Jesus - Who do you say I am? (still working on)

 

I was watching a show about Jesus in the Gospels and there were some interesting statements being made about Jesus and His divine divinity. It got me thinking. I wanted to dig in a bit more as I had heard some of the ideas before in many sermons over the years. I grew up in a very strong Biblical teaching church, in addition to that, I was blessed to attend a private Christian high school where I was taught the Bible everyday for an hour. We would look at the context and historical references. I am going to have to dig deep into some old papers and even sermon notes (and even see what google has to say) for this but I think it will be worth it! I hope you, as the reader, will find what I dig up to be interesting as well. 

I am so burdened in my heart for people to truly know what they believe and why. The foundation for our Christian faith is based off the Jewish laws and traditions. From there we take their prophecies and we see Jesus emerge as the messiah. To me, if you look at the timeframes when things were written and then you pair that to the New Testament it is quite remarkable to see how God unfolds a plan. It's so intricate and spanned over well over 1000 years of writings, over 300 prophecies and  spanned 11 books of the Bible. This does not take into account all the different authors who did not all live in the same time span or even in proximity to one another. How can that happen without divine orchestrated intervention? How can one man fit all of these prophecies? If the Gospels were forged, how do all 4 disciples write almost the same account of events if they did not happen? In many cases, there were multiple eye witness accounts. As I mentioned earlier,  there are over 300 prophecies but for my sake in this post I will look at 29 but even to to have one man fulfill all of these, to me, is still a miracle all on its own. When you really lay this out, this is the actual claim of the gospels - Jesus was the messiah and a miracle from God and that God orchestrated all the events surrounding Jesus in order to fulfill each prophecy.

Lets dive right in, starting with when these books were written: 

1) Genesis - ~1450-1410 BC thought to have been written by Moses 

2) Isaiah - ~739- 681 BC Isaiah is known as the messianic prophet and served under the reign of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.

3) Micah - ~735-700 BC - during the reign of Kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah in Judah 

4) Hosea - ~753-722- during this time the northern kingdom of Israel, as it was on the verge of being conquered by the Assyrian Empire.   Jewish temple was built. Hosea wrote direct accounts of his life and prophecies later in his life. 

5) Malachi - ~450-430 BC - Malachi lives 100 years after Babylonian exile. Oddly enough Malachi did not leave identifying markers of his life. He preached messages of judgments as the people were turning away from God. 

6) Psalm - ~1500 - 500 BC by far the largest spread - Primarily written by King David 

7) Zechariah - ~570-420 BC - is an account of Zechariah's life and prophecies. He was a levite born in Babylon. Book of  Ezra it states that Zechariah and Haggai were together also in Nehemiah he is mentioned as well.

8) Matthew - ~55-65 AD, it is believed to live in Palestine when writing the gospel.

9) Mark - ~55-59 AD,  it is believed to live in Rome when writing the gospel.

10) Luke - ~58-65 AD, it is believed to live in Antioch Syria when writing the gospel.

11) John - ~ 70-85 AD,  it is believed to live in Ephesus and Patmos when writing the gospel.

Prophecies (Old Testament and New Testament Reference)

1) Genesis 22:18 (descendant of Abraham) (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38)

2) Genesis 49:10 (tribe of Judah / house of David) (Matthew 1:1-17)  

3) Isaiah 7:14 - (Conceived by a virgin) (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38)  

4) Micah 5:2 - (Born in Bethlehem) (Matthew 2:6 and Luke 2: 1-20)

5) Zechariah 2:10-12   (Messiah would come and dwell in our midst) (Matthew 1:23) 

6) Hosea 11:1 (Taken to Egypt as a child) (Matthew 2:13-15)

7) Isaiah 40:3-5 (Anointed by the messenger of the lord) (Acts 10:38)  

8) Isaiah 11:2 (Anointed by the Holy Spirit) (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27 and 10:38; Hebrews 1:9)

9) Isaiah 9:1 (Minister in Galilee) (Matthew 4:12-17 and Mark 1:14-16) 

10) Isaiah 35:5-6 (Messiah will perform miracles) (Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all account)

11) Isaiah 61:1 (Messiah will preach the good news) (Matthew 24:14, Luke 4:18, Luke 4:43, Mark 16:15)

