The Martyred Continues December 28, 2025

The Martyrdom Continues
St. Matthew 2:13-18
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
December 28, 2025

I trust that everyone had a great Christmas Day … because we are now in the real Christmas Season … which started December 25 and ends January 6 — The Epiphany or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

So, we follow the Liturgical Calendar … and so today …would be then 1st Sunday after Christmas … or is it?

If we look at the Lectionary in the front of the Book of Common Prayer (which is the table of lessons for every day of the year) or in The Collects, Epistle and Gospel throughout the year, we find that today is NOT the First Sunday after Christmas.

In fact, there are three specific days that the Liturgy calls us to observe.

December 26 is Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr and December 27, is Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist.

And today — December 28 — is called The Holy Innocents … where the Collect, Epistle and Gospel draw our attention to the slaughter of the children two years and younger after the visit if The Wise Men.

In the Collect for the Day for St. Stephen on December 26, we read in part:

“GRANT, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may steadfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee …”

Notice those words … “by the example of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen …”

I’m not going to question why Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr is December 26 or why he is listed as the First Martyr … but in my mind, the first martyrs would be the children who were slaughtered by King Herod after the visit of the Wise Men.

We know story of the Wise Men that begins in St. Matthew 2:1-2:

““Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.””

The Biblical account tells us that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were still in Bethlehem and they were in a house.

In St. Matthew 2:3-12, prior to our Gospel Lesson, we read:

““When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.””

After the Wise Men worshiped the Baby Jesus, as we read: ““Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.””

In addition to the Wise Men returning to their country another way … as we read in our Gospel lesson … the Holy Family was then told to flee to Egypt. And so we read:

““Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.””

It is interesting that Egypt is where God instructed Joseph to take Jesus … because of the history of Egypt and the reminder that it was a place of bondage for God’s people …but we also have to remember that before it was a place of bondage … it was a place of refuge for Jacob and the rest of his family under the leadership of Joseph.

In response to the Wise Men not returning to Herod … we then read:

““Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.””

We know that this event was another of the prophecies fulfilled in the life of our Savior, as prophesied by Jeremiah, where we read:

““Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.””

We don’t know how many children were slaughtered … but it took place not only in Bethlehem … but in the surrounding towns.

Herod was a king that had been appointed to his position … and no one was going to take his kingdom from him … so he wanted to make sure that this “king of the Jews” would not remain alive.

We know this story. But it takes place more than 30 years before Stephen …who is considered the first martyr.

This is why I consider these young children to be the first martyrs.
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To me … it’s hard to think about the massacre of the young children in the midst of what is really our joyous Christmas Season.

We are celebrating our Savior’s birth … with worship … gift giving … special meals … and so forth.

BUT the massacre of the children is a clear reminded of those who have suffered for Christ.

I believe that it teaches us that faith and suffering go hand in hand.

Jesus NEVER promised us a rose garden … in fact … he promised the opposite.

We read our Savior’s words in John 15: ““If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.””

And the Apostle John, in his first letter says: ““Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.””

Our Savior’s life was one of suffering from the moment of his conception.

It should remind us that Jesus entered a sinful world … a world that was broken by sin.

When Joseph found out that Mary was with child that he knew was not his … he was inclined to put her away …

When she was about to give birth … they had to travel to Bethlehem … where she then gave birth in a stable.

And … after the visit of the Wise Men … they had to flee to Egypt.

We also know that from the beginning of his ministry … the religious leaders were against Jesus … finally succeeding in putting him to death on the cross.

But we know it didn’t end there … it continued with his glorious resurrection.

However … as we know we then have the suffering and martyrdom by those who followed Christ.

It started with Stephen … and it continued under Saul … soon to be Paul … who felt that it was his calling to persecute those who followed Christ.

Saul was having followers of Christ put in jail and executed for their faith.

Then … on the Damascus Road … Jesus appeared to Saul … changed his name to Paul … and commissioned him as The apostle to the Gentiles …

Jesus also told him that he would suffer for him.

We read of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians:

““From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—””

Historians tell us that all the Apostles … now, including Paul … with the exception of John … were martyred for their faith in Christ … which continues now in 21st century.

I have told you that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in the previous 19 centuries combined.

One quarter of the way through this century that trend continues.

We are told that 90% of the Christians that were martyred in 2025 were in Nigeria … over 7,000 people were put to death simply because of their identity as Christians …including children.

On Christmas Eve, President Trump ordered strikes against the militant Islamists in Nigeria. I don’t know the full results of the attack, but is was against those who were killing Christians.

Will the martyrdom of Christians stop? I don’t think so.

In fact, there is a phrase that says that the church of Christ is built on the blood of the martyrs.

After the Communists took over in China and expelled all the Missionaries … my father-in-law being the last one out … the country was “closed” for almost 2 decades … Christians suffered under increasing persecution.

By the time the China opened up … it was estimated that the number of Christians went from 5 million to 10’s of millions … and growth continues today.

But … we also know that the persecution of Christians in China is increasing … as it is in other areas of the world.

However … again … we think of those infants in Bethlehem and the surrounding area … and the sacrifice of their lives.

And so … the Church at large … honors those children by remembering their sacrifice …and remembering that all lives are precious in the sight of God.

So …what are we to do?

First, we need to pray for those who live in areas where persecution is on the rise.

Then we need to pray … and this goes for you and I also … that we would all remain faithful to God in the face of persecution.

There have been many stories of those who were given a choice … to deny Christ and live … or to continue to follow him … and die … many died.

My prayer … for me personally … is that I would remain faithful to Jesus who died in my place … for my sins.

May this be true of all of us who confess Christ as Savior and Lord!