UKRAINE | MAR. 03, 2025 — Martyr Anniversary
Ukraine – Martyr Anniversary
The five Mariupol martyrs pictured with their families.
Three of the men rescued a man from his burning house, just one week before their own deaths.
March 9th marked the three-year anniversary of the death of the five Mariupol martyrs.
These five men from Mariupol, Ukraine served the Lord faithfully by caring for the needs of those around them and by faithfully sharing the gospel. On March 9th, 2022, a grenade hit their car as they were out searching for medicine for 200 people taking shelter in a church basement. All five men died.
Just one week before they died, three of the five men, rescued a man who was trapped in his home that was engulfed in flames. The men not only pulled him to safety but also challenged him to place his faith in Jesus Christ.
Martyrs are Christians who make a conscious decision to lay down their lives in service to the Lord. They commit to making a faithful witness unto death, testifying of the Lord’s grace to those for whom they lay down their lives. In the case of the 5 Mariupol Martyrs, it’s no coincidence that they who in Jesus’ name saved a man from two fires—the fire of his burning house and the fires of hell—were themselves burned alive a few days later.
Pray that the widows and the children of these five men will be encouraged by their faithful witness. Pray also for those who continue to make a faithful gospel witness in Ukraine despite the dangers of the war.