There is a saying that goes something like this: "Nobody would die for a lie."
Would you knowingly go to your death for something that you knew to be a lie? Many people would go to their death THINKING a lie to be the truth. Think through history of suicide attacks, kamikaze assignments and evil human sacrifice rituals. These are people who went to their death believing that if they sacrificed their life they would acquire their "version" of paradise or heaven or even calm the gods and or help the Empire.
In scripture and tradition we understand the 12 Disciples went to their death preaching the Gospel of Jesus and were often met with resistance and hostility.
Here is a list of tradition as to how each of the 12 Disciples died:
1. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request because he felt unworthy to be crucified like his Savior.
2. James son of Zebadee, in Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2, tells us he was beheaded.
3. John actually was the only Apostle that died of natural cause. There was an attempt on his life to boil him in oil but he survived. Church tradition tells us this.
4. Andrew was scourged and tied to an "X" shaped cross where we hung for 2 days.
5. Phillip was crucified
6. Bartholomew was beaten, flayed and crucified upside down.
7. Thomas was lanced through and burned in an oven by pagan priest.
8. Matthew was axed to death by a halberd
9. James son of Alphaeus was thrown down from the temple and clubbed to death
10. Jude was crucified
11. Simon the Zealot was crucified
12. Matthias (the disciple that replaced Judas Iscariot) was stoned to death.
As I look at these men have to ask myself, "Why would these guys go to their death proclaiming Jesus was who He said He was?" In most cases these men in order to save their lives would only have to say, "Jesus is not who He said He was." Or, "What I am preaching is not accurate and I renounce or recant all I have just said," Just these simple statements and their lives would have been spared. Or is it just not that simple?
These are the men that ate with Jesus, camped with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ministered with Jesus. These 12 men would have known without a shadow of a doubt if Jesus was a fraud. If Jesus was a mere man and a clever magician. They would have know if Jesus was not the miracle worker. They would have known that Jesus was not who He said He was.
But... they actually went to their death claiming He is the representation of God on Earth, incarnate. Emanuel, God with us.
And this my friends is a large part of WHY we must trust the words and claims of Christ. I am living for the absolute truth of Jesus and what He said He is. I am living for the truth that Jesus' claims are fact and not that of a "smooth operator" and lier.
When confronted with the assaults of deception remember the Acts of the Apostles and their defense for the claims of Christ, even to their death.
For Christ is risen. For Christ is truth. For Christ is the only way.
May the Lamb that was slain receive His just reward!
Hope this helps,
Ezra
