John Wycliffe, theologian, reformer, and preacher, had never believed that his open criticism of the Church and those who led it would in the end bring him martyrdom. His strong heart and uncompromising commitment to the gospel made little doubt that he was expecting to endure the ultimate punishment for his beliefs. If he did not achieve his death in England, he dreamed that it would occur in Rome, the very hub of the papal authority that he so often transgressed. His confidence was so strong that he notoriously claimed, "Why do you talk of seeking the crown of martyrdom afar? Preach the gospel of Christ to haughty prelate and martyrdom will not fail you. What! I should live and be silent? Never! Let the blow come, I wait for its arrival." These were his words of reflection of his strong conviction that upholding truth would necessarily attract persecution, and he was well prepared to endure it.

Wycliffe's life was characterized by an unshakeable dedication to confronting the corruption and abuses of the medieval Church. He openly criticized the wealth and power of the clergy, demanding a return to the teachings of the Bible and emphasizing that the Bible, not the Church hierarchy, be the ultimate authority for Christians. His radical proposals, including the translation of the Bible into English, outraged Church leaders who perceived him as a menacing heretic. Despite all the dangers that were faced by him, Wycliffe continued his work with unflinching resolve, fully conscious of the fact that his disobedience placed him in grave danger

But despite the very real perils that surrounded him, fate did not deem it necessary to grant him the martyr's death he had anticipated. Instead of being murdered by his enemies, Wycliffe passed away peacefully in his own parish at Lutterworth. It was during a sermon, intensely preaching from the pulpit, that he suffered a stroke. In the process of communicating that which had been his life work, his own body turned on him. He was carried off, and subsequently, he succumbed to his illness, departed this world in a manner entirely removed from how he had thought.

Though not murdered a martyr in the strictest sense of the word, his legacy would remain as though he had been. His call to reforming movements continued on, ultimately informing the likes of Jan Hus and, later on, Martin Luther. His unviolent death can be said otherwise for his consequences. The Church, realizing the extent to which his message threatened even in death, sought to eradicate his legacy. Centuries later, in a final act of condemnation, Wycliffe's corpse was exhumed, burnt at the stake, and tossed into the River Swift under orders from the Council of Constance. It was an action that only cemented his cause in history as his teachings survived and shaped the path of Christian reform for still more centuries to come.

Therefore, although John Wycliffe did not earn the martyr's crown he had so confidently anticipated in life, his courageous defiance and unshakeable faith guaranteed that his name and cause would never be lost. His voice, once heard in opposition to corruption, still resonates through the ages, a validation of the potency of truth and conviction.