Jordan Peterson has said that you don’t really believe in something if you’re not willing to die for it.
Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
This word “witnesses” is literally translated as “martyrs.”
Listen to this—No one is willing die for something they didn’t live for. But you will be willing to die for what you lived for.
Psalms 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.”
I have read some of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs when I was younger, especially the early parts where it starts with Stephen and then works all the way through the Apostles. These stories tell of how these men literally laid down their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
I believe there’s no greater honor in this life than dying for what you lived for. No doubt, we won’t all die for what we believe. But we must be willing to.
Why were the Apostles killed? I believe these men were imitating Jesus Christ.
Jesus preached in love. A great example is John 8, where He told the adulteress, “I don’t condemn you, but go and sin no more.”
But Jesus also stood against the spirit of this world. He was at the same time as bold as a lion and as gentle as a lamb.
To the broken, hurt, sinners, and outcasts— He was as gentle as a lamb. But if you ask the Pharisees, the self-righteous, the religious, and those in the temple making merchandise in His Father’s House—He was the fierce Lion of Judah.
The spirit of this world hated the message of Jesus. The hell-possessed throng of people in Jerusalem cried out, “Crucify Him!” They gnashed on Him with their teeth. They spat on Him, beat Him, mocked Him, and disrespected Him. They cursed and blasphemed His Name. They pushed a crown of thorns deep into His head. They put nails through both His hands. They nailed His feet on top of each other to the cross. Then they raised Him up, and He hung there gasping for breath. Blood ran down His entire body. You could barely tell that this was the humble Teacher from Nazareth.
And with His dying breaths, He preached to the man hanging beside Him. And then He forgave every single person who put Him there to die.
Why were the Apostles killed? I believe the Apostles were imitating their Savior.
These men had nothing but love for people. Love drove the Apostles to the corners of the earth. They wanted people to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would change their lives, give them hope, and promise them eternal life if they believe on Jesus.
Their message was that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” And their message was to everyone.
But because they preached the truth, their message stood in stark contrast to the spirit of the world, the complacency of the church, and the wickedness of those in authority.
They preached to all—the poor and the rich, to Jews and Gentiles, Kings and paupers. Their message was from love, because He’s not willing that any should perish.
But when they preached, people got offended. People got mad. It made the devil angry. Hell didn’t like men who knew God telling others unashamedly about how much He loves them, about heaven and hell, about righteousness, and about the power of God.
These men did what Jesus did. Jesus lived for about 30 years on this Earth, and He gave His life to save humanity. He preached the Gospel, healed the sick, performed miracles, loved everyone, and took time to listen.
And then He was killed for it.
The Apostles were killed because they were imitating their Savior.
I want to be guilty of imitating Christ. I want to be identified with Him. I want to be identified not just with His glory and power, but also with the suffering, the persecution, and the reproach.
The Azusa Weekly 