Wrap-Up

Dying is probably not what you first thought the Christian faith was about. But it really was Jesus’ focus once He had the trust of His followers. “Join me as I go to the cross.” We live in a time of unprecedented suffering and persecution for Christians today. It’s a harsh reality, but it brings Christ’s followers closer to Him and His identity. How do you think the lack of persecution in the West has influenced what we have made of Christianity? How do you think we can learn more from the persecuted Church—and prepare ourselves for what may be inevitable in countries that have historically been known as Christian? 

This isn’t an easy lesson, but the testimonies of our brothers and sisters around the world are exhilarating. We’ll continue to learn from them as we study so many books of the New Testament that were written from this perspective of discipleship as “cruciform” living.