until the destruction of the Temple the episode was referred to as the “offering” of Isaac; after the destruction it was called the “binding” of Isaac, a reference to the tying of a lamb’s feet in the days when this sacrifice was carried out at the Temple in Jerusalem. After the Temple’s destruction, the word akedah was used to show that Isaac’s offering and/or death was a vicarious atonement that was perfected and complete in itself; the former Temple offering was only a memorial to this archetypal sacrifice.

FREE ebook: Exploring Genesis: The Bible’s Ancient Traditions in Context Mesopotamian creation myths, Joseph’s relationship with Egyptian temple practices and 3 tales of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham.

In later rabbinic collections, Isaac is portrayed as an adult of 37 years, fully aware of what is going to happen to him. He not only accepts the role he is to play, but begs Abraham to bind him lest he struggle in fear, thus invalidating the sacrifice. The Jerusalem Talmud summarizes the tradition that Isaac’s release is the equivalent of all Israel’s release. Abraham received from God, as a reward for his obedience, God’s own future intercession for Isaac’s descendants when they should fall into sin. Remembering the Akedah , God will suppress his wrath and have mercy on his people.

According to the Genesis story, Isaac’s sacrifice was interrupted and the ram substituted. However, several ancient traditions refer to Isaac’s ashes or blood; some accounts even say that Isaac actually died and was revived. Does Genesis itself hint at this? After God tells Abraham that, because of what he has done, his descendants will be like the stars of the heaven and the sands of the sea, “Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beer-sheba ” (Genesis 22:19). Why no mention of Isaac? What happened to him? Was there another version of the story with a different ending? In any event, in all these traditions, Isaac’s ashes are the symbol of his merit, and the Akedah is the fulfilled expiatory sacrifice.

To resolve the seeming conflict between the tradition that he was sacrificed and the text that says a ram was substituted, later Jewish sages suggested that Isaac was laid upon the altar after the wood was kindled (in accordance with priestly law [Leviticus 1:7–8]); although the angel prevented Abraham from slaying his son, Isaac was burned to death and his ashes cast on Moriah. Moriah, in Jewish tradition, is the Temple Mount , where the Temple was later built and where sacrifices were offered in commemoration of the Akedah .

Christians, on the other hand, have from earliest times understood Isaac as a prefiguration of Christ, the beloved son offered as the expiatory sacrifice for the people’s sin . The textual parallels between Jesus and Isaac are striking. Isaac, like Jesus, was miraculously conceived. (Sarah, Isaac’s mother, was 90 years old when she bore Isaac and had been barren all her life; Abraham was a hundred [Genesis 17:17].) Isaac was his father’s beloved son. Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22:6), just as Christ carried his own cross. The journey to Moriah took three days, parallel to the three days Jesus spent in the tomb before his resurrection . And of course Jesus did Isaac one better: Isaac was not sacrificed; Jesus was.

Although these parallels are not explicitly drawn in the New Testament, later Christian exegetes made them quite specifically. Paul may even have intended his audience to make the connection when he described God as “He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us” (Romans 8:32).

Very early in post-New Testament Christian literature the story of Abraham’s offering of Isaac becomes the “old covenant” counterpart of and paradigm for God’s sacrifice of his own son on Calvary. The explicit connection occurs first in the Epistle of Barnabas , usually dated to the early second century. Some scholars have suggested that Barnabas, possibly a converted Jew who was familiar with early Akedah midrashim , 1 preached an Easter sermon that directly compared the atonement in the Akedah to Christ’s atoning death, saying “not Isaac, but Jesus takes the place of the sacrifice.” This challenge was met with a direct response as the rabbis developed their own Passover atonement theology. The rabbis, aware of the Christian typological interpretation of Isaac’s sacrifice, developed the Akedah tradition in which the word akedah was interpreted to refer to the tying of the lamb’s feet in a tamid sacrifice, the twice-a-day burnt offering at the Temple when it still stood.

For more on the patriarch Abraham and his family, check out a special collection of Bible Review articles in the BAS Library >>

An early church father, Melito of Sardis, noted the parallels between Isaac and Christ but stressed that while Christ actually suffered and died, Isaac was released from his bonds.

Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement and Origen also cited the Isaac-Christ parallels. Tertullian saw the firewood Isaac carried as a figure of the cross and emphasized Christ’s self-sacrifice: “Isaac, being led by his father to be a victim, and carrying himself the firewood, at that moment was a figure of Christ’s death, submitting himself to his father as a victim and lugging the [fire]wood of his own passion.”

This interpretive motif continued through the fourth and fifth centuries with Ambrose, John Chrysostom, Theodoret and Augustine.

Perhaps the most significant use of the Isaac-Christ typology was in the liturgy of the church. The story of Isaac’s sacrifice was read during the Easter vigil service in Jerusalem, and perhaps also in Milan, no later than the last half of the fourth century.

As noted earlier, Jewish tradition identified Moriah, the site of the Akedah , as the Temple Mount, where the Temple of the Lord was later built. Christians, on the other hand, conflated Moriah with Calvary, the site of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross . By the end of the sixth century the common identity had been accepted. In his famous travel account, the anonymous writer known only as the Piacenza Pilgrim gave the following description of Golgotha: “You can see the place where [Jesus] was crucified, and on the actual rock there is a bloodstain. Beside this is the altar of Abraham, which is where he intended to offer Isaac, and where Melchizedek offered sacrifice….” Eventually a chapel dedicated to Abraham was built there.

That the rabbis were aware of the use to which their Akedah story had been put by the Christians is clear. In refutation one of them wrote:

“How foolish is the heart of the deceivers who say the Holy One, Blessed Be He, has a son. If in the case of Abraham’s son, when He saw that he was ready to say him, He could not bear to look on as He was in anguish, but on the contrary commanded, ‘a formless void’ [ tohu ve-vohu , the state of the universe before creation (quoting Genesis 1:2)]?”

A careful look at Jewish and Christian depictions of the story and their settings reveals how they reflect the different religious traditions they represent.

The “sacrifice of Isaac” was one of the most popular scenes in early Christian art . From the Constantinian era (beginning in 312 C.E.) until the end of the sixth century, there remain at least 22 catacomb frescoes, approximately 90 sarcophagus reliefs, several important mosaics and dozens of smaller objects including ivory pyxides, glasses, lamps and bowls depicting the sacrifice of Isaac. This places it up there with images of Jonah, Noah , Moses and Daniel in popularity, making the sacrifice of Isaac a central theme of early Byzantine art.

The two most significant Jewish depictions of the Akedah are in ancient synagogues, one in the third-century synagogue at Dura-Europos in modern Syria, where it is portrayed in a painting on dry plaster above the Torah niche, and the other in the sixth-century synagogue at Beth Alpha in Israel, where it is portrayed in a mosaic pavement.