12) Malachi 3:1 (Messiah will cleanse the temple and John the Baptist would prepare the way for the messiah) (Matthew 11:10 and Matthew 24)

13) Zechariah 9:9 (Messiah will enter Jerusalem as a kid riding on a donkey) (Matthew 221:1-11, Mark 11:1-1, Luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-19)  

14) Psalm 118:22 (Rejected by the Jewish people) (John 5:18, John 7:52, John 8:39-59, John 10:22-43Luke 7:45-52, 

15) Psalm 41:9 (Messiah will be rejected by a friend) (Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all account)

16) Zechariah 11:12  (Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver) (Matthew 26:14-16 and Matthew 27:3-10)

17) Psalm 22  (Messiah will die a humiliating death) stopped here

18)  Isaiah 53:3 - (Humiliating death - rejection)  (Luke 13:34; John 1:10-11)

19) Psalm 22:7-8  (Humiliating death - mocking)

20) Isaiah 52:14. (Humiliating death - beating) 

21) Psalm 22:16 - (Piercing of his hands and feet)

22) Zechariah 12:10 (Piercing of his side) (John 19:34; 1 Peter 2:24)

23) Isiah 53:12 - (Executed with thieves)

24) Psalm 22:18 - (Executioners will cast lots for his clothing) 

25) Psalm 69:21 (Gall and vinegar to drink) (Matthew 27:34 and 27:48, Mark 15:23, 

26) Psalm 34:20 (None of his bones will be broken) (John 19:36)

27) Isaiah 53:9  (Messiah will be buried in a rich mans tomb)

28) Psalm 16:10 (Will rise from the dead)

29) Psalm 68:18 (Ascend into heaven)

Holding on to Pigs?

 

I was scrolling on social media today when I came across a post that has such an interesting perspective on a story many of us have heard. It's the story about 2 demon possessed men where Jesus cast the demons into pigs and they ran off a cliff, I am parapharsing here. In this post, I am going to break down some interesting tidbits that I have learned while diving a bit deeper into this passage myself. There are a few things that I did not know nor did I really give much thought to.

First lets recount the story here:

“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.”Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The first thing that jumps out to me, is that even the demons knew who Jesus was. They called him "Son of God". They also knew that Jesus had the authority to choose where they should go. Interestingly they ask have you come to torture us before the appointed time - just as the Bible foretells, there is an appointed end point where the Son of Man will come and judge the earth. The demons acknowlege there will be a judgment day for them but interestingly they don't know when otherwise they would not have asked this question.  

In Revelation 20:10 "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Now, at this time Revelation had not been written, but I do believe when the fall of Satan happened in Isaiah 14: 12-15 and Ezekiel 28 the Bible makes it clear of the judgment will be passed. I do believe, the demons knew what their fate was when they were trying to negotiate with Jesus- they knew Jesus had the authority to cast that judgement right there and then. They asked to be sent into pigs rather than be destroyed.  Once Jesus cast them into the pigs, they ran off the bank to their death. I don't think they saw that coming! Additionally, some biblical scholars believe the sea to represent the abyss. Several places within the Bible the abyss is referred to as place of the dead or the pit. These demons must have been quite powerful to throw an entire heard of pigs into the sea. Its hard to imagine the men who were overrun by these demons - the torture they must have endured!

Another interesting fact, these demon possessed men were likely Gentiles and not Jews. The reason being, is due to the raising of pigs where these men were found. Pigs for the Jewish communities were perceived as unclean and dirty animals and would have never been raised by a Jewish person. Some scholars believe this the first example of Global missions being represented.  

Now to the part that gets interesting - why did the people plead for Jesus to leave their region after he performed this miracle? I had always thought it was due to the destruction of their pigs. But what if there is a much deeper reason? Allow me to set the stage, in the midst of a miracle - two demon possessed men were miraculously healed - and a herd of pigs destroyed. Which of the two incidents had more significance? 

