“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:10-12
Over the last several weeks, we have looked at the lives and deaths of some of the most well-known first century missionaries, including the apostles.
Two ways to finish
There is one apostle whose life and death we did not address during this series: Judas Iscariot. The reason is obvious, of course. He did not finish faithfully to the end.
There are really only two ways to finish well in this life. You’re either going to finish well like the martyrs, faithful to the end, no matter the cost, or you’re going to finish badly like Judas, in shame and tragedy. Like many of the apostles, we either drop our nets to follow Jesus until the day we die and meet him face-to-face, or we go away and do something else (2 Timothy 2:4).
My prayer is that through this series, you have been encouraged to be like the former—faithful to the end.
Go back and review the series:
- Faithful to the End: Series Introduction
- Faitful to the End: Stephen, the first New Testament martyr
- Faithful to the End: the sons of Zebedee (James and John)
- Faithful to the End: Philip and Matthew
- Faithful to the End: James (son of Alphaeus) and Matthias
- Faithful to the End: Andrew, embracing the cross of Jesus
- Faithful to the End: Jude, Bartholomew, Thomas
- Faithful to the End: Peter
Recommended Reading:
Elihu Harris says
May 24, 2011 at 3:49 amThe longer I commit myself to this journey in Christian faith the more I am aware of the pitfalls that I could easily fall into. It is so easy to be drawn away by the glitter and bling, by the bickerings of politics or the hustle and bustle of trying to get more or do more. All of this to impress a world that is dieing.
There is no way that I can impose love, peace and understand on this world. I can however continue to fashion my life after the life of my lord and savior Jesus Christ to the best of my ability in full knowledge that when my life in this world is over I will have invested in a greater life eternal.
Renee says
May 25, 2011 at 6:55 pmI agree with you. The world is very tempting and hard. If I keep with faith and run hard, I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. I am a runner and I have a motto that might help you, “RUN THIS RACE, KEEP YOUR PACE, KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!”
Renee
Chris Poblete says
May 26, 2011 at 11:40 ambeautifully said, Elihu!
dd2j says
November 30, 2011 at 8:07 pmExcellently done Blog Author!
Check out the story of the martyr Polycarp the last of the students studying under the Apostles. He was the Angel of Smyrna in Revelation.