The Torah niche at Dura-Europos, in a third-century C.E. synagogue excavated in modern day Syria. Photo: Department of Antiquities, Syria.

Neither of these two Jewish examples comes from an urban center, and their style resembles folk art rather than high art. In the Beth Alpha mosaic, Abraham and Isaac are identified in Hebrew. The hand of God extends from heaven to prevent Abraham from proceeding. Below the hand are the Hebrew words, “Lay not [your hand].” Next to the ram are the words, “Behold a ram.”

The sixth-century C.E. floor mosaic from the Beth Alpha synagogue, in Israel’s Jezreel Valley. The mosaic lay near the door, so that anyone who entered was confronted by the scene. Walking from here to the apse, visitors crossed a large mosaic zodiac and then a panel depicting a lulav (palm branch) and etrog (citron), menorahs, and the Ark of the Law—the same objects that accompanied the Akedah image at Dura-Europos 300 years earlier.

In the Dura-Europos synagogue, the Akedah scene shares the special panel above the Torah niche with a depiction of the Temple, as well as specifically Jewish symbols, including a menorah and a palm branch ( lulav ) and citron ( Etrog ) (both used on the festival of Sukkot ).

Christian depictions of the sacrifice of Isaac, in contrast to the surviving Jewish images of the scene, appear most frequently in the artistic programs of tombs and sarcophagi. In the Roman catacombs, the sacrifice of Isaac appears near the raising of Lazarus (John 11:43–44); the story of Jonah (who returned from the belly of the fish after three days [Jonah 1:17], just as Jesus emerged from the tomb after three days); the healing of the paralytic (John 5:8–9); and the three youths who emerged from the fiery furnace unsigned (Daniel 3:24–26). This juxtaposition sends a message of deliverance from illness and death, symbolized in part by Isaac, who was delivered by God. On two well-known sarcophagi—one from the Vatican Museum and the other the famous Junius Bassus sarcophagus in the Treasury of St. Peter ’s (also a part of the Vatican Museum)—the sacrifice of Isaac is balanced by scenes from the arrest and trial of Jesus , as if to emphasize the sacrifice of Isaac as a metaphor for the vicarious and atoning sacrifice of Christ.

In the Priscilla catacomb fresco in Rome Isaac carries his own firewood. Is this because the artist has been influenced by Christian writers like Tertullian, who stressed the parallel between Isaac carrying the wood and Jesus carrying the cross? Or is it that the artist was simply faithfully portraying what he read in the biblical text?

“But where is the Lamb…?” (Genesis 22:7) queries Isaac, right, pictured in this late third century C.E. wall painting from the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome. Peering out from under his heavy burden of firewood, Isaac may remind the viewer of Jesus under the burden of his cross—each carried the means of his own death. Photo: Scala/Art Resource, New York, NY.

In several Christian images, such as the mid-sixth-century mosaics in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, the sacrifice of Isaac is associated with the offerings of Abel (Genesis 4:4) and Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20). In San Vitale, a lunette in the sanctuary portrays a kind of Abraham cycle. To the left, Abraham and Sarah hear the announcement of Isaac’s promised birth. Abraham offers a small calf on a platter to his three angelic visitors, who sit at a table on which three loaves are spread out. To the right is the scene of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Here Isaac is placed on the altar. Abraham’s sword is aloft, but the hand of God has stayed it from striking. The ram substitute stands at Abraham’s feet. Directly across the sanctuary is a complementary lunette that depicts Abel and Melchizedek offering their sacrifices at an altar set with a chalice and two patens. Thus, the offering of Isaac is clearly identified with the sacrament of the eucharist, which, for Christians, is the representation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross .

The mosaic lunette in the sanctuary of the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, showing two scenes from the life of Abraham. Photo: Petar Milošević/CC BY-SA 4.0.

In Hebrews 5, Jesus is given a priestly lineage after the order of Melchizedek (Just as in Luke 3:23–38 and Matthew 1 he is given a royal, i.e., Davidic, lineage). The portrayal of Melchizedek’s offering is symbolic on at least two levels. First, Melchizedek prefigures Christ, who, in the person of the priest, is actually the celebrant of the eucharist. Second, the offering foreshadows the sacrament and its elements.

The placement of the Akedah scene over the Torah niche in the Dura-Europos synagogue delivers a different message. Nearly two centuries after the destruction of the Temple, the Akedah scene may here be telling us that the Akedah , rather than the Temple sacrifice, is the ultimate vicarious sacrifice and that the synagogue is the new locus of the faith—prayer and Torah reading have taken the place of sacrifice and temple cult.

Sometimes Jewish and Christian depictions bear similarities, if only because they portray the same text. In almost all the Christian catacomb frescoes of the sacrifice of Isaac and in the Beth Alpha synagogue mosaic of the Akedah , fires burn on the altar. Is this a reference to the Levitical regulation about setting the fire on the altar first, or does it allude to the midrash that Isaac was not killed by the knife but by the fire?

In none of these instances is the image merely a biblical illustration. Each goes beyond the representation of the Genesis narrative and is meant to present a truth about the faith tradition itself. In a Christian context, whether in art or in literature, the sacrifice of Isaac directly refers to the salvation offered by the vicarious sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In a Jewish context, the image underscores the place of the Akedah as a meritorious act that can be shared with the people of Israel, reassuring the community that, although the Temple has been lost, Isaac’s descendants are safe.

“The Binding or Sacrifice of Isaac” by Robin M. Jensen originally appeared in Bible Review in October 1993 and on BHD.

Robin M. Jensen is the Luce Chancellor’s Professor of the History of Christian Worship and Art at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. She is the author of Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity (Baker Academic, 2012) and Living Water: Images, Symbols, and Settings of Early Christian Baptism (Brill, 2011).

1. Midrash (plural midrashim ) designates a genre of rabbinic literature that dates roughly from 400–1550 C.E. The term refers to a nonliteral elaboration of a biblical text, often for homiletic purposes.

For the full endnotes for this article, visit the BAS Library .

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11 Responses

In another apparent crossover, showing Christian awareness of Jewish interpretation:

Near the end of the Christian eucharistic hymn “Lauda Sion,” written before 1274, Thomas Aquinas refers to the “immolation of Isaac” as one of three prefigures for Jesus giving his sacrificial body to his church.

“In figuris praesignatur, Cum Isaac immolatur, Agnus Paschae deputatur, Datur manna patribus.”

“Presignified by figure, When Isaac was immolated, the Paschal Lamb was mandated, Manna was given to the fathers.”

