Hey everyone. My son asked me whether or not Jesus was a martyr. I am not sure how to answer his question. Could you please help me? He's 7 years old.
Archon
Hey everyone. My son asked me whether or not Jesus was a martyr. I am not sure how to answer his question. Could you please help me? He's 7 years old.
"When people love and recite the Rosary they find it makes them better.” - St. Anthony Mary Claret
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Cleric
Hey Holly, Hope you're doing well.
Technically anyone who dies for a cause can be called a martyr, so in that sense yes though it's more complex than that in Christ's case.
John 3 gives us some good insight that may help.
[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
So it was a willing sacrifice of His own life for "the cause" of demonstrating God's amazing love for us in a way that I don't think we will ever really comprehend in this life.
Nice to see ya around again.
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Templar
This should be easy to answer. Does the Church call Christ a Martyr?Originally Posted by Holly3278
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Administrator
Hi Holly! Nice to see you here again!
To answer that, from the Catholic Dictionary:
Martyr: A person who chooses to suffer, even to die, rather than renounce his or her faith or Christian principles. After the example of Christ one does not resist one's persecutors when they use violence out of hatred or malice against Christ, or his Church, or some revealed truth of the Catholic religion. (Etym. Greek martyros, witness, martyr.)
Christ is the "archetype" (är′kĭ-tīp) of martyrs, meaning He is the "original model" after which all others who die for their Christian faith are patterned.
God's peace!
Carol
The wisdom from above is first of all pure,then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits,without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.
James 3:17-18
“On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see…And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction.” ~ Isaiah 29:18, 24
Archon
Thanks for the replies, everyone! Now I know how to answer my son's question.
"When people love and recite the Rosary they find it makes them better.” - St. Anthony Mary Claret
Holly's LiveJournal
Holly's Catholic Blog
Templar
This is what is a martyr. It does not answer if the church calls him a martyr. I can not find a list where Jesus is listed as a Martyr.
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CCF Supporter
Jesus was a sacrifice for our sins
Administrator
Good point, Phil. No, the Church doesn't refer to Jesus as a "martyr" as the term is used. An archetype is not the same as a type. Isaac was a type for Christ because of his willingness to die -- to be offered as a sacrifice to God -- but he didn't die. Christ is more than a martyr; He is the perfect, supreme sacrificial offering to God, and as such provides the only example of perfect love as a sacrifice offered for every human being of all time. A Christian martyr dies for Christ, because of their faith in Christ. Christ did not die for faith; He died for perfect love of all humanity. (In other words, He didn't simply believe in love; He IS love.) Yet His archetypal example set the bar for St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church and thus a type for Christ, as are all who followed him. Christ's death was also "predetermined" -- the purpose of His Incarnate life. It wasn't something He could or would avoid, as it was determined "from the foundation of the earth." In other words, it was a choice made in eternity, long before the Incarnation.
Even so, in a "broad" sense, Jesus is witness (martus = martyr) to the Father's unyielding love, and His death -- which was overcome by His Resurrection, the ultimate sign of the Father's love.
The question, "Is Jesus a martyr", is parallel to asking, "Is Jesus a saint?" Jesus certainly is the supreme "standard" for sainthood -- however, His holiness is simply the goal to which saints aspire, thus He could be described as the "archetypal saint", the model of perfect holiness, and not a "saint" as we use the term.
God's peace!
Carol
The wisdom from above is first of all pure,then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits,without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.
James 3:17-18
“On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see…And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction.” ~ Isaiah 29:18, 24
Retired
Exactly! Wonderful post. Jesus was not a martyr in the traditional sense of the word, but rather he blazed the trail first and set the example of what it means for us to "take up our cross and follow Him," which sometimes means even unto death (martyrdom).
CCF Supporter
Jesus wasn't a martyr - He was a Sacrifice for our sins.
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