Try to imagine yourself there - if I were an onlooker at this, I would have been amazed by both events. Here was a man who had authority over the demons and then cast them out. The demons drove the pigs so mad they threw themselves off a steep embankment. Now, if I had been the pig herder, I would be furious! I mean there goes my lively hood over the cliff. But what about the two men? They were healed, freed and saved - maybe they had families, friends and children - they would have been rejoicing I would think. But what did the people do, they asked Jesus to leave. They would rather keep the status quo rather than risk him performing another miracle for fear Jesus would cause more chaos and destruction. It's all a matter of perception!  They would rather be comfortable than to be shaken-up, radically changed and freed from bondage. Let that sink in for a moment.

Does this situation maybe have more to say to us? Sometimes when God saves us or frees us from something there is more work that is needed. What things hold you back or cause you to stumble? Maybe friendships / relationships, idols you worship, substances you can't give up, or maybe your comfort - in order to be truly free you cannot keep going back to or doing what destroyed you. Something has to be given up and something needs to change or be torn down in your life. This aspect would be represented by the giving up of the "pigs".  This often times makes us feel uncomfortable. Let's face it, Change is HARD. But if we try and hold on to those "pigs" we stay enslaved, crushed and defeated. But what if you let that "pig" go? Maybe it's the very thing that will make you feel alive, free and whole again. 

Challenge question - what "pigs' are you holding onto in your life? What areas of your life need to be radically shaken up to reveal the things that are holding you back or keeping you enslaved?

I will leave a few versus to meditate on: 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the barren land. Isaiah 43:18-19

 

When life breaks you down Jesus is still there

 A couple of months ago, I was walking along the beach close to where I live. I was really deep in thought, I had a really bad day at work and really just felt so down (more like defeated) about a lot of things in my life. Suffice it to say I was really going through it and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I started to pray, and tears started to roll down my face and I was asking God to show me He is still there. And as I continued to walk, I happen to look down, to the side of me and written in the sand was "Jesus Loves You". I could barely believe my eyes,  I know in that moment, this was the message my heart needed most. I needed to know that God was still there and saw me in my time of struggle. I thanked God for letting me know He was still there and still listening.  I decided I had gone far enough and started heading home. I looked up, the sky was so beautiful as the sun was setting and there was a cross in the sky. Now, I was smiling. I went from being heavily burdened to feeling a sense of peace and calm. It's amazing how God really does know how to show up when you need Him most! 

A few weeks later, I decided to go to South Florida for a last minute trip, its not easy being so far away from where you grew up and all of the familiar things that make a place feel like home. Every once in a while, I need to experience them again and ground myself. I decided to visit one of my favorite churches. I was so blessed when I arrived to find out that it was praise and worship night! I was so excited, this is one of my favorite things about going to church. I have always loved choir and praise team and just singing my little heart out - it is always the happiest moments for me and when I feel most connected to God. But this night, I sang like I never sang before. It's funny how when you are wondering around in a metaphorical desert for so long and then you experience rain, but not just any rain - more like a flood. God's flood of love. That's what happened to me this night. I never cried so hard while singing in my life. It's crazy how a change in environment can make such a difference. When you live in a place where you are constantly being bombarded by negative things, everyone is out for themselves and the "me first" mentality- it really has a way of breaking a person down. We are in a spiritual battle whether we see it or not. I have never been more convinced that we forget how we are not just fighting the physical things we can see but there are other evil forces that are seeking to destroy each of us. I know, for a little while there I had forgotten this fact. I found myself so beaten down but God reached His hand down and pulled me out of the metaphorical mud I found myself sinking in. That night in Fort Lauderdale, was the fresh start that I didn't know I needed. I needed to let go and let God start to give me back my purpose and meaning in life. I needed to be reminded to that He was enough and He was bigger than all my problems and not to rely on humans as much as I was but to lean more into Him. Most importantly, I had to stop trying to solve all my problems on my own. There were far too many surmounting that I could not keep up with the sheer volume. God uses these moments in life to bring us back to that place of surrender.

It was revealed to me once again, everything I have been fighting for had not been in vain that there was a reason for the struggle. There were lessons I had to learn - albeit they painful to go through. In order to grow and transcend where we are, we have to go through a metamorphosis.  For me, my heart had been so heavy for so long that I didn't even realize the moment I let it go how light I would feel again!  LET IT GO!  I love how Jesus shows us He is real through the little things. You just have to be paying attention and listening! He shows each and every one of us that he cares and is watching over us even if we think He isn't. I walked into church feeling like I had been carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders and walked out with a refreshed, renewed soul - a new start! 

