Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world

Christian Meditations – A Chris Hansen Column

March 1, 2008

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Thirteen Men Who Were Willing To Die

Thirteen men went on a three year mission to change the world.  How did they do?  At first, things did not go well at all.  Jesus, a young rabbi who preached fiery sermons against a corrupt religious establishment ended up dead on a Roman cross.  Ten followers ran like cowards.  One follower, named Peter denied that he even knew his master on three different occasions.  One of his followers, Judas, betrayed his master and committed suicide.  One follower, John, did stick around long enough to take the mother of Jesus home with him.  Well, that’s a really poor start. It is far from the end of the story.

So, whatever happened to the young rabbi who got himself killed, and his eleven followers?  These eleven men claimed that they had seen their risen master alive!  Jewish and Roman authorities did everything they could to suppress this wild story to no avail.  Then hundreds of eyewitnesses came forward also claiming that they too had seen the risen Jesus.  These eleven leaders and their followers were chased from town to town, beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and even killed.  Jews accused them of upsetting the laws of Moses.  Romans accused them of treason for declaring that Jesus rather than Caesar was Lord.  Greeks laughed at them for insisting on their monotheistic views. 

How did they end their lives?  Judas committed suicide for his betrayal.  Ten followers died horrible deaths still insisting that the resurrection had actually happened.  The final follower died an old man who never changed his wild story that his dead master had actually come to life.  Hundreds and then thousands of followers went out all over the Roman world persuading millions that the stories about Jesus were all true.  Two-thousand years later, billions now believe that these amazing events in the life of Jesus really took place.  The followers of Jesus were willing to die for him simply because they saw supernatural events they just could not explain.  What they saw filled them with a courage that just can’t be explained in normal natural terms.  Jesus came!  They saw!  They conquered!  So will we.

Chris Hansen

Author:

“Revelation Revisited,” “Secret of the Psalms,” “Grandfather’s Journal.”

www.xlibris.com or 1-888-795-4274 or local bookstores.

Chrishansen54@sbcglobal.net