The Binding story is one of the founding myths of the Israelite (Hebrew) Bible, not to be taken literally – as it was written in the form read in today’s version, some 1500-2000 years after the purpurted event. However it still needs to be read carefully. The perplexing absence of Isaac after the sacrifice of the ram, may be a simple misinterpreting of the text. Checking the Hebrew source, Abraham is said to have rejoined his retinue and returned together to Beer-Sheva. My question is why would a parsimonious author need the word “together”? In both the original Hebrew and the translations, if you simply delete “together” altogether, nothing changes if you picture all going as one group. Thus the “together” must mean something else. In my opinion it refers to Abraham and Isaac going together, of course accompanied by their retinue. Hence the perplexion vanishes.

The greater scalp scratcher is the absence of Ishmael. The son is described as “his only one”, which literally means before the birth of Isaac. So it must have been Ishmael that had been under the knife, yes? Yes, and that is how the Muslim Qur’an tells it. However, the other understanding is that Isaac being born of wife, was the one and only inheriting son, hence legally the only relevant son.

This article oddly leaves out the direct New Testament statement in Hebrews 11:17-19 that Isaac as Abraham’s only begotten son (according to the promise) was resurrected in a figurative sense through the deliverance, thereby prefiguring Jesus’ literal resurrection: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

Gen. 22:12 [RSV] has “the angel of the LORD” referring to Isaac as Abraham’s “son, your only son” . . . seeming to forget all about the existence of his “slave woman” Hagar and the son she bore to him: Ishmael, so cruelly cast out on Sarah’s behalf in the previous chapter. Ishmael is referred to in Gen. 16:15, “And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

So, here we have the “angel of the LORD” making a mistake by referring to Isaac as Abraham’s “only son”–forgetting that he has an older son, Ishmael. Or, is Ishmael the son of Abram and Isaac the son of Abraham . . . the father of both having become a new man once he acquired the new name? Is it controversial for me to say that God (or, His angel, who speaks on His behalf) made a mistake? Is this the only mistake He makes in the biblical narratives . . . ?

On Isaac being burned to death, why does his narrative continue after this story? To Josephus’ account of Isaac going willingly: The next chapter (Genesis 23) of the Offering of Isaac occurs 25 years later, he is seen living with Sarah (apart from Abraham) when she dies, and Abraham sends a servant to get him a wife (Genesis 24). Sarah was 91 when Isaac was born, and she died at 127 years old, 36 years. Isaac, I believe was about 12 or 13 in Chapter 22 and he and Sarah had been living apart from his father Abraham for about 25 years. He continues to live apart from Abraham until his death (Genesis 25). Nowhere in the narrative after Isaac being offered do you read of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac being together. I don’t think Isaac did this willingly. Abraham willingly offered Isaac.

it is a parable to stop human sacrifice

a man that fights with god about the destruction Sodom goes meekly ahead to kill a son he has waited for for years?

stay simple

Isacc was the son of Abrahm , Jesus was the son of God. Big difference! The Jewish people have always twisted the Biblical texts to suit themselves. A literal translation is more acceptable and complete,with out adding the unecessary confusion of a mortal mind.

Jews and Christianity have their own interpretations of Isaac and Jesus. No one is wrong and no one is right. They’re just different ’cause it’s after all a Myth and as long as it does make sense to us now. That’s all that matters, I think !

This is a very interesting comparison of the story of Isaac. What sticks out for me, however, is how do the Jews that believe Isaac was burned reconcile that Isaac had two sons–Jacob and Esau, and that Jacob was given the name Israel–the blessed nation? If Isaac did, indeed, burn at the altar, then there is no Israel (because there is no Jacob), there is no blessed nation, and there is no redemption through Christ.

Well, obviously, no Jew believes there has been redemption through Christ (that pretty much defines Christianity).

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Honoring Sacrifice in War with Commitment to Peace

At Memorial Day, an Iraq veteran remembers soldiers lost—and the peace they won.

By: John Laganelli

Retired U.S. Army Colonel John Laganelli served as the deputy commander of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Mahmoudiya, Iraq, in 2007. He helped lead his unit in partnering with the U.S. Institute of Peace and Iraqi counterparts to halt local factional warfare and bring peace to a region known as the “Triangle of Death.” Laganelli wrote this essay from his home in Florida.

Memorial Day for some is the unofficial start of summer. For others, it’s the day the pools open and for others still, a time to remember those service members who’ve given their lives to protect our country.

I prefer the latter. Three decades in the military has fostered a deep and personal understanding in me of the heavy price of freedom. The ongoing conflicts that our nation has endured since 9/11 illustrate the need for people willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

History has demonstrated adequately the difficulties of achieving peace—and, more importantly, lasting peace. Recent history has put a finer point on that lesson.

In 2006 and 2007, when the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Commando) deployed to Iraq, 54 Commando soldiers gave their lives and 270 more were wounded. The brigade experienced on average 115 attacks a week and a portion of its area of operations was referred to as “The Triangle of Death.” However, by the end of the deployment, attacks were down to an average of 28 per week. From July 17, 2007, the brigade hadn’t lost a single soldier to hostile fire.

That reduction in warfare, and lives lost, was not accidental. During that deployment, the Commando Brigade partnered with USIP to facilitate a peace process, which culminated in a three-day gathering, in October 2007, of influential tribal sheiks from the Mahmoudiya District (Qada’a). That meeting would demonstrate that more than military power is required to end warfare.

The sheikhs’ goals were to consider the situation among the population of the Qada’a, to project objectives for Mahmoudiya over the next three years and to suggest courses of action that would enable the tribes to help the Qada’a move forward, to the benefit of all its people.

That dialogue laid a foundation for a peaceful reconciliation and the creation of an environment where coexistence, rule of law, governance, economic development, social well-being and security would reign over volatility, anarchy, and the influence of malign actors. In recent years, Mahmoudiya’s tribal and civic leaders have credited that 2007 agreement with helping their community rebuff the attempt by ISIS to extend its rule in their area.

In any violent conflict, military action may create the conditions for security, some economic development, and the beginnings of normalcy. But building a lasting peace requires skill sets, relationships, and knowledge not routinely resident in a military formation. In the right environment, the civilian-military partnership between USIP and 2-10 Mountain was, and is, a model for sustained security and enduring normalcy.

So what does all this have to do with remembering the ultimate sacrifice of American soldiers on Memorial Day? While nothing can ever fully heal the pain of families who lost loved ones in any conflict, commemorating those sacrifices with our living commitment to peace, may prevent other families from having to experience that loss. That is an alternative worth pursuing. As we remember our fallen this Memorial Day, I encourage all associated with the U.S. Institute of Peace to remain dedicated to your tenet that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security.

