It was a savage, brutal act recorded on video and posted on social media: 21 Egyptian Christians beheaded on a Libyan beach by ISIS terrorists. It shocked the world. The Egyptian president declared a week of mourning. Al-Azhar, the seat of Islamic learning in Cairo, denounced the murders, calling them “barbaric.”
And then time passed. The names of the martyrs were soon forgotten and this horrific event faded into history.
This was unacceptable to Mark Rogers, founder of MORE Productions. Rogers set out to not only remind us that these 21 men lost their lives in gruesome fashion, but to tell the rest of the story – how they stood firm in Christ to the very end. The result is a short animated film: The 21.
“Until now, the ISIS video has been the only publicly available visual storytelling concerning the death of the 21 martyrs,” The 21 website notes. “Produced as a piece of propaganda, the [ISIS] video does not showcase the spiritual victory won by the martyred saints, creating a need for a more truthful account of what really happened. The 21 film project aims to meet this need by presenting a more accurate narrative of the sainted men’s abduction, detention, and execution.”
Extensive research went into the script to ensure accuracy, original music was composed and recorded by the renowned Ayoub Sisters, and 70+ world-class artists from more than 40 countries were part of the animation team.
The film is deeply moving and profoundly challenging in its powerful, real-life account of Jesus followers who “did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die” (Revelation 12:11, NLT).
The experience of the 21, while extreme, is not unique. Believers in many regions – especially the Middle East and North Africa – are routinely at risk for their faith. According to Open Doors, more than 380 million Christians are currently encountering high levels of persecution and discrimination. That’s one in seven believers worldwide. (Open Doors World Watch List 2025, p. 4)
At a recent gathering of leaders serving in closed nations throughout North Africa and the Middle East (countries where the gospel is either illegal or unwelcome), I had the opportunity to meet some of our brothers and sisters who are risking their reputations, jobs, families, and even lives for Jesus.
Imagine being arrested for telling someone about Jesus or for giving them a Bible. Imagine having to keep your Christian faith hidden for fear of being ostracized from your family or fired from your job? Imagine knowing that if someone hears you praying to Jesus, you could be beaten and publicly shamed? And above all, imagine, if you can, disregarding that risk, loving those who oppose you, and seeking ways to introduce them to Christ (Matthew 5:44).
The people at the gathering I attended don’t have to imagine. That’s all part of their daily lives. They understand the dangers and are ready and willing to lay their lives down to shine the light of Christ into the darkness.
Go watch the21film.com.
As you do, remember that it’s not a historical film. It’s a “now” film about the cost of following Christ. Let it motivate you to pray for our brothers and sisters who are, even today, living for Jesus in very difficult and intimidating circumstances. Ask God to give them courage, perseverance, and joy as they serve him. And pray for him to prepare your own heart to be faithful if/when he invites you to share in his suffering.
“Rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” – 1 Peter 4:13
