Acts 1:8 ” You shall be My witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

What is most illuminating about this verse is the meaning of the word “witness”. We think of a witness as one who testifies to what they have seen and heard. But the Greek word here for ‘witnesses’ is “martus”, from which we get our English word martyr. What is a “martyr”? The dictionary defines it as “a person who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce their religion, principle or cause.” Jesus is commanding His followers to be ready to give their own lives if needed for the cause. Here, the “cause” is the good news of salvation through Jesus’s sacrificial death on the Cross. This is true martyrdom.

This week is also the 23^rd anniversary of 9/11, the infamous attack on New York’s Twin Towers by Islamic terrorists that murdered nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. There are two other examples of martyrdom relating to 9/11, one by our responders, the other by the attacking terrorists. The difference is stark.

On 9/11, NYPD Officer Kenneth Tietjen commandeered a taxi and drove to ground zero. Rushing inside the North tower, he successfully rescued many people. As conditions quickly grew worse, he and his partner realized they only had one respirator left that was now required to be able to breathe in all the smoke. Officer Tietjen smiled at his partner, said “Seniority rules”, took the respirator and rushed back into the tower-just before it collapsed. Police Officer Tietjen, an American hero, sacrificed everything that day.

NYPD Officer Thomas Jurgens was trained as a medic in the Army before becoming a police officer. On 9/11 he was inside Tower 1 of the World Trade Center when he was radioed to get out as fast as he could as the tower was failing. Jurgens last transmission: “There are people here who need our help.” He died in the tower collapse. Police Officer Jurgens, an American hero, sacrificed everything that day.

NYFD Deputy Chief Jay Jonas was the lone survivor of his crew. Here’s his story: “We ran to the front door of the World Trade Center, where 2 badly burned people lay who were in the elevators when the plane hit. The jet fuel went down the elevator shafts and ignited them. I was faced with my first decision: Do I stop and help them, or do I go upstairs and help 100 people? I saw paramedics approach, so I went inside.

As I waited online to get my orders, we heard another loud explosion. I looked out the window, and I saw flaming pieces falling to the ground. A man came running outside and said, ‘A plane just hit the South Tower!” Once the second plane hit, we knew this wasn’t a mistake. The first one might have been a horrible accident, the second one, not. We heard a loud roar outside. Our building started to shake violently, and the lights went out. The South Tower had just collapsed at that moment, right next to us. I had 5 firemen attached to me. We started climbing. Each tower had 99 elevators, but only 3 stairways.

One fireman looked at us and said, ‘We may not make it out of this.’ We turned to each other, shook each other’s hands, and thanked each other for what we were about to do. I was the only one who made it out.”

What compelled our First Responders to such selfless, sacrificial acts on 9/11 for the sole purpose of saving others they don’t even know? It’s Jesus Christ, who has put a conscience within all of us to care for others without regard for our own welfare. This is the essence of this week’s verse. Now, contrast this to the martyrs who responded to the call from Allah, the god of radical Islam who takes credit for 9/11.

Mohamed Atta, leader of the 9/11 attacks, left a letter to his jihadists, encouraging them to be Allah’s martyrs: “Be happy, optimistic, calm because you are heading for a deed that God loves and will accept… Pray for yourself and all your brothers that they may be victorious and hit their targets and ask God to grant you martyrdom facing the enemy… When the hour of reality approaches, the zero-hour, welcome death for the sake of God. End your life while praying before the target or make your last words: ‘There is no God but God, Muhammad is His messenger’. Afterwards, we will all meet in the highest heaven, God willing.”

Muhammad’s commands to his followers to be a martyr in jihad means to murder “infidels” as you commit suicide. Jesus never called His followers to take other peoples’ lives as an act of worship to Him. In fact, while the hijacker’s instrument of death was the airplane, the instrument of death for Jesus is the Cross.

There can be no starker difference between true martyrs – the disciples, the NYPD, the NYFD – and false martyrs – the 9/11 radical Islam terrorists. It provides us with another example of the excellence of the Christian worldview, where the essence of Jesus Christ is esteeming others better than Himself.  

“The Evidence of Faith’s Substance” _ Article #620