In June 2017, USIP marked 10 years of relative stability brought by the Mahmoudiya peace accord, honoring its partners from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

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Essay on sacrifice 2 Models

Last updated Friday , 15-03-2024 on 11:07 am

Essay on sacrifice, a short essay on sacrifice is moral and religious behavior, many models such as a paragraph on sacrifice and its effects on the individual and society, an essay on the sacrifice of parents for the sake of their children, sacrifice is actions, not words, self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland is one of the highest types of sacrifice and an essay on sacrifice for the sake of making others happy.

Interesting topics, written in an easy style, suitable for the fifth and sixth grades of primary school, and the first, second, and third grades of preparatory and high school, in which I present wonderful examples of sacrifice.

It is also important that we work on developing this great moral behavior among citizens, by honoring the people who sacrificed for others. These people are real heroes and deserve thanks and praise.

Essay on sacrifice

The character of sacrifice is a great character, which only a great person can possess. Essay on sacrifice includes fine examples of sacrifice. Sacrifice is not easy, not all people can give the most precious thing they have for others. Sacrifice is an attribute that transcends its owner and raises his worth.

Therefore, only good people who love the benefit of others do it, and therefore if we look at our reality, we will find that the people who sacrifice for the sake of others are few, especially whenever corruption spreads and bad morals prevail, and people are busy collecting money and forgetting to raise children on good morals.

Sacrifice definition

Sacrifice is when a person voluntarily gives up something that belongs to him, or his right to obtain it, to others in order to make them happy and achieve success for them. In this case, he prefers others over himself, and prefers to make them happy and benefit them. In many cases, the sacrificer will be affected negatively throughout his life because of this sacrifice.

One of the sacrifices that no one can deny is the sacrifice of the mother and the father for the sake of their children. It is a sacrifice that takes place every day without complaining or grumbling, so that the children do not feel these sacrifices and consider them for granted (normal).

Sacrifice is a moral and religious behavior

Sacrifice is a great moral behavior, and only a person who was raised to love goodness for others, and whose family cultivated sacrifice for the sake of others, would do it, and taught him that happiness is not real unless those around you are happy. In our essay on sacrifice, it is important to write about the importance of spreading this good behavior among citizens.

And when we look at the characteristics of people who sacrifice for the sake of others, we find that they are among the most sincere and kind-hearted people, and the most merciful of them towards the weak, because sacrifice is only issued by a person of decent morals.

This is because sacrifice is preferring others over oneself, and this is a very difficult thing for anyone to do, and it requires high morals and faith that this sacrifice will not be lost in vain.

Sacrifice is a religious behavior in the first place, as all monotheistic religions urge sacrifice for the happiness of others, and for the protection of homelands.

The Messengers were the role models for humanity in patience, sacrifice and enduring hardships, all in order to spread goodness and good morals among people.

Kinds of sacrifice

There are many types of sacrifice, so you should mention some of them in the essay on sacrifice. It is certain that every person of us lived a situation and made a decision to sacrifice, so sometimes he was the sacrificer and at other times he was the recipient of the sacrifice, and there are many examples of that, and we can mention the following:

Sacrifice effort: In many cases, the sacrifice is an effort you make to help a weak or elderly person meet his needs, or to do the work instead of him. An example that occurs on a daily basis is giving up your seat on public transportation to a woman, an elderly man, or a pregnant woman.
Sacrificing time: Sacrificing time is a form of sacrifice, and you can sacrifice some time to help a colleague understand his lessons, teach someone to write and read, or do other charitable causes.
Sacrifice money: Sacrifice money is one of the most common types of sacrifice among people, as all monotheistic religions urge to help the poor. Therefore, the rich donate part of their money to the poor, and that is voluntarily. Money is also donated to social organizations, and the rich contribute to building hospitals, schools, universities, roads, facilities, and more.
Sacrificing social position: We often find that someone gives up his position to another person voluntarily, because he feels that that person is more deserving of this position than him, or because he wants this person to succeed and rise above him. And I saw in one of the running competitions the first contestant fell a very short distance before the finish line, and he could not get up, and the surprise was when the next contestant helped him to get the first place. The contestant gave up the victory for himself and sacrificed for someone else. This contestant has won everyone’s appreciation and respect.
Self-sacrifice: Self-sacrifice is considered one of the highest types of sacrifice, and it requires a person to be convinced of the cause for which he sacrifices himself, and many soldiers sacrifice themselves in defense of their homelands. Their heroic work will remain a crown over their heads, and we will remember them throughout our lives, for their favor to us is great.

Parents sacrifice

There is no doubt that the sacrifice of fathers and mothers is one of the greatest deeds, as the mother sacrifices her comfort and health since pregnancy, and suffers many health problems during pregnancy, then suffers more during childbirth, so that she may die during childbirth. So you should mention ,in our essay on sacrifice, the sacrifices of the mother and father.

Since the mother gives birth to her child, a new phase begins in her life. It is a phase in which there is no rest, as the mother gives up her physical comfort, sleep and life regime in order to take care of her child.

The mother continues to care for her child, and the problems multiply. The mother tries to provide her child with a healthy, happy life filled with love and tenderness. At every stage of the child’s life, the mother finds herself facing bigger problems and challenges that she must deal with.

The long journey continues until the child becomes an adult who can depend on himself. In fact, the role of the mother does not end, no matter how old her children have grown and become men and women. Rather, they turn to their mother whenever they encounter a problem, or feel that they need love and tenderness.

Likewise, the father’s sacrifice is great, as he works and toils in order to provide the necessary money for the family, and thus he gives up his comfort and enjoyment of his time, and prefers buying the family’s needs rather than buying his own needs.

How to acquire the sacrifice characteristic

There is no doubt that it is nice to accustom our children from childhood to this great moral, which is the moral of sacrifice, and there are some factors that help in acquiring this moral, including:

Accustom yourself to love the good of people, and help them as much as possible.
Accompany people with good manners, because a friend has a great influence on your behavior.
Get rid of selfishness and self-love, and get rid of bad morals.
Eliminate indifference to the feelings of others.
Be brave and enterprising, and do not care about the opinions of others as long as you think you are doing the right thing.
Reading the history of your country gives you feelings of patriotism and respect for the martyrs who sacrificed themselves in order to liberate their country, or to provide a better life for future generations.
Follow religious teachings, which urge social solidarity, and help the poor and needy.

At the end of the essay on sacrifice, I dealt with the definition of sacrifice, and that it is a word that denotes a great work, and I presented a paragraph about the types of sacrifice, and what are the greatest types of sacrifice, including the sacrifice of parents for the sake of their children.

In the end, we cannot deny that sacrifice is a moral and religious behavior, and the prophets are our role models in sacrifice, as they spent effort, time and hardship in order to spread goodness and peace among people.

