We often remember the first person to do something, like Neil Armstrong being the first man on the moon, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay being the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, or Roald Amundsen being the first to reach the South Pole. Countless other “firsts” were never recorded so we have no idea who would get the honor. However, we do have a “first” recorded in our Scripture for today, that being the first martyr of the Christian Church.
Today we look at a pivotal event that happened in the very early Church, that of the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Though the exact date is not given in the Book of Acts, most Biblical scholars place his death between two to four years after the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the believers, and the Christian Church began. Stephen was one of seven men who were chosen by the Apostles to be deacons in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-6). In addition to assisting in the day-to-day ministries for the needs of the poor, Stephen was also a very gifted preacher. His teachings were very powerful and convicting, so much so that he quickly came to the attention of the Jewish religious leaders and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court and legal council). Stephen was promptly arrested and brought before these religious and legal leaders where he was questioned.
Our Scripture passage picks up just as Stephen ended a rather lengthy testimony, tracing Israel’s history of resisting God’s messengers. He brought his message to a conclusion by stating that the leaders of the people now have repeated the sins of their fathers by rejecting the Messiah (vs. 51-53). This would be the final rejection of the Gospel by the Sanhedrin. Stephen called these religious leaders “stiffnecked”, as they stubbornly refused to bow to God, just as their fathers also refused. And they were “uncircumcised in heart and ears”. They were outwardly religious, but inwardly they were disobedient. They willfully rejected God’s revealed truth. Israel had a history of rejecting God’s messengers. Stephen pointed out that they prided themselves on possessing God’s Law, however, possession is not obedience.
The religious leaders were “cut to the heart” (vs. 54). They knew that what Stephen said was true. There was no denying it. However, they did not repent. Instead of yielding to the Holy Spirit, they responded with rage. Stephen remained controlled, calm, and focused on Christ in contrast to the mob’s fury (vs. 55-56). As he looked up he saw the Lord Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This is the only time in Scripture that Jesus is described as standing at God’s right hand. Jesus was standing as Stephen’s advocate (I John 2:1). He was standing to receive His servant, the first of countless martyrs, into glory.
When these religious leaders and members of the Sanhedrin heard Stephen speak of seeing Jesus at God’s right hand, they flew into a murderous fury (vs. 57-58). They stopped their ears and rushed upon him, casting him out of the city. There they began to stone Stephen. This was not a legal execution, but instead a lynching driven by their religious fury.
As Stephen fell down dying, he prayed to Jesus, repeating some of the same words that the Savior did as He died upon the Cross (vs. 59-60). He asked Jesus to receive his spirit (Luke 23:46), and also asked Him to forgive those who had killed him (Luke 23:34). As we can all imagine, stoning is a very brutal form of death, yet Stephen forgave them. Would we be able to do the same? This was evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in Stephen, even in his suffering.
In this Scripture passage we are first introduced to Paul, who at this time was known as Saul (vs. 58). Saul was a devout Pharisee, and was possibly also connected to the Sanhedrin. As one who at this time strongly opposed this new faith of those who followed Jesus, he approved of the death of Stephen. The blood of the first martyr watered the tiny seeds of faith that would, in a couple of years, bring forth fruit in the heart of Saul with his conversion, which we read of in Acts 9.
As we close, we see that Stephen boldly spoke the truth, even when it was unpopular, and even when he knew the danger of doing so in front of the Jewish religious leaders and Sanhedrin. We must do the same today. There are many different groups which are hostile to true, genuine Christians today. However, like Stephen, we need to stand for Biblical truth, and refuse to compromise anything under pressure. Stephen’s eyes were on Jesus, not on his circumstances. Because of that, he was able to see the Savior clearly. He valued eternity over comfort, and so must we, living with heaven in view. This passage challenges us to forgive our enemies. We need to release all bitterness, and instead pray for our persecutors. Finally, as we look, we see Saul off in the corner. His presence there shows God’s hidden purposes. What looks like tragedy may be the seeds of future triumph, as we know how God used Saul/Paul in a mighty way to spread the Gospel he once fought against.
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