Part of being a christian is being real and authentic, not hiding when you struggle but speak out so others who are struggling just like me don't feel alone. None of us are perfect, none of us have this thing called life completely figured out. We are all learning as we go! 

“It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭

Maybe you are reading this right now and you are going through something heavy and you too feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulder. Can I encourage you? Throw it all down at Jesus' feet. Bow your head and pray your with all your heart. Sing like no one is listening. Let it out, cry it out! He may not give you a message in sand but I guarantee He will show up in a way you never expected. Just remember Jesus is just a prayer an away. 

“Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭94‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭

Pleasing Man or God?

 I recently heard while listening to a sermon – it was stated that: “When we displease God to please people we are doing something wrong.”

 

This got me thinking, I have always heard it said that we should help and do things for others so in a sense the bible does call us to be a sort of people pleaser and to turn the other cheek. However, there is a point where this can be taken too far. When we do something seeking human approval or please a human being only; this is where we have the propensity to take things too far or are doing them for the wrong reason. 

 

Human nature is a funny thing, isn’t it? We all have a desire to be well liked, accepted and be respected by our peers. This is a common thread for all of us. It provides a sense of community and belonging. If we are seeking human approval, it becomes a curious thing because you can do everything in your power for someone and they can still reject you. Most of the time, there is just no pleasing everyone. We will be disappointed by people and they in turn will be disappointed with us.

 

I think about Jesus and some of the examples he provided for us with some of His interactions with his disciples in the bible. Let’s first take Judas, he had a front row seat to everything Jesus had done, he heard his teachings, saw the miracles he performed and got to do everyday life with Jesus. Yet, when Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him on the cheek, Jesus was not wrecked or devastated by this. Let’s take Peter, who Jesus had warned would betray him 3 times before the rooster crowed. This was a fact known and expressed ahead of time and yet Peter denied him. What about when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested, he asked the disciples to pray with him. They did not even last an hour to stay awake with Jesus. 

 

I had never thought of these interactions before in this light. Jesus was never devastated, he never got angry or blamed them. The bible describes in Matthew 26:37-42, Jesus as sorrowful and troubled and His spirit was overwhelmed as he was facing going to the cross. On top of this fact, I cannot imagine in that moment how disappointed Jesus must have felt in the people he was closest to – they deserted him in his hour of greatest need.  What about you? Has anyone deserted you in your greatest hour of need? How did it make you feel?  Imagine all the feelings you would have in that moment and yet Jesus never held a grudge against any of His friends. His hope was not in people but in God the Father and staying focused on the task that was before Him. People always have the ability to let us down but God never will!

 

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Matthew 26:36-42 NIV

 

As I was listening to this sermon, I was thinking about what the motives were for Judas, Peter and the disciples praying in the garden -What were they? Did they at any point get brutally honest with their own selves about how they failed Jesus? What about us, do we get brutally honest about how we fail Jesus all the time? Man, it becomes so clear how broken and undone as a people we truly are. None of us are prefect and none of us are able to 100% of the time control our emotions and treat people with love when they let us down, especially those closest to us. It takes a lot of spiritual integrity to be able to self-assess and see your inherent need for Christ in your life! We are a fallen and broken people.

 

To dig a bit deeper into the idea of motives - are we truly being conscientious about why we do what we do? I know I am not all the time; I often jump from one thing to anther during the day because it’s what expected of me to do this or that. We get caught up in the “should and the ought” to do lists. I know for me; I rarely stop long enough to really check in with myself during the day and I have been convicted to the folly of this mindset. We also need to be careful of what the motives and intentions are as we make these many decisions throughout the course of our day. Before we know it, we may end up digging a ditch for ourselves and not even realizing how we got there. I know I have done this a time or two! (*shakes head*)

 

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Galatians 1:10 NIV

 

We should live to please God, first and foremost. Do not put so much stock in what others around you are saying. God may have asked you to do something that no one else can understand, do it anyway! I think of Noah, God told him to build the biggest boat that the world had ever seen. All the people around him laughed at him. Told him he was crazy. Noah did not put stock into what man said he was solely focused on doing what God told him. Jesus is another example of how he did not let those around him distract him for His higher calling! 

