Devotional Five: Sacrificial Love
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
–I Corinthians 13:7
OLAF: Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours like how Kristoff brought you back here to Hans and left you forever.
–Frozen
At the center of Frozen lies a love story. While Anna is distracted by romantic love and Elsa turns inward, the bond between sisters is what makes the production work. Elsa and Anna care for each other, and the journey of the musical is to find their sisterly connection again. Surprisingly, the true definition of love comes not from Anna or Elsa, but from the comic relief of a supporting character: Olaf.
As Anna is slowly freezing to death, Olaf helps her to recognize that true love is not found in the opportunistic selfishness of Hans but in the sacrificial love of Kristoff. Olaf instructs Anna that love is putting the needs of others ahead of ourselves. When we care so much for another person, we desire the best for them even if this means that we must give up something we truly want. Love is not simply an emotion, but love is an action.
The climax of Frozen is yet another example of sacrificial love. When Anna sees Hans threaten Elsa’s life, Anna willingly gives up her life to protect Elsa. The very thing that Elsa had been trying to avoid is the fulfillment of love. Elsa wanted to protect others, but Anna must give up her life to save Elsa. Anna is an example of how true love is sacrificial love.
At the heart of the gospel story is love as well. Jesus perfectly lived His life and then gave up His life as a sacrifice for us. He allowed His perfect righteousness to be exchanged for our utter sinfulness. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice for us. In fact, Jesus states the definition of love: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The common grace found in Frozen mirrors the special grace found in Jesus. As we enjoy the laughter and drama of this beloved musical, may we remember that Anna’s sacrificial love for her sister, Elsa, is a beautiful shadow of the gospel and the sacrificial love of Jesus.
