The sacrifice play is the most 'selfless' play in all of baseball. Think about it for a moment; a coach who asks for a sacrifice bunt or a sacrifice fly is asking his hitter to give up his at bat on behalf of another, usually a runner who needs to be moved over into scoring position or a runner on third with less than two outs who needs to score. A hitter who understands his role will willingly execute a sacrifice for the good of the team. In essence he is surrendering his very right at the plate in order to get another home.
This is a great analogy of what Jesus Christ did when he came into this world some two thousand years ago. He understood his role, he knew exactly why he was here. He had been asked by his Heavenly Father to put on a uniform (become a man), get in the game (share the Message that God desires to have a relationship with his people), and do his part (give up his own life on behalf of others). That's exactly what he did. Without the sacrifice play of Jesus Christ, all of us would be left stranded on the bases.
"Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation." Hebrews 9:27-28 (The Message)
