No Greater Love by Paul Dawson

John 15:13 (KJV) – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The book Blackjack-34, previously titled No Greater Love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam, tells the story of July 18, 1967 with the men of the only real American guerrilla force in Vietnam. Told from the perspective of Special Forces Medic James C. Donahue, this book paints a picture of what has been considered to be one of the worst wars ever fought. On that day, his platoon was on a special mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to find enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. However, their platoon was found by enemy forces first. Donahue bore witness to the determination of his teammates, who were willing to go so far as to give their own lives so the others could live.

This willingness to give up one’s own life is what Christ was referring to in this verse. This willingness comes from God's unconditional love for the human race. John 3:16a says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." It's because of His love for us that Jesus came to this world. I really like the King James Version of this verse because it conveys the idea that Jesus was not just human, but a man. Christ is the ultimate example of a man. In Max Lucado’s book God Came Near, he writes, “Only in seeing his Maker does a man truly become man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time.” Were it not for Christ's death on the cross, humanity would be unable to receive the gift of salvation and spend eternity with God. There truly is no greater love than that.