A Christian martyr is someone who died for his or her faith, rather than renounce Christ. Ever since Stephen, the very first martyr was stoned to death outside Jerusalem (Acts 7), Christians around the world have suffered and died for the sake of Christ.
Conversion to Christianity among local tribes in Uganda meant a rejection of the traditional religions and ways of life.
As a young man, Kabaka Danieri Basammula-Ekkere Mwanga II Mukasa, of the Buganda tribe had shown some favor to the Christian missionaries, but his attitude changed as soon as he took the throne from 1868.
According to tradition, the Kabaka was the center of all authority and power in the kingdom, and he could use his subjects as he wished. However, he viewed the presence of the missionaries as a diminishing factor to his authority among the converts.
Mwanga ordered for the brutal execution of forty-five converts: twenty-two Catholics and twenty-three Anglicans.
Each person who is bold enough to give up his life for Christ has a unique lesson to teach us. Each of the 12 apostles we read about in the bible, left families and careers, often traveling alone to distant hard to reach places, declaring that Jesus Christ died and came back to life.
RELATED ARTICLE: List of Uganda’s Christian Martyrs and how each was killed
For proclaiming our Savior’s resurrection, they were beaten, imprisoned, and many killed in torturous ways. Millions of people throughout history have willingly died for their faith.
Christian martyrs teach us that we can stand for God no matter the circumstances.
That does not mean we should seek out suffering or death for Christ, but it does mean that, if we are presented with the choice of “die or deny Christ,” we should be bold and cling to Christ. Martyrs show us what it looks like to stand firm in not denying Jesus.
Another lesson Christian martyrs teach us is that we will receive a reward for standing for our faith.
Revelation 20:4–6 paints a picture of the reward awaiting the Christian martyrs who die during the future Tribulation: “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. . . . This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.”
Christian martyrs are a model of grace under pressure. They teach us how to handle persecution of any kind. Stephen died with grace on his lips: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). He forgave his murderers, and his forgiveness echoed that of Christ Himself (Luke 23:34).
When we press into knowing God personally and truly begin living for God, we will become a target for those who hate God. The spiritual battle is real, and so are the rewards. We are serving a real God who really loves us, who was really willing to die for us, and who really rewards us for standing for Him.
With additions from gotquestions.org