In conclusion of the essay on sacrifice I hope you have benefited.

To read more, please click on the following link:

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The Role of War and Sacrifice in Russia’s Mythic Identity

A history of victories over mongols, napoleon, and nazis has shaped its sense of exceptionalism and wariness toward the west.

Statues at Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) commemorate Russian valor and sacrifice for the Motherland during World War II. Photo courtesy of Jacopo Romei/ Flickr .

By Gregory Carleton | November 3, 2017

If you want to understand Russia better, think of war. But not the one in eastern Ukraine or the frightening possibility of a conflict with NATO.

Go back instead to Russia’s 1945 victory over Nazi Germany. That triumph is the greatest event in Russia’s thousand-year history. In the largest war ever, Russia led the Soviet Union in crushing absolute evil and thereby saved the world from destruction.

Yes, Britain and the United States played a significant role in that victory, but Russians can counter by noting—accurately—that the back of Hitler’s army was broken on the Eastern Front before the Normandy landings. Russians also can say that no country has made a greater sacrifice in war. Officially, nearly 27 million Soviet citizens lost their lives.

Or, put in a different perspective, more people died in the siege of Leningrad (around one million) than the British and United States lost, combined, across the entire globe during the war.

It is no wonder that May 9, when Russia celebrates VE Day, has become its greatest secular holiday. This victorious past is projected not only through the massive military parade in Red Square, which features soldiers both in contemporary and period uniforms, but also by its most demonstrative ritual: the march of the “Immortal Regiment.” This is when ordinary Russians, each holding high the photograph of a relative who served, flood the streets to form a single, massive procession.

In 2017, in Moscow alone, the official estimate put their numbers at 600,000, with President Putin at their head. Live television coverage highlighted the many children, themselves in uniforms recalling the war, reciting the feats of their great-grandparents.

Virtually every city in Russia hosts its own march of the Immortals, thus uniting the nation across 11 time zones through the blood of their greatest generation. The parade also makes a global statement both figuratively (by flying the flags of countries Russia helped save from the Nazi yoke, including the United States) and literally (with parallel marches of descendants of Soviet veterans in cities like London and New York).

VE Day has become the center of a civic religion showcasing the sacrifice Russians have made to save humanity from tyranny. The sentiment is so powerful—and not restricted to that day alone—that it anchors a prevailing myth of Russian exceptionalism.

Russia’s army, its people, and its harsh winters combined to push back Napoleon Bonaparte’s invading French forces, leading to the emperor’s disastrous retreat in 1812. Art courtesy of Wikimedia Commons .

That myth has been fueled by the Second World War, but it did not begin there. In 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia, the conflict was framed in existential terms, with the French emperor officially tagged as the anti-Christ. The outcome of that titanic struggle was seen by contemporaries as nothing short of a miracle: Russia, by itself, destroyed the largest army the world had yet seen and then led a coalition to rescue Europe from French tyranny. They succeeded, occupying Paris in 1814, and sounding the death-knell for Napoleon’s dreams of dominating the world.

No other nation could claim such a victory, which fueled an explosion of Russian patriotism. (Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo in 1815 was seen as a futile last gasp.) The victory united Russian writers and intellectuals across the political spectrum—conservatives such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, socialists like Vissarion Belinsky, icons of romanticism like Mikhail Lermontov—in the idea that Russia was a special country that had accomplished a special mission.

By century’s end, this idea became doctrine in the highest echelons of the military. As the director of Russia’s equivalent of West Point proudly proclaimed in 1898 (with emphasis in the original): “It is in the Russian people’s willingness to lay down their lives for others that one finds the key to understanding the special nature of Russia’s experience of war which so acutely distinguishes it from the experiences of other countries in the West.”

Why did he use the present tense when nearly a hundred years separated him from the miracle of 1812? It was because during that century Russian scholars and writers had delved deeper into history and found evidence that their triumph over tyranny had an even earlier precursor, suggesting that stopping invaders was part of Russia’s collective identity.

When the Mongols swept into Europe in the 13th century, they never made it appreciably further west than Russia’s lands (including those of present-day Ukraine and Belarus). Was this earlier defense, Russians would ask six centuries later, yet another sign of Russia’s definitive role in sacrificing to protect others?

Russia’s greatest writer, Alexander Pushkin, was among those who thought yes.

“We have had our own special mission,” he wrote in 1836. “Russia, with its immense expanses, was what absorbed the Mongol conquest. They did not dare to cross our western frontier and leave us in the rear. They withdrew back to the desert and Christian civilization was saved. And for achieving that goal we have had to lead a completely unique existence.”

With the seeds of exceptionalism already deeply sown in Russia’s historical imagination, the 20th century, and World War II, provided further confirmation of the country’s status as a force for good in the world.

Today Russia’s historical self-image colors its current stand-off with NATO. Does that military coalition not echo previous invaders like Napoleon and Hitler whose forces were not exclusively French or German but were also multi-national coalitions? What better demonstrates the West’s ingrained, collective hostility towards Russia?

To amplify that sentiment today, Russia’s political and popular culture tap even more into its military past. Besides the Mongols, Napoleon, and Hitler, Russia has been invaded nearly every century of its existence. When the Mongols attacked from the east, its western neighbors, the Swedes and Teutonic knights, attacked as well—only to be defeated by Russia’s greatest medieval warrior, Alexander Nevsky. In the 16th century, the Crimean Tatars drove north and burned Moscow. In the 17th, the Poles repeated that feat while deposing the tsar and killing the patriarch of the Russian Church. In the 18th century, the Swedes invaded but were stopped only by Peter the Great.

This history is applied to current events in ways that play well with the general population. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 can be spun as the necessary defense of native Russians from alleged Ukrainian persecution. The same story can justify the conflict in eastern Ukraine (though the Kremlin denies active involvement, noting that Ukrainian separatists are assisted, if at all, by Russian volunteers).

And NATO’s expansion to Russia’s very borders—how can that not be evidence of yet another plot to take Russia down? If NATO arose to counter the military threat posed by the Soviet Union, then with the latter’s collapse in 1991, what possible motivation can there be for its continued existence and eastern expansion if Russia is not its ultimate target?

Filtered through the nation’s mythic history, the answers to these questions come easily to many Russians, and they help cushion its isolation and the bite of sanctions—at least in terms of morale. Whatever the West does—from sanctions to enhanced NATO deployments close to Russia’s borders—it feeds a historical narrative in which Russia, on the defensive and sacrificing for the good and just, always wins in the end.

