I was sharing a few things with my kids recently about the history of the spread of the gospel in Japan and I thought I would share them with you too.
The prayer of my heart is that the gospel would capture the attention of the Japanese people. It hasn’t—at least not in modern times since Protestant missionaries started coming in the late 1800’s. It did to some degree with the Jesuits from 1550 to 1650, enough so that some scholars even refer to this period as “Japan’s Christian Century.” Japan’s leadership of the time eventually took a hard line against Christianity, exiling missionaries and Christian leaders, and torturing others. Japanese believers were martyred and forced into hiding.
Several years ago our family took a trip to Nagasaki to visit some of Kumi’s relatives, and I was able to visit a memorial to 26 Christians who were martyred. In 1597, the ruler at the time had these Christians singled-out and arrested to be made an example of to Japanese wanting to convert to Christianity. Their left ear lobes were cut off, and they were marched 450 miles from Kyoto to Nagasaki. There they were executed by being hung on crosses and impaled with spears (a common execution method at the time).
Reading some of the words and writings at the museum of those who were martyred was deeply moving, and I felt that these men had real faith. The youngest among them was a 12-year-old boy, who, when he was offered freedom in exchange for renouncing his faith, said that it didn’t seem reasonable to exchange, “a life that would never end for one that would end soon.”
Another whose words we have recorded is a man named Paul Miki. Miki had joined the Jesuits at age 22 and was only a few months away from being fully ordained. He was known as a gifted preacher and many had converted from Buddhism through his preaching.
The proclamation posted against them said they were from the Philippines (prior to this there had been an incident involving a Spanish ship from the Philippines). Miki, strapped to the cross, preached this final message to the onlookers:
All of you here, please listen to me. I did not come from the Philippines, I am a Japanese by birth, and a brother of the Society of Jesus. I have committed no crime. The only reason I am condemned to die is that I have taught the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am happy to die for such a cause and see my death as a great gift from the Lord.
At this critical moment, when you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no other way to salvation than the Christian way.
Christian teaching commands us to forgive our enemies and those who have wronged us. I must therefore say here that I forgive the king (Hideyoshi) and all who are involved in my execution. I have no hatred for the king, but rather long that he and all Japanese become Christians.
Reading those words at the very place where Miki had hung and spoke them, I felt a solemness in my heart, that especially as one who came to Japan to share about Jesus, I have a responsibility to preach the gospel to those who have not yet heard. The phrase, “man can find no other way to salvation” echoed in my soul. I think sometimes in our desire for people to experience God’s love and goodness, we share the gospel in a way that people hear as, “Jesus wants to give you a better life.” I have had many respond with, “No thanks, my life is OK like it is. I don’t need religion.” No, the point is not that Jesus is the way to a better life. The reality is that without Christ, we are all hopelessly, utterly lost (Eph. 2:12). Not lost someday when we die. Lost now. Today.
This is why the gospel is good news. God, because he so greatly loved us, sent Jesus to rescue us in our lost condition. In Christ he “reconciled the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,” and entrusted us with “the message of reconciliation.” We plead to people on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor. 5:18-21).
Lord, let the gospel go forth in Japan “in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thess 1:5). Let the gospel capture the attention of this nation. Let Japan see Jesus!
- Jeremy