Many of you would say Stephen, but no, it was not him. The first Christian martyr was Abel, who was killed by the Jews (Mat 23:35). He was the first Christian to be killed for his Christian faith. Some of you may wonder how it could be that Abel was a Christian when Christianity did not come into being until the first century. But this is not correct. Christianity did not come into being in the first century, but was finally revealed in the first century. Christianity has always existed "covertly".
The word Christian means "follower of Jesus Christ". Everyone who follows Jesus is a Christian and the believers of the OT followed Jesus because Yahweh is Jesus Himself. It was Jesus who walked in the Garden of Eden, it was Jesus who ate with Abraham and it was Jesus who appeared to Moses in the thorn bush. Jesus has always been there.
Christianity had been God's goal from the beginning. We see Christianity already in the creation account. On the sixth day, God finished His creation, on the seventh day God rested, and on the first day the new week began. What does this remind you of? The cross. Because Jesus finished his ministry on the sixth day and was crucified, he rested in the grave on the seventh day and rose on the first day of the week, and with his resurrection the new creation began. Or when Eve was created from the rib of Adam who was asleep. What does that remind you of? The church. Because when Jesus was hanging dead on the cross and a soldier stabbed him in the side, water and blood came out, the two sacraments of the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. I could give so many other examples. Truly, Christianity had always been God's goal. Christianity is the realization of God's action.
The word Christian means "follower of Jesus Christ". Everyone who follows Jesus is a Christian and the believers of the OT followed Jesus because Yahweh is Jesus Himself. It was Jesus who walked in the Garden of Eden, it was Jesus who ate with Abraham and it was Jesus who appeared to Moses in the thorn bush. Jesus has always been there.
Christianity had been God's goal from the beginning. We see Christianity already in the creation account. On the sixth day, God finished His creation, on the seventh day God rested, and on the first day the new week began. What does this remind you of? The cross. Because Jesus finished his ministry on the sixth day and was crucified, he rested in the grave on the seventh day and rose on the first day of the week, and with his resurrection the new creation began. Or when Eve was created from the rib of Adam who was asleep. What does that remind you of? The church. Because when Jesus was hanging dead on the cross and a soldier stabbed him in the side, water and blood came out, the two sacraments of the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. I could give so many other examples. Truly, Christianity had always been God's goal. Christianity is the realization of God's action.