 

Sometimes God picks those of us who everyone does not think can do the task that He has laid before you. There are so many examples in the bible where God did this very thing! As an example, King David, a little shepherd boy who killed a giant with a sling shot and was elevated to a king. He had the hand of God on him, but he sure had his fair share of short comings.

 

“Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;”

John 12:42 NIV

 

John 12 really hits the nail on the head about the fear of what people think! Can you imagine giving up a relationship with Jesus solely based on what people may think of you. That is what happened to those Pharisees. They put more stock in people around them. I know I have experienced feeling this way before, where I was more concerned about what others may think of me or how I may offend someone and held that in higher esteem. As I am writing this, I am so deeply convicted! I am just like everyone else, with my short comings and failures. I may be well intentioned in many things I do and come from a good place but that may not always translate outward. As a result, I am grateful that God is more interested in the WHY we do what we do- as that is what is truly deep within our heart. 

 

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:1-3 NIV

 

In closing this post, God is not really interested in what we do but is more interested in the why we do it. Be aware and brutally honest with yourself about why you do things. As that why – will be where the true growth can happen. Where God is the mirror in your heart and shines a light on a part of you that needs repair. Lastly, don’t put so much stock in what people think about you, keep Christ at the center of your focus. Don’t let doing good for others take you down the path of people pleasing. Don’t get caught up in doing things for the wrong motives.

 

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

Proverbs 29:25 NIV

The Unmatched Resolve of Christian Martyrs

 

I was recently scrolling through my feed on Facebook and I came across a person talking about the reason they believe in Christ. They cited that no other religion had so many people who were willing to give up their life for what they believed in. I decided to take this a bit further.

To google I went to see what it had to say on the matter...

Answer: “According to historical records, Christianity is widely considered to have the largest number of martyrs, particularly during its early persecution periods in the Roman Empire, where many Christians were executed for their faith.

No other religion has had so many people willing to lose their life! There MUST be something in the blood! 

After Christ’s death, his 11 disciples + Mathias who was believed to have taken Judas’ spot plus a few others mentioned in the New Testament lost their lives for the cause of Christ. (there will be a short list compiled at the end of this post) 

Imagine the scene back then, there were two major aspects against the new followers of Jesus. First, you have the Roman Empire who were persecuting the new Christians because they were preaching against the idols and pagan worship they were involved in. Second, you had the Jewish religious leaders who were persecuting the new Jewish converts who believed in Jesus because the Jews believed they were violating the Jewish law. All of the followers of Jesus after His death in about 33 AD, had a lot stacked up against them. In fact, they had to endure being thrown in prison, stoned to death, beaten, dragged to death, tortured, crucified, beheaded, cut in half, stabbed and I am sure there are additional ways that I am not listing. Back in those days, the Romans were quite creative with the many ways to kill a human being. It would seem the more gruesome the better. Try to imagine, knowing you could face certain death if you opened your mouth to speak out about Jesus? I know for me, it’s hard to imagine this growing up in America where we had always prided ourselves in religious freedom for all. I will say that lately, I am starting to see a backlash against the Christian community unlike I have ever experienced to date. I am certain that this will not be the end of it and it will continue to get much worse. There are people to this very day, that are being killed for being a Christian all over the globe. We never really get to hear much about this except for in church, where missionaries in foreign fields report back or don't report at all and we are left assuming the worst has happened.

I am not trying to make this post about gloom and doom but simply a call to urge you to open your eyes and realize the situation we are in right now. Now is the time to know why you believe in what you do and the reasons you do. Now is the time to stand up in your faith and openly profess! Now is the time to wake up to see what’s happening in the world around you and come alive in Christ – because those of us who are Christians have something so amazing inside of us and that is Christ Jesus! If only we were to fully embrace that freedom ourselves we could change the world around us.

