“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” As
many of you know, the early centuries of the Christian Church were marked by
sporadic, and at times, intense persecution. Following in the footsteps of
Jesus, their leader, many early Christians refused to modify or deny their faith
in Christ, even when threatened with brutal execution. And yet, try as they
might, the powers of this world were not able to stamp out the Christian teaching.
Indeed, the persecution seemed only to fuel the public witness of the faith and
to magnify the response. Thus, Tertullian, an early Christian writer, could
claim that, rather than diminish the power of Christianity, the persecution of
believers only served to increase the Church. The Church sprouted and
flourished despite (perhaps, because of?) the witness amidst the suffering of her
members. Thus, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
This was especially true of the original disciples. Of the
original disciples, we know from the Scriptures or from church history and
legend, that every one of them suffered greatly for the Gospel; and all but the
Apostle John were martyred for their faith. Following the beheading of John’s
brother, the Apostle James, as recorded in Acts 12, the apostles scattered
throughout the world, carrying the Gospel message to all peoples. From Rome to
Ethiopia, from Eastern Europe to India, the original disciples preached the
love and grace of Jesus Christ. And everywhere they met with those who embraced
the message, experiencing new life in the Lord, as well as those who rose up
against it. Many, like Jesus Himself, were crucified, some beheaded, stabbed,
hacked to death, or stoned. Each grisly death, however, advanced the Gospel
message. “The blood of the martyrs… seeding the church.”
And, this experience—of persecution and resounding victory—is
hardly limited to the original disciples. You can perhaps imagine their early
passion and commitment; after all, they had walked with Jesus, seen His
crucifixion, witnessed His resurrection and ascension. Perhaps one can
understand their determination; but what of others? For centuries, believers
have gone to their deaths with confidence and assurance in the salvation of the
Lord. The Roman Empire devised horrific means of breaking the church, yet the
opposite occurred—God strengthened, sustained, and grew His people through such
brutality. Fed by the sufferings and blood of those dying for their faith, the
church of God advanced throughout the world.
But, how? How does the martyrdom of Christians spur on the
growth of the church? All the evidence we have points to the manner in which
the followers went to their deaths. Yes, some of them gave eloquent “last
words,” some were witty, some articulated well the Gospel with their dying
breath. But, universally, the link that held them together was the character
with which they exhibited trust in their Lord. It was not that the content of
their beliefs was unimportant—it more was that what they believed shaped the
way they acted, even at the most dramatic moment of their lives. What marks a
man of God this way? How does a woman who claims Christ as her Savior witness
so powerfully in such demanding situations?
When Peter was learning from Jesus how he would die (John
21:18), Jesus drew his attention to one thing, and one thing only—to Jesus
Himself. Peter’s death was to glorify Jesus. Such a thing is unbearable to
imagine, unless your eyes are fixed on what is really real, the source of true
life, the only real meaning: Jesus Christ. And so, the call goes out to Peter,
and to all of us, “Follow Me.”
As you prepare for worship this Sunday, read John 21:18-22.
If you were to read verse 18 in
isolation from the rest of the chapter, what might you conclude this means?
- How is this section connected to the previous? Why might Jesus move from restoring Peter to this discussion?
- The idea that a particular kind of death glorifies God raises all kind of questions. What might some of those be?
- What does it take to “follow” someone? What do you need, and what do you NOT need, but that you might like?
- Why is John called “the disciple whom Jesus loved?”
- What reasons might Peter have for asking what would happen to John?
- What does Jesus’ response to Peter indicate?
