Martyrs

Bible Reading: John 12:24-26

“We had a spelling contest at school today,” Nate told his mom one afternoon.

“I goofed on the word ‘martyr.’ I spelled it m-a-r-t-e-r.”

“Do you know what a martyr is?” Mom asked.

Nate nodded. “It’s a person who gives their life for what they believe. We learned in Sunday school that the first Christian martyr was Stephen—the first one we know about, at least. He was stoned for telling people Jesus died and rose again to save them from sin.” Nate rinsed off an apple in the sink. “We don’t have any Christian martyrs today though, do we?”

“Indeed we do!” said Mom. “I read somewhere that there have been more Christian martyrs in the last century than in all the centuries before. Even today, some countries don’t allow Christians to openly teach and practice their faith. It’s not uncommon for believers in those places to be arrested—or even killed.”

“Really?” Nate bit into his apple. “Have you known any martyrs?”

“Not personally, but many years ago, five brave men tried to share the gospel with a tribe in the jungles of Ecuador who had never heard about Jesus. One of those men—whose name, by the way, was Nate—came from the church my grandmother grew up in.”

“What happened to him?” Nate asked.

“When the men attempted to make contact with the indigenous people, he was killed,” Mom replied. “In fact, all five of those men were.”

“That’s horrible!” Nate said. “It seems like such a waste. Why wouldn’t God have kept that from happening?”

“I can’t say for sure, but perhaps because of what happened after the men were martyred,” Mom replied. “Hundreds of young people who heard about it dedicated their lives to telling others about Jesus. Several years later, other missionaries were able to go to that tribe—including Nate’s sister and another woman who had been married to one of the murdered missionaries. Some of the same men who led the attack came to Christ because of the love and forgiveness shown to them by the families of those they had killed.” Mom smiled at Nate. “God’s plan wasn’t the same as that of those five men, but He didn’t allow their lives to be wasted. He never does.” • Charlie VanderMeer

How About You?

Would you be willing to die for Jesus? From our point of view, such loss of life may seem like a waste, but God has a purpose in all He allows. Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries mentioned in the story above, once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jesus gave up His own life to save us from sin, and you can trust Him to use your life—and even your death—for good, knowing He’s given you eternal life that can never be lost.

Today’s Key Verse:
Luke 9:24 Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Be willing to live or die for Jesus