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The Most Precious Sacrifice Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Culture , Future , Thinking , Learning , Life , Students , Family , Education

Published: 02/14/2020

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The part of my life that is related to my education is very important, because I have come to actually realize, how much sacrifices I have to give for my education. And still, this process is going on, until I finally reach my career goal in the distant future. The closest people, who know me quite well, think that I am intelligent and gifted by nature, and, thus, attending a good private school would certainly add to my personal and professional growth. And yet, while reflecting on the topic, I was first thinking about the sacrifices that were required of me until this moment, and what I still have to give up in future, before I reach my desired goal in education. Many a time learning has put me in a situation that made me sacrifice a lot, and regrettably, these were the most important things in my life like the closest family members, a circle of friends, and even my traditional culture, too. More than ever before in my life, I am secretly searching for the answer to my only question now: am I losing my entire freedom during these years of intense studying, and am I fully sacrificing it for the sake of my education? Yes, it might be true - I must admit it. Every time I have to stick with the tight schedule of my classes, and I am not allowed to follow my own path in living my life to full. True, I have to wake at six o’clock every the morning to get ready for school, and after my classes are over, I need to spend the rest of my day doing lots of home work. This all leads me to a condition, when I must give up my close relationships with my family members. I do feel that I am surrendering that precious relationship of mine and a painful distance is starting to form between us. But then again, when I look at the big forfeits my parents took that I could have a chance of receiving a high-quality education, I finally understand that, in fact, my ultimate duty is the need to sacrifice for my education, as well. Apart from my day by day life at school, I am almost missing the various cultural festivals right now, with their common, traditional dancing and singing, in which I used to take part in. Although my school is closed during most of these festivals, either being cultural or religious, I am also aware that there is the quiz, for which I need to submit an assignment, just off the cultural weekend. So, instead of fully enjoying my cultural and religious festivals together with a couple of friends, I feel too much depressed because every time I am thinking about my school work, my quiz. This all makes me so nervous that, finally, I end up closing into my room and preparing for my assignment and the quiz. In the end, I admit to have lost my favorite festivals and I have also sacrificed gathering with my acquaintances at these events. The future that I see for me now comes no brighter at all. The condition for me would always remain the same - there would be no different situation, because in the near future the studying expenses are going to increase even more. This means that I will have to give up a lot of things due to my education, should I wish to become successful at studying in high school. To think about some benefits I could get from the hard work at school I believe that education is itself precious. Learning new things and gaining useful experience can only make me personally and mentally richer and stronger. Moreover, my new knowledge cannot be taken away from me, because it belongs only to me. I tend to believe that after graduation, sometime in future, there is a promise of a better life for me, with less hardships than my parents had. Therefore, I dare say that all the sacrifices made by me and my closest family members so far, were worth the efforts. My long-term aim, as I vision it right now, is to find my career path, follow it and, eventually, find a strong foundation in my life. To conclude with, the sunny side of the learning process is its significance and usefulness.

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Why I’ll Be Observing Passover Differently This Year

People look at damaged buildings and vehicles after an Israeli attack, in Gaza City, April 22, 2024.

“This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice.” So begins the Ha Lachma Anya , the declaration that is recited at the beginning of the storytelling section of the Passover Seder. These simple words encapsulate Passover’s biggest messages of justice, hospitality, and memory. They have been said by Jews around the world for millennia. But what do they mean this year?

I was raised in a deeply culturally Jewish home. However, my hippie parents practiced every kind of spirituality but Judaism. When I was seven years old, my family celebrated Passover for the first time. I was enthralled by the tiny bowls of salt water, as well as the strange array of bitter and sweet foods. Then my father stood up and began to tell the Passover story with the words: “All who are hungry come and eat.”

At that moment, I fell in love with Judaism. I loved the drama, sure—but also the underlying message of fairness. My parents never celebrated Passover again, but this one time was enough to form a core memory. Now, every year of my adult life, I lead my own seder. I have been proud to hold up a bumpy square of unleavened bread to symbolically welcome the hungry . With joy, I have taught my child that this is the heart of both Passover and Judaism.

Read More: How to Wish Someone a ‘Happy Passover’

This year is different. Right now, over 1 million Palestinians are facing starvation and the U.N. has asserted that the Israeli military is intentionally causing this hunger. In the face of this horror, how can I possibly say the words that so inspired me as a child, or teach them to my own child?

“In every generation,” we read at the beginning of the Passover seder, “one is obligated to see oneself as someone who personally went out of slavery in Egypt.” But what does this mean now? After all, the story of the Exodus is thousands of years old. The Hebrew word for Egypt is “ Mitzrayim ,” a narrow place, giving us a clue that the story can be understood as a universal parable for the human experience of oppression. In fact, the 19th century mystic Rabbi Nachman of Bretslav once said : “The Exodus from Mitzrayim occurs in every human being, in every era.” In other words, the seder teaches us how to empathize with human struggles for justice and autonomy in every generation.

Since October 7, the Israeli military has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, including more than 13,000 children. At the same time, approximately 19,000 children have been left orphaned . And more than 1,000 children have lost limbs , leading to the largest cohort of child amputees in history. Meanwhile, more than 100 Israeli hostages may still be left in Gaza, leading their family members to protest on the eve of Passover for the government to prioritize ceasefire negotiations that would bring them home safely.

This horror must end.

Pro-Palestinian students occupy a central lawn on the Columbia University campus in New York City, on April 21, 2024.

As Jews, we have experienced genocide, displacement, and ethnic cleansing, and our own traditions teach us how to protect against it. In the Passover story, the Pharaoh orders all Egyptians to kill first-born Hebrew sons, but the Egyptian midwives engage in an act of civil disobedience and refuse these orders. They risk their own lives to save the Jewish babies. It is this powerful act of solidarity that begins to defeat the Pharoah’s rule.

Solidarity is not just a pretty word, but a powerful tool we need to leverage in this time. As Gazan writer Mohammed El-Kurd says: “Gaza cannot fight the empire on its own. Or, to use an embittered proverb my grandmother used to mutter at the evening news, “They asked the Pharaoh, ‘Who made you a pharaoh?’ He replied, ’No one stopped me.’”

Perhaps most importantly, the story of Passover resistance is told through questions, through curiosity. And throughout the seder, many things are done differently than usual to stimulate this curiosity. My ancestors understood that critical thinking is the enemy of dehumanizing atrocities. It’s not accidental that right now, pro-Palestinian protesters asking crucial questions are being silenced at U.S. campuses across the country , most recently at Columbia where administrators suspended protesting on April 19 and had them arrested. Questioning is what we could not do while we were enslaved under Pharaoh. It’s how we imagine freedom.

