Our Scripture for the start of the fourth week following Easter tells of the ministry of Stephen, a young man in the early Church. Stephen has the distinction of being the first Christian martyr, the first one to give his life for his Savior. Stephen’s death actually brought our Lord to stand up and take special notice, as we’ll see later in the passage. Let’s take a look.
As our Scripture passage begins, we read about a problem that the early Church was having with the distribution of food and help to those in need, as some groups were being overlooked in favor of others (vs. 1-2). To help resolve this problem, the Apostles and the Church selected seven men to help keep the ministry of help to the poor running smoothly and fairly. One of the men selected was Stephen. Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and was of a good reputation in the community. These virtues were very important then in the early Church, and are today, as well. What we do and say shows what kind of a person we are on the inside. Our character, conduct, and conversation are important as a witness for the Lord.
In addition to having a good character and godly lifestyle, Stephen also had an active ministry among the Hellenistic Jews, those Jews who had more of a Greek background than a Hebrew one. These were folks who, though they were practicing Jews, spoke Greek and lived a more “Greek” lifestyle as opposed to the more Judean Jews, who spoke Hebrew. Stephen ministered among these people, giving a strong and convincing witness to the Lord Jesus among them. Being full of the Holy Spirit and faith, the Lord performed miracles and signs through him (vs. 8). He was also a strong preacher of the Word of God, convincing many that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.
However, not everyone was pleased with Stephen and his ministry. As the Apostles had already experienced, many of the Jews were strongly and violently opposed to the message of Jesus. Several of the Apostles had already been arrested and beaten. Now a group of Jews started to dispute with Stephen about what he preached. This wasn’t just a peaceful or lively debate among two groups of civil people. This quickly became contentious, and they accused Stephen of blasphemy.
With strong faith and trust in the Lord, Stephen did not back down, nor promise to only speak things that would never offend anyone. No, Stephen gave a message from Scripture, showing that Jesus was the Messiah, and how, just like their ancestors had persecuted the prophets and killed some of them, they killed the One sent by God, the Messiah. As Scripture says, they were stiff-necked (vs. 51). They were haughty, stubborn, and obstinate.
This infuriated those who heard Stephen speak, and they immediately took hold of him and dragged him out of town to immediately execute him (vs. 54-58). Stephen was executed without a trial and against Roman law. As an occupied country, the Jews did not have the right to execute anyone, which was why Jesus was handed over to the Romans to be crucified. This showed how violently some of the Jews hated Stephen, Jesus, and this new faith.
As Stephen was giving the final words of his message, he looked up, and stated what he saw, Jesus standing at the right hand of God (vs. 56). I emphasize the word “standing”. When Jesus returned to heaven, where does Scripture say He went? A number of different verses in the Bible state very clearly that Jesus is seated at God’s right hand. Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 10:12, 12:2, and Mark 16:19 are just a few. However, at this moment, Jesus stood up. He took notice. This was the first martyr of the Christian faith. The first one who would shed their blood for Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus stood up and took specific notice. He stood up to welcome the first martyr, Stephen, into heaven. God notices when any of His children die, however this death of the first martyr was particularly notable. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15).
What did Stephen say with his final breath? Did he call down vengeance and hatred? No, he asked the Lord to forgive his murderers. He followed the example of Jesus, and asked God to forgive His killers. Paul was present and heard these words of Stephen. This undoubtedly made an impression on him.
Are we willing to speak out for the Lord and for His Word, despite the outcome, like Stephen was? Are we willing to risk everything? Will we forgive those who harm us? We never know who might be watching, just as Paul was.
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