Resurrection to Mission: Living the Ancient FaithSample

Day 2: The Martyr Who Smiled

Let’s begin with a story that is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring…a story that brings the message of Resurrection and Pentecost into our own era. In 2015, the world was shaken by the martyrdom of 21 Coptic Christians on a Libyan beach. These men were ordinary laborers, simple men, but in their final moments, they became extraordinary witnesses. Eyewitnesses reported that as they knelt before their executioners, many of them were praying, lips moving in silent hymns, and some were even smiling. Their last words were, in Arabic, “Ya Rabbi Yasou’” which means “My Lord Jesus.”

“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:28 NKJV)

What kind of power allows a person to face death with such peace, even joy? What gives someone the strength to forgive their killers and embrace martyrdom as victory, not defeat? The answer is simple yet profound: the Resurrection of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. These martyrs knew death was not the end. Their joy was rooted in the Resurrection; their courage flowed from the Pentecost. They didn’t just believe in the Resurrection - they lived it, even unto death.

St. Athanasius the Apostolic says in his writing, On the Incarnation §27: “now that the Saviour has raised His body, death is no longer terrible, but all those who believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish, but live indeed, and become incorruptible through the resurrection.”

The martyrs of Libya are modern icons of this truth. They are living proof that death is no longer an insurmountable and terrifying end. Death is now as a defeated enemy, stripped of its ultimate power and sting by Christ's triumph. This transformation empowered the 21 martyrs, and Christians alike, to confront mortality not with dread, but with an actual, real sense of hope and even victory. The ability to face death without fear, and to even consider it vanquished, serves as a tangible and ongoing testament to the reality and transformative power of Christ's resurrection in the lives of believers. This lived experience of overcoming the fear of death becomes compelling evidence of the resurrection's enduring impact on human existence.

Their story is not just history; it is a living challenge to us: Are we living with this kind of Resurrection joy and boldness of the Pentecost? Or are we clinging to comfort and safety, afraid to stand for Christ when it costs us? Their witness calls us out of complacency. Let us ask God for the same courage, joy, and unwavering faith. The same Holy Spirit that filled the apostles at Pentecost is available to us today.

Reflection: What fears hold you back from living boldly for Christ? What does it look like for you to live with Resurrection joy and Pentecost boldness?

Today’s Challenge: Write down a fear that holds you back from living boldly for Christ. Pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit for courage to take one step beyond that fear this week.

Prayer: Risen Christ, give me the faith of the martyrs, who faced death with joy because they trusted in Your Resurrection. Help me to live each day as an heir of eternal life, unafraid and filled with hope. Amen.