This year, when my family gathers for Passover, we will not be celebrating as usual. This year, Passover will be about freedom in Palestine. When it comes time for the meal, instead of handing out gefilte fish, I will be offering my guests the Shulchan Orech pledge; this includes asking them to donate the cost of the meal to UNWRA to help feed people in Gaza, reading writing by Gazan Palestinians, and sending letters to President Joe Biden and congress demanding that they take action to fund UNWRA once again and achieve a permanent ceasefire. This would mean an end to U.S. financial support to the Israeli military, and an end to U.S. support for regional war.

We won’t be saying the words “May all who are hungry come and eat” this year. Instead, we will take time to talk about the harsh realities of enforced starvation with even our youngest guests. And, of course, we will make time for lots of questions.

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In Ukraine, New American Technology Won the Day. Until It Was Overwhelmed.

Project Maven was meant to revolutionize modern warfare. But the conflict in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches.

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A soldier in a camouflage uniform next to artillery.

By David E. Sanger

David E. Sanger is a White House and national security reporter. He is the author, with Mary K. Brooks, of “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion and America’s Struggle to Save the West,” from which this article is adapted.

The idea triggered a full-scale revolt on the Google campus.

Six years ago, the Silicon Valley giant signed a small, $9 million contract to put the skills of a few of its most innovative developers to the task of building an artificial intelligence tool that would help the military detect potential targets on the battlefield using drone footage.

Engineers and other Google employees argued that the company should have nothing to do with Project Maven, even if it was designed to help the military discern between civilians and militants.

The uproar forced the company to back out, but Project Maven didn’t die — it just moved to other contractors. Now, it has grown into an ambitious experiment being tested on the front lines in Ukraine, forming a key component of the U.S. military’s effort to funnel timely information to the soldiers fighting Russian invaders.

So far the results are mixed: Generals and commanders have a new way to put a full picture of Russia’s movements and communications into one big, user-friendly picture, employing algorithms to predict where troops are moving and where attacks might happen.

But the American experience in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches. Even with Congress on the brink of providing tens of billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv, mostly in the form of ammunition and long-range artillery, the question remains whether the new technology will be enough to help turn the tide of the war at a moment when the Russians appear to have regained momentum.

‘This Became Our Laboratory’

The war in Ukraine has, in the minds of many American officials, been a bonanza for the U.S. military, a testing ground for Project Maven and other rapidly evolving technologies. The American-made drones that were shipped into Ukraine last year were blown out of the sky with ease. And Pentagon officials now understand, in a way they never did before, that America’s system of military satellites has to be built and set up entirely differently, with configurations that look more like Elon Musk’s Starlink constellations of small satellites.

Meanwhile, American, British and Ukrainian officers, along with some of Silicon Valley’s top military contractors, are exploring new ways of finding and exploiting Russian vulnerabilities, even while U.S. officials try to navigate legal restraints about how deeply they can become involved in targeting and killing Russian troops.

“At the end of the day this became our laboratory,” said Lt. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, commander of the 18th Airborne Division, who is known as “the last man in Afghanistan” because he ran the evacuation of the airport in Kabul in August 2021, before resuming his work infusing the military with new technology.

And despite the early concerns at Google over participation in Project Maven, some of the industry’s most prominent figures are at work on national security issues, underscoring how the United States is harnessing its competitive advantage in technology to maintain superiority over Russia and China in an era of renewed superpower rivalries.

Tellingly, those figures now include Eric Schmidt, who spent 16 years as Google’s chief executive and is now drawing on lessons from Ukraine to develop a new generation of autonomous drones that could revolutionize warfare.

But if Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine has been a testing ground for the Pentagon’s drive to embrace advanced technology, it has also been a bracing reminder of the limits of technology to turn the war.

Ukraine’s ability to repel the invasion arguably hinges more on renewed deliveries of basic weapons and ammunition, especially artillery shells.

The first two years of the conflict have also shown that Russia is adapting, much more quickly than anticipated, to the technology that gave Ukraine an initial edge.

In the first year of the war, Russia barely used its electronic warfare capabilities. Today it has made full use of them, confusing the waves of drones the United States has helped provide. Even the fearsome HIMARS missiles that President Biden agonized over giving to Kyiv, which were supposed to make a huge difference on the battlefield, have been misdirected at times as the Russians learned how to interfere with guidance systems.

Not surprisingly, all these discoveries are pouring into a series of “lessons learned” studies, conducted at the Pentagon and NATO headquarters in Brussels, in case NATO troops ever find themselves in direct combat with President Vladimir V. Putin’s forces. Among them is the discovery that when new technology meets the brutality of old-fashioned trench warfare, the results are rarely what Pentagon planners expected.

“For a while we thought this would be a cyberwar,’’ Gen. Mark A. Milley, who retired last year as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, said last summer. “Then we thought it was looking like an old-fashioned World War II tank war.”

Then, he said, there were days when it seemed as though they were fighting World War I.

More than a thousand miles west of Ukraine, deep inside an American base in the heart of Europe, is the intelligence-gathering center that has become the focal point of the effort to bring the allies and the new technology together to target Russian forces.

Visitors are discouraged in “the Pit,” as the center is known. American officials rarely discuss its existence, in part because of security concerns, but mostly because the operation raises questions about how deeply involved the United States is in the day-to-day business of finding and killing Russian troops.

The technology in use there evolved from Project Maven. But a version provided to Ukraine was designed in a way that does not rely on the input of the most sensitive American intelligence or advanced systems.

The goals have come a long way since the outcry at Google six years ago.

“In those early days, it was pretty simple,” said Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, who was the first director of the Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. “It was as basic as you could get. Identifying vehicles, people, buildings, and then trying to work our way to something more sophisticated.”

Google’s exit, he said, may have slowed progress toward what the Pentagon now called “algorithmic warfare.” But “we just kept going.”

By the time the Ukraine war was brewing, Project Maven’s elements were being designed and built by nearly five dozen firms, from Virginia to California.

Yet there was one commercial company that proved most successful in putting it all together on what the Pentagon calls a “single pane of glass”: Palantir, a company co-founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, the billionaire conservative-libertarian, and Alex Karp, its chief executive.

Palantir focuses on organizing, and visualizing, masses of data. But it has often found itself at the center of a swirling debate about when building a picture of the battlefield could contribute to overly automated decisions to kill.

Early versions of Project Maven, relying on Palantir’s technology, had been deployed by the U.S. government during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Kabul evacuation operation, to coordinate resources and track readiness. “We had this torrent of data but humans couldn’t process it all,” General Shanahan said.

Project Maven quickly became the standout success among the Pentagon’s many efforts to tiptoe into algorithmic warfare, and soon incorporated feeds from nearly two dozen other Defense Department programs and commercial sources into an unprecedented common operating picture for the U.S. military.

But it had never been to war.

