Experience: S2 - Day 6

The risk of standing up for what you believe in

Acts 7:54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
 
8:1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

The Jewish leaders continued to deny the evidence in front of them.  They refused to listen (they even covered their ears) and believe in Jesus despite the miracles he performed and the prophecies he fulfilled, and they are doing it again here.

When you and I stop listening, we’re in trouble.  When we feel as if we’ve got all the answers to life’s questions, when we’ve got our doctrinal statements sealed up nice and tight, then we’re no longer open to what else the Holy Spirit may have to teach us.  So I pray that we won’t be those people with eyes to see but cannot see or ears to hear but can’t hear.

There is something else to take note of in this powerful passage.  Verse 55 says that Stephen saw Jesus “standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” It can be easy to miss this important detail. In other places in Scripture, the Son of Man is seated, not standing, next to the throne.  So why the difference here?  Why is Jesus standing?

Many scholars have attempted to answer this question, but the most likely response is that Jesus is standing here specifically for Stephen.  As Stephen has been standing for Christ, confessing Jesus, now at the end of his life, Jesus is standing for Stephen, confessing His support of Him.  It’s a beautiful picture of a Savior who stood for us first, stands by us now, and continues to stand for us next to the Father, cheering us on as our lives point to Him.
I’m also reminded in this passage that though the Jewish leaders thought they were putting an end to the spread of the gospel, they actually enabled it to go even further, to Judea and Samaria and beyond.

I can’t help but go back to Genesis again, to the words spoken by Joseph after he revealed his identity to his brothers. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT
Instead of silencing the followers of Jesus, they enabled the gospel to spread even further than it had to date.  And yes, there was even someone in the crowd that day that this event may have impacted more than we know.  Someone who would soon confront this Jesus message in a way he could never have imagined.

So rest assured, Stephen’s risk was not wasted. His death planted seeds that would continue to propel the gospel to the ends of the earth. Thank God!

Questions:

1. Think briefly about what it would feel like to see Jesus standing next to the Father, clapping for you.  How does that make you feel?  What does it make you think about?
2. What parallels do you see between how Jesus died and how Stephen died?
3. Has there been anything you can point to in your life that may have been intended to harm, but good actually came out of it?