A Bitter Night in Sebaste
The icy pinks and silvery blues of a winter sunset shimmered over the frozen lake.
Wind whispered through the trees, carrying the dry scent of snow. Roman soldiers—proud, hardened men of the empire—marched
forty of their own brothers-in-arms onto the lake. Nearly naked, these men shivered as they stepped onto the ice.
Their crime? They had confessed to being followers of Jesus Christ. And they had refused to abandon their faith—despite the most terrible threats.
The Choice: Faith or Fire
Condemned by their commanders, the forty Christian soldiers were sentenced to freeze. And yet, even in this horror, they were offered an escape. Bath-houses, complete with warm water and blazing fires, had been prepared at the edge of the lake. Any man who recanted could walk off the ice and into warmth and life.
But to deny Christ was to deny everything, to deny all that they had lost and all that they had gained. These men suffered torment and ridicule, but clung to their faith. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Voices in the Darkness
Night fell over the frozen water. The cold grew unbearable. But the men began to sing—to keep warm, to encourage one another, to praise their Savior. The guards on shore watched and listened.
Then came a moment of weakness. One of the men on the ice stumbled away from the group. The promise of warmth was too great. Calling out that he would no longer be a Christian, he staggered toward the bath-house and, as promised, was immediately plunged into the water.
But the shock of the heat against his frozen body was too much. His heart gave out. He died even as he entered the bath.
Silence fell over the lake. Thirty-nine remained. The shocking abandonment and sudden death of a brother must have shaken the remaining Christians. Perhaps even their guards were stunned. Silence reigned over the ice for some time.
The Number Restored
Then a single voice began to sing again. One by one, others joined in. The thirty-nine sang louder now, choosing praise instead of despair.
And then, something extraordinary happened. One of the guards—deeply moved—felt his heart change. He had watched the faith of men willing to die for their Savior, and in that moment, he could not deny the truth.
Stripping off his armor and clothing, the soldier ran onto the ice. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it...” He shouted his confession of faith and joined their song.
Forty Again
Once more, there were forty. Forty Christians standing on the ice that winter night in A.D. 320. They would die as martyrs near the city of Sebaste, in what is now modern-day Turkey, victims of the persecutions of Emperor Licinius.
But their legacy would not die. The story of their steadfastness traveled far. Their courage speaks still. And their witness reminds us that our faith is most powerful when it costs us something.
May we be found so faithful in our own trials, clinging to Christ—whether by fire, by frost, or by the unseen battles of everyday life.
Scripture References
- Revelation 2:10 — “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
- Luke 9:24 — “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it...”
- 2 Timothy 2:12 — “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him...”
- Hebrews 11:36–38 — A tribute to the martyrs: “of whom the world was not worthy.”