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“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38, ESV)

Pastor Abel's sermon on this passage is titled, "Seeking Blessing".

To be a Christian is to follow Christ. That is where we get the name Christianity. In our day, we can lose sight of how radical this concept is because of how free we are to choose our own religion here in the United States of America.

But when Christianity began, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, when a handful of Jesus’ Disciplines received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and began to preach in the name of Jesus, those early Christians saw with clarity what we do not. To pledge allegiance to Christ is to be willing to lose your life for his sake.

Here are a few examples of martyrs, people who were willing to die for their faith in Christ:

  1. Stephen – died around AD 34: The first person executed for faith in Christ. His death was overseen by a pharisee named Saul/Paul, who helped to launch a massive attack on the Church on the heels of Stephen’s death. God then confronted Paul on the road to Damascus, saving him, forgiving him, and empowering him to write most of the New Testament that we have today. What would have happened if Stephen was not willing to die? If he had clung to his life in fear, and selfishness?
  2. Polycarp – died around AD 155: A disciple of the Apostle John (who wrote the Gospel of John as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John), Polycarp was killed by the Roman Empire for refusing to deny Jesus as God. His example set a standard for countless men and women, showing them how to face death without wavering in their faith. How many souls were saved because Polycarp did not bow to Rome?
  3. Blandina – died in AD 177: She was a slave girl who, though weak and frail, sparked many hearts to hold fast to faith in Christ due to how courageously she endured torture and death for the sake of Christ. She was not rich or powerful, but because she did not live for herself, she is celebrated to this day.

The story of Christianity, of the Church, is soaked in the blood of those who, Like Mary, knew that this life is not to be lived in selfish devotion to oneself, but in service to the Lord Jesus. How can you seek to live in the same manner today?

 

For Further Study