A Meeting on the Polish Border

Early one morning after the Russian invasion, a top American military official and one of Ukraine’s most senior generals met on the Polish border to talk about a new technology that might help the Ukrainians repel the Russians.

The American had a computer tablet in his car, operating Project Maven through Palantir’s software and connected to a Starlink terminal.

His tablet’s display showed many of the same intelligence feeds that the operators in the Pit were seeing, including the movement of Russian armored units and the chatter among the Russian forces as they fumbled their way to Kyiv.

As the two men talked, it became evident that the Americans knew more about where Ukraine’s own troops were than the Ukrainian general did. The Ukrainian was quite certain his forces had taken a city back from the Russians; the American intelligence suggested otherwise. When the American official suggested he call one of his field commanders, the Ukrainian general discovered that the American was right.

The Ukrainian was impressed — and angry. American forces should be fighting alongside the Ukrainians, he said.

“We can’t do that,” the American responded, explaining that Mr. Biden forbade it. What the United States can provide, he said, is an evolving picture of the battlefield.

Today a similar tension continues to play out inside the Pit, where each day a careful dance is underway. The military has taken seriously Mr. Biden’s mandate that the United States should not directly target Russians. The president has said that Russia must not be allowed to win, but that the United States must also “avoid World War III.”

So, the Americans point the Ukrainians in the right direction but stop short of giving them precise targeting data.

The Ukrainians quickly improved, and they built a sort of shadow Project Maven, using commercial satellite firms like Maxar and Planet Labs and data scraped from Twitter and Telegram channels.

Instagram shots, taken by Russians or nearby Ukrainians, often showed dug-in positions or camouflaged rocket launchers. Drone imagery soon became a crucial source of precise targeting data, as did geolocation data from Russian soldiers who did not have the discipline to turn off their cellphones.

This flow of information helped Ukraine target Russia’s artillery. But the initial hope that the picture of the battlefield would flow to soldiers in the trenches, connected to phones or tablets, has never been realized, field commanders say.

One key to the system was Starlink, the Elon Musk-provided mesh of satellites, which was often the only thing connecting soldiers to headquarters, or to one another. That reinforced what was already becoming blindingly obvious: Starlink’s network of 4,700 satellites proved nearly as good as — and sometimes better than — the United States’ billion-dollar systems, one White House official said.

Dreams of Drone Fleets

For a while, it seemed as if this technological edge might allow Ukraine to push the Russians out of the country entirely.

In a suburb of Kyiv, Ukrainian high school students spent the summer of 2023 working in a long-neglected factory, soldering together Chinese-supplied components for small drones, which were then mounted onto carbon-fiber frames. The contraptions were light and cheap, costing about $350 each.

Soldiers on the front lines would then strap each one to a two-or-three pound explosive charge designed to immobilize an armored vehicle or kill the operators of a Russian artillery brigade. The drones were designed for what amounted to crewless kamikaze missions, intended for one-time use, like disposable razors.

The broken-down factory near Kyiv encapsulated all the complications and contradictions of the Ukraine war. From the start, the Ukrainians understood that to win, or even to stay in the game, they had to reinvent drone warfare. But they could barely keep enough parts coming in to sustain the effort.

The mission of remaking Ukraine’s drone fleet has captivated Mr. Schmidt, the former chief executive of Google.

“Ukraine,” he said in October, between trips to the country, “has become the laboratory in the world on drones.” He described the sudden appearance of several hundred drone start-ups in Ukraine of “every conceivable kind.”

But by the fall of 2023 he began to worry that Ukraine’s innovative edge alone would not be enough. Russia’s population was too big and too willing to sacrifice, oil prices remained high, China was still supplying the Russians with key technologies and parts — while they also sold to the Ukrainians.

And while Ukrainian pop-up factories churned out increasingly cheap drones, he feared they would quickly be outmatched.

So Mr. Schmidt began funding a different vision, one that is now, after the Ukraine experience, gaining adherents in the Pentagon: far more inexpensive, autonomous drones, which would launch in swarms and talk to each other even if they lost their connection to human operators on the ground. The idea is a generation of new weapons that would learn to evade Russian air defenses and reconfigure themselves if some drones in the swarm were shot down.

It is far from clear that the United States, accustomed to building exquisite, $10 million drones, can make the shift to disposable models. Or that it is ready to bring on the targeting questions that come with fleets driven by A.I.

“There’s an awful lot of moral issues here,” Mr. Schmidt acknowledged, noting that these systems would create another round of the long-running debates about targeting based on artificial intelligence, even as the Pentagon insists that it will maintain “appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force.”

He also came to a harsh conclusion: This new version of warfare would likely be awful.

“Ground troops, with drones circling overhead, know they’re constantly under the watchful eyes of unseen pilots a few kilometers away,” Mr. Schmidt wrote last year. “And those pilots know they are potentially in opposing cross hairs watching back. … This feeling of exposure and lethal voyeurism is everywhere in Ukraine.”

David E. Sanger covers the Biden administration and national security. He has been a Times journalist for more than four decades and has written several books on challenges to American national security. More about David E. Sanger

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

The authorities in Poland and Germany have arrested at least five of their citizens and accused them of spying for Russia or of offering to help Moscow commit violence on European soil, including a “possible attack” on the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The drone combat in Ukraine that is transforming modern warfare has begun taking a deadly toll on one of the most powerful symbols of American military might — the tank — and threatening to rewrite how it will be used in future conflicts.

At least 17 people were killed and scores more injured when three Russian missiles struck a busy downtown district of Chernihiv , north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.

World Military Spending: The world spent more on military costs and weapons in 2023 than it had in 35 years, driven in part by the war in Ukraine and the threat of an expanded Russian invasion, according to an independent analysis.

New American Technology: Project Maven was meant to revolutionize modern warfare. But the conflict in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches.

Resuming U.S. Military Aid: Much-needed munitions like artillery shells could start arriving relatively quickly , but experts say it could take weeks before U.S. assistance has a direct impact on the war . What would $60 billion buy ?

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Essay. Chess Teaches the Power of Sacrifice A grandmaster learned that it takes courage to be comfortable with uncertainty, whether it's at the chessboard or in real life.
The Love and Sacrifice of a Mother
The love of a mother is the best and is the only one that is really true for me. With a mother's love you can overcome many problems, feel protected, powerful and full of happiness. My mother is strong, lovely and sweet because she always is taking care of me. My mother is simply the best like the love that she shares.
India must make much deeper changes if it is to sustain its growth
When it achieved independence from Britain in 1947, India made up just 3% of the world economy (adjusted for purchasing power). In 1991, when its great liberalisation started, the figure was 1.1% ...
In Ukraine, New American Technology Won the Day. Until It Was
Project Maven was meant to revolutionize modern warfare. But the conflict in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches.