I was really struck by the reality of Jesus’ victory over death. It’s hard for us to imagine because this is the world we have been born into. We have enjoyed 2000 years of:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting” -I Corinthians 15:54,55
We enjoy the fruits of death being conquered. In the days of Mark chapter five the people had only fear of death. Jairus ran to Jesus for the sake of his dying daughter. He knew the power of Jesus, everyone did. This was the man who could heal any illness. He spoke with unparalleled wisdom, silencing the religious leaders. He could heal a woman who merely touched his garment. But then, Jesus took too long. He delayed talking to this healed woman, and his daughter died. All hope was lost. It seems that Jesus had actually healed a widow’s son earlier, as recorded in Luke 7:11-17. But the people knew that this was not common. And perhaps word of this previous resurrection had been suppressed or written off, as the people were struck by awe/fear. Because this was the culture before the Resurrection. Death was a feared enemy, death was the end. Especially with many Jewish leaders teaching that there was no resurrection of the dead, Matthew 22:23.
But then Jesus died and was raised. The three people he raised before were a foreshadow of Jesus’ victory over death. Though a little unclear apparently many were raised from the dead at the crucifixion or resurrection of Jesus, Matthew 27:52-53. But this had happened before Elijah had raised a boy from the dead. But now it was obvious that Jesus had raised himself from the dead. He was alive, and thousands of people saw him, despite conspiracies to cover it up, the fact was obvious. And many believed it. They carried down that legacy today. And what began to pop up shortly were people who proved they had no fear of death because they gave their lives for their faith in Jesus’ resurrection, as martyrs. I’m not sure that history recorded any martyrs before Jesus. God had never written such a story and Satan is certainly not creative enough to think of such a story. In fact he killed Jesus thinking it would be his final victory. Instead he was showed to be the fool and a deeper magic was activated, the sacrificial death of the perfect man. Satan still didn’t get it after the crucifixion as he began trying to wipe out the church with persecution.
Starwars has a lot of bad theology in it but even boy George can’t resist the martyr motif.
Ever since, Christians, with no fear of death, have been giving their lives for others and for their faith. They have entered death with calm quiet eyes, throwing themselves into the fire. Often they converted their executioners who took a place at their side sharing their faith and fate. The history books are full of their stories. And realizing the power of this repeated narrative Satan soon began his counterfeits, though being a total fool it took him three centuries to figure it out. Jesus told us there would be many fake Christs and so there has been. Every nutcase fool in the world, struck down, becomes a martyr for their respective false religions. Satan is just a boring counterfeiter. Before Jesus the posture was fear of death and even worship of death as being the ultimate Yet death was defeated and now peoples the world over clamor to prove that they are not afraid of it. This is a major shift. It is false security for those who should rightly fear death and a comfort for those who rightly seek to give up their lives following their savior. We see this false security taken to the extreme with the view that there are many ways to heaven and it doesn’t really matter which creed you follow they all lead to the same place. These people really should fear death, but they are swept up in a Christianity taking over the world, that believes death is dead.
King Jesus really did conquer death. It’s a blatantly obvious historical fact. There is really no other explanation for so many people changing their belief and proving the change by the their actions, by becoming martyrs.
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Title Page to the First English Edition. c.1563.