 Let’s consider, the apostles and the other followers of Jesus such as Paul. The 12 disciples, got to talk, walk, and do life with Jesus, they saw him die and saw him rise again along with 500 other eyewitnesses. They got to hear him speak /preach and watch as he performed miracle after miracle found throughout the eye witness accounts through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

I want to take a moment to talk about Paul (also known as Saul) he is one of my favorite as he had such an amazing transformation in his faith. Saul was his name before he had his own personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul was of Jewish faith and a Roman citizen and on top of that a Pharisee (religious leader). Under the Roman command, he was killing new Christians just after Jesus was crucified and rose again sometime after 33AD onwards. He was literally hunting and killing them to preserve the Jewish faith. He believed the new Christians were blaspheming against the Jewish law. During Saul’s time as a Pharisee, there was a man named Gamaliel who was also a fellow Pharisee who advised the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel, believed that if the teachings of these new Christians were false, this fad will resolve and fade away naturally. (I am paraphrasing here) He also said that if these teachings were from God, you would not be able to stop these Christians as you would be fighting against God himself.

Read this interesting exert: “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:34-42 NIV

Saul was on his way to Damascus hunting Christians, the bible literally says Saul was breathing out murderous threats again the Lord’s disciples, when he had his encounter with God. There was a light that shown from Heaven and a voice that asked Saul –“why are you persecuting me?” See Act 9 for the whole story. Saul asked : “who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” After this encounter Saul, was blind for 3 days. God called to Annanias in a vision to go to Saul. Annanias was afraid of Saul’s reputation but still went anyway and heeded God’s call. Annanias went to Saul and laid his hands on him and said: “Bother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.” 

From this point onward Saul was known as Paul, he was a changed man and a follower of Christ. He preached throughout the land the good news of Jesus and telling his story to all who had ears. What a story it was! He underwent a HUGE transformation, from murdering Christians to being one of them! 

 It struck me, as I was thinking on all of these martyrs and those who had encounters with Jesus directly, their faith was off the charts. Can you imagine seeing your teacher whom you have been following being whipped and beaten thrown up on a cross, died and then rose again? Wouldn’t you be screaming from the roof tops what you saw and want everyone to know? I know for me, I would! 

And instantly, as I am writing this, there it is the pain in the heart – why don’t you and I live like this? If we did, can you imagine, this world would be a different place!!!! 

As I close this post with the names of the early Christians and how they died, let’s consider the cost of what Christ has done. Let’s reflect on the fact that what Gamaliel said some 2 thousand years ago came true. That this was from God because it has overcome every odd even the very threat of death could not hold back the case for Christ. Suffice it to say, the early Christians had to believe with all that was in them what they saw, experienced and witnessed and that had to be worth dying for! So shouldn’t the same be true for you and I?

No other religion can boast this claim, and no other religion has such a rich backed up history than the Jewish faith and Christianity which were brought together through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

 List of Martyrs (not comprehensive by any means) that died for the cause of Christ that were mentioned in the bible as preaching and spreading the word of Christ. It should be noted that all of these Apostles death were not mentioned in the bible but since these are actual people who lived, there are outside accounts for their death, yet again making a strong compelling claim on its own.

This Lis of some martyrs mentioned in the Bible + all 12 disciples where only one was spared a gruesome death

1.  Barnabus – attacked by a mob and beaten to death while preaching

2.  Paul (also known as Saul, as I described above) – beheaded at Nero’s hand for preaching the Gospel

3.  Peter (Disciple) was crucified upside down as he did not feel worthy of dying the same way Jesus did.

4.   Matthew (Disciple) - it is believed he was stabbed to death

5.   Mark -it is believed he was dragged to death

6.   Luke – he was hung

7.   James (Disciple) – stoned and clubbed to death at the age of 90

8. James Son of Alphaeus (Disciple) - stoned to death by the Jews while preaching

9. Thaddeus  (Disciple) –it is believed he was decapitated

10.  Stephen one of the first Christians to die – stoned to death

11.  James brother of Zebadee (Disciple) – Killed By Herod Agrippa

12.  Philip (Disciple) – Crucified

13. Mythias- it is believed he filled the space for Judas (Disciple) – stoned and beheaded

14.  Andrew brother of Peter (Disciple) -crucified

15. Thomas (Disciple)  -stabbed to death

16. Simon the Zealot  (Disciple)-it is believed he was crucified or he was cut in half

17. Bartholomew  (Disciple)– it is believed he was either cut in half or beheaded or combo of both

18. John the Baptist - executed by beheading by Herod Antipas

John (Disciple) was believed to be the only one spared and went on to write revelation - died of old age.