Memorial Day: Martyrs For Christ

Martyrs for Christ

Acts 6:1-8

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Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is an official holiday in the United States, and while originally it was observed on May 30, the date was changed in 1971 to the last Monday in May.

You see, in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. This change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

This has angered many within the armed forces community, because it has, in essence, changed the whole meaning and purpose of Memorial Day.

The unfortunate side effect is that now Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, and the sad reality is that far too many people only see it as another day off, a 3-day weekend, and a reason to invite friends to a BBQ and to watch some baseball.

A week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt said, “Those who long enjoy such privileges that we enjoy forget in time that others have died to win them.”

Freedom is never really free; it’s always been bought with the blood of those who died defending it.

Memorial Day should then be a day that is set aside to honor those who died in our Nation's service.

Memorial Day was unofficially begun after the Civil War, where the graves of fallen soldiers were decorated with flowers.

Today, graves of those who died in defense of our country are still decorated with flowers and small American Flags. The most solemn ceremony conducted on Memorial Day is the placing of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Therefore, as Americans, we should recognize this day as a memorial and honor those who gave their lives to keep America a free nation. This is why we can sit here today praising and worshiping God, which in other countries such freedom doesn’t exist.

As believers living in America, we are extremely grateful to all those men and women who gave their lives in defense of our country, in defense of our freedoms, especially the freedom of religion, where we can worship the Lord God without fear of persecution and imprisonment.

We should also be grateful that we are able to live in a country whose foundations were built upon God’s word.

But there is a corollary, and that is, a greater freedom that was won 2,000 years ago. It was accomplish in and through the death of Jesus Christ, who died upon the cross so that all who believe in Him can be set free from the bondage of sin and death.

As we prepare to remember those who died for our country, it is even more important to remember the one who died to set us free from sin and death.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NKJV)

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2 NKJV)

Why is this so important for us to remember on this day we pay homage to those who died to keep us free? It’s because without Jesus’s death and resurrection, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now, and those young men and women would never have put their lives in harms way to keep the freedoms we hold so dear, and to which our country was founded.

They willing gave their lives. And this is where I’d like to take our time together today, and that is, our need to willingly give our lives to what we say we believe in.

To do this, I’d like to take time and look at the very first Christian martyr, a man who willingly served the Lord, and was willing to die for that belief.

His name was Stephen.

Stephen is universally acknowledged as the first Christian martyr, a witness for Christ who went all the way to his death for speaking the gospel message. Stephen wasn’t one of Jesus original disciples, nor was he ever considered as an apostle.

Yet, he was filled with the Holy Spirit working miracles and boldly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to what you might call a very hostile audience, who eventually was able to have Stephen put to death through false testimony of speaking blasphemy.

But it was Stephen's death that gave the spark to light the flame of evangelism around the world.

So who exactly was Stephen?

“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:1-8 NKJV)