Christian Martyrdom

Most of us have read accounts of religious martyrdom in historical books and the Bible. Few of us have witnessed it with our own eyes. Recently, we saw Charlie Kirk killed at one of his events. Some would argue that this was a political hit, not a religious one. Whether you loved or hated him, he was an adamant Christian who never minced his words.

The original Greek New Testament word for martyr is the word ‘martus’ pronounced [mar’-toos]. Its basic meaning is witness. A martyr is a person killed for his witness.

It is estimated that over 70 million Christians have been martyred since Jesus Christ himself was martyred on the cross. Most of those have been in the 1900s under fascist and communist rulers. Depending on the historian, some estimates say that since 2000 there has been an average of 100,000 per year. Martyrdom is not just in biblical times but also in relative modern times.

Our salvation was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. The center line in the road to our salvation has been painted with the blood of Christian martyrs. Don’t run into the ditch!

No one should desire martyrdom for attention, fame or legacy. It would be an arrogant wish nullifying the honor. True martyrdom is in the bounds of God’s destiny not the wish of a man. Yet, from an eternal Christian perspective it is the pinnacle of honor given by God.

It is unlikely that those who read this post or the writer will be called to be a martyr. Personally, I want to die a very old man. It would be nice to take my last breath with my head on a pillow surrounded by my family. My next breath and the next, is in the hands of God. I want to be faithful to Jesus in life or in death.

The words of Jesus is a call to all Christians about our relation to this world. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. / If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19 NKJV).

Our mission in this world is to love God and love people. If we love people, then we will tell them about God sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins. We will speak of God’s principles that lead to healthy lives, families, and communities. Guess what? The world will hate us for that! Do not be surprised.

I remember when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I remember when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I remember when Robert Kennedy (Sr.) was assassinated. Many young people for the first time saw an assassination in real time when Charlie Kirk was killed.

Charlie Kirk may have been the first martyr in your experience. I doubt he will be your last.

Martyrdom projects a person and/or a cause into the exponential zone. It propels them and their cause into a higher realm of historical significance. They will be greatly remembered because of their ultimate sacrifice. It gets the attention of their followers and their enemies.

If the martyrdom is for a Christian cause, it gets the high attention of God. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God. When the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was being assaulted he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Jesus calls us to give our lives for the cause of Christ. Whether it is in lifelong service eventually dying in a peaceful setting or dying as a martyr—it is God’s call. In either case, let us all be faithful to Jesus.

Who is the man or woman feared the most by Satan and his puppets? It is the person who fears God more than death! “And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Rev.12:11 NKJV).

Be Faithful!

Yours on the Journey,
Harry L. Whitt