08/10/2024
Beheaded, crucified upside down, boiled in oil, sawn in half... These were believed to be the tragic endings of the disciples' lives, plainly recorded and passed down through church history. From the letters written to the churches of their period, there is no doubt they understood what following the Lord Jesus entailed and the cost that comes with it (Mt 16:24-25). Jesus had even foretold Peter's unfavourable death:
"...when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."
(Jn 21:18b)
These words would have echoed painfully in Peter's heart as he neared the end of his life. Still, he faithfully spent his remaining time for the church and made 'every effort' to build the believers up in their faith, despite his own death approaching (2 Pet 1:13-14). With equal loyalty, most of the twelve disciples devoted their whole lives willingly for the gospel of Christ — to preach, to exhort, and to defend it until their final breaths.
Why? Because they were firsthand witnesses of Jesus' life — His ministry, death, and resurrection (1 Jn 1:1).
Without firsthand experience, humans generally find it difficult to believe in anything. So we should ask ourselves, "How have I personally heard, seen, and touched the Lord?" Is our faith rooted in a personal, lived experience of our relationship with God, or is it simply built on abstract, secondhand knowledge?
Through the help of the Holy Spirit, let us pursue a deeper belief in the author of our faith and emulate the courage and conviction of the disciples, so that we may be able to echo Paul's words at life' conclusion:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim 4:7)
