I have read quite a few books about Lady Jane Grey in my lifetime. She was the nine-day Queen of England in between King Henry VIII’s teen son, Edward VI and King Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary I (AKA Bloody Mary because she turned England back to mandatory Catholicism and martyred those who would not leave their Protestant faith).

Lady Jane was a true believer in salvation by grace alone through faith alone who was martyred by Mary I, not so much because she allowed politicians to install her on Mary’s throne for nine days but because she would not recant her lifelong Protestant beliefs.

In Lady Jane Grey, Nine Day Queen, Alison Plowden presents a really thorough explanation of the English Reformation or Edwardian Reformation, and the part Lady Jane played in it, in only 208 pages.

I was reminded that kings and queens of that day regarded themselves as guardians of the faith of their people, modeling what it should be and guarding them from what it should not be. Lady Jane was very aware of the effect renouncing her faith would have on others, even while she was imprisoned in the Tower of London. She wanted to stay the course of true faith and make a difference in the lives of her beloved countrymen.

She was also aware of the eternal stakes of holding to a false religion. She wrote from the Tower to her father and others who turned back to Catholicism that if they truly did not believe in salvation by grace through faith, they would save their temporal lives during the reign of Queen Mary but they would lose their eternal souls. Her father, who was also beheaded some time after her, made a stand for “salvation in Christ alone” right before he died, so Lady Jane won at least one person back.

Only 16 at the time of her death, Lady Jane was fluent in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and other languages. She corresponded with Reformation theologians in Geneva. It was customary to give a public speech before being beheaded which would be printed up and distributed later throughout the land; Lady Jane’s always brings me to tears as she testifies to having no hope outside of the blood of Christ alone. Her speech is more eloquent than any testimony I have ever heard in church or at a baptism or anywhere and . . . it happened five minutes before her death.

When we get to eternity, if you are looking for me and I am not with Jesus, go find Lady Jane. I will probably be listening to her story of grace one more time!