Acts 7:1-53 / 54-60 – When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.” Stephen had just pricked their hearts and consciences by exposing their hypocrisy and their guilt in killing not only the prophets they revered, but also the very Messiah that they proclaimed to be waiting for. When one’s conscious is pricked one of two things usually happens. One, they repent and seek forgiveness. Or two, they get furious and want to hurt or destroy whoever is the tool of God to prick their conscious. If we tell the world of the evil it does, then it gets mad, real mad. If they are able to, they will kill us. A great example is that when we proclaim the gospel message that only through Jesus is one right with God, people get mad. Real mad. Some religions want to behead us or shoot us. Others, who consider themselves more civilized make laws against the Gospel to try to quiet us. They don’t repent, they attack. So we see, man has not changed. John the Baptist exposed the sins of man and was beheaded. Jesus exposed the sins of man and was crucified. The Apostles exposed the sins of man and they killed all of them, except John, who they tried to kill by boiling in oil, but God spared him. Family, speak the truth and watch those who love evil respond in out-of-their-mind anger. Sometimes, the truly arrogant, just mock. Sad is the destiny of one who does not repent. They are no different than those who killed the prophets, Jesus and the Apostles.
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”” How did Stephen respond to all of their anger? He could have been frightened or even angry. Instead of those he turned his attention from them to Jesus. He focused on God and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Family, when we are attacked we need to focus on Jesus. Has someone committed wrong against us? Then let us look to see Jesus. Let us see Him through His Word or even, God willing, with spiritual eyes that are opened by the Holy Spirit to see Jesus. When we are focused on Jesus, we are not only overwhelmed by He Himself, but also by what He did for us. We see the scars where the nails were driven through Him, and we see where the spear pierced Him, and we know it was done for us. When we clearly see that, we forgive others as we have been forgiven. If we want peace, we get it through Jesus and not through anyone else. We receive peace that goes beyond understanding only from Jesus (Philippians 4:7). When the enemy, or even our own beloved attack us, look to Jesus. Then we receive His peace and having that, we forgive others.
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”” Stephen, as the Apostles attested to, could not help but speak out what He was seeing (Acts 4:20). To us, this sounds so beautiful and we think how great it would be to see what Stephen saw. To the Jews, who rejected Jesus, they only heard more of the reason they had Jesus killed, that was equating Jesus with God (John 10:31-33). To the Jews who rejected Jesus, this was blasphemy and according to The Law, blasphemy was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:13-16). Though they were horribly wrong, they killed the one they called a blasphemer and one who was propagating the blasphemy. Yet, they are not innocent, as we have seen in the past, some Jewish leaders had selfish reasons, and not religious reasons, for killing both Jesus and Stephen, and subsequently, many other disciples of Jesus.
When attacked, Stephen looked to Jesus and was rewarded by a wonderful vision of Jesus. Most often Jesus is mentioned as sitting next to the Father. Here, Jesus was standing, with open arms, to welcome Stephen to his eternal home. We all, who believe, at the death of our earthly bodies, shall see Jesus in the same way. Praise God!
“At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.” We think of justice as being decided by rational, calm and judicious men who make decisions based on facts. This group had decomposed into a blood thirsty, crazed mob. While Stephen was at peace with eyes on Jesus, these were looking at a man and were crazy in their anger. Family, let’s not look at man or circumstances, but at Jesus, where our peace is.
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Stoning is not a quick death. It is slow and brutal. It comes stone by stone. Stephen remained calm through it all. When his final breath on this earth was to come he cried out to Jesus and gave his spirit to Jesus to receive. Just as Jesus his Savior and Lord had done the final words from Stephen were the love of God flowing from his heart as he asked Jesus to forgive his murderers. Wow!
Family, we must hold unwavering to our faith in Jesus. Whether the cost of doing so is insults, being ostracized, or death, we must remain focused on Jesus. He is our strength! Someday He will stand and greet us with open arms and we will be home. It is for that day of being forever in God’s presence that we strain forward. Oh that glorious day when faith fully becomes sight, when we shall ever more be free from suffering and pain and when we will be forever united with God, and reunited with all are loved ones who also have loved Jesus, it is for that day we yearn and press forward to. Today we yearn and push against worldly restraints as we focus on, with sure hope, of that glorious day. Praise God! Oh praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.