Finally, we come to scene 3 in our study of Stephen. Last time we heard a powerful, spirit-filled message from Stephen. He reviewed several of the OT stories and used the examples of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to lead up to the point of accusing the members of the Sanhedrin of making the same mistakes as had previously occurred and were written in history—a history that these leaders were well aware of.
Tonight we have a vivid picture of martyrdom which should encourage the believer to stand fast when facing persecution. Let’s get into the message.
READ v. 54. Now remember that Stephen was on trial. He had been called upon to defend himself. Instead of actually defending himself he preached about the tragic failure of the people to obey God.
He had shown how God called and founded the nation of Israel to seek and inhabit the Promised Land. He showed how Israel had rejected God’s call time and time again. He showed how God delivered the nation time and again trying to stir within the people an obedience to Him. He ended his sermon with 8 charges against the nation including the murder of God’s own Son.
His message was definitely convincing and convicting. Both the leaders and the people were convicted. Conviction goes two ways. It can either cause a person to turn to God and confessing his sins, or cause a person to react against God. There are three things about the Jewish court and the people present that I want to note:
1. It says, “When they heard this.” This is present tense. They were convicted while Stephen was preaching. God was giving them another chance.
2. It says, “They were furious.” The Greek word used here for “furious” means they showed a violent reaction. They had no intention of confessing that they had been wrong.
3. The word “gnashed” means to bite, to grind the teeth just like a pack of snarling dogs. The people were in a rage, filled with anger and malice, ready to do violence, ready to unleash the fury of their emotions.
And when you think about it, when the human heart rebels against God, it becomes tormented. Rebellion against God causes the human heart to be insecure and troubled.
Also note how faithful Stephen was. It wasn’t his purpose to escape condemnation. He didn’t’ WANT to die. But he was not willing to deny the truth in order to live. He just wanted to proclaim the truth, hoping the leaders and people of his nation would heed the call of God and be saved.
READ 55-56. There was the Lord’s deliverance. God is always present when one of His children is facing a crisis, especially martyrdom. But the person MUST be a child of God. Stephen was. He was doing exactly what Jesus had said to do, bearing testimony to the world. So Stephen had Jesus’ promise when he told them, “I will be with you always.” Jesus was there with Stephen.
God filled Stephen with the HS. Stephen was always filled with the HS. He received a very special presence of the Spirit. He was being given the power and grace to bear and go through whatever lay ahead. God gave Stephen a vision into heaven; enabling him to see into the other world, the spiritual world, or spiritual dimension of being.
I truly think that God still does that today. How many stories have I heard and witnessed, just as you have, about how someone opened their eyes, or sat up from their death bed and were looking at something just before they passed.
Stephen saw the glory of God. HE saw God in the brilliant light of his person, full of splendor and radiance. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus is usually said to be sitting at the right hand of God, symbolizing His authority as man’s Lord and Intercessor. But here He was standing. I think this symbolizes His overlooking the scene, His care for His dear follower, and the joyful reception of His faithful servant.
Imagine what Stephen saw. And I think there will be no difference between the vision of Stephen and the actual experience of God’s glory for any believer. We will all behold every sight in Stephen’s vision and much more. In the twinkling of an eye, the genuine believer will pass from this life into the next world immediately, never tasting or experiencing death.
In doing this, God gave Stephen a glorious testimony. Seeing such a scene, Stephen just burst forth proclaiming the glorious vision he was experiencing. It was most likely a natural outburst of joy and ecstasy, a testimony of the truth of the other world to those standing around. But note, Jesus is there. He is at the right hand of God. Stephen proclaimed exactly what he was seeing. This tells me that our faith in Jesus is not in vain. Jesus is exactly where He said He would be.
READ 57-58. Insanity broke out; the insanity of murdering the believer. We see this in two things.
1. The insane rejection. The persecutors were actually opposing a person who only wanted to help and minister to people and to offer the hope of living forever. Sounds like what Jesus did. And that should be the sole purpose of the believer—to minister and meet the desperate conditions of man. Whatever the predicament, the believer is to minister.
And it was right here that God impressed upon me something very revealing. When a fellow believer holds another believer accountable, whatever it might be, the believer is not out to destroy, but to build. It is utter insanity to kill another believer, even it’s only with our words. Those words still murder that other person’s spirit.
Insanity is the issue here with Stephen. Look at what these people did:
• There was yelling at the top of their voices, maybe to drown out the truth.
• They covered their ears, to keep from hearing the truth.
• They rushed at Stephen: to attach and take vengeance.
• They drug him out and stoned him: to get rid of the convicting message (don’t get any ideas).
2. The insane leadership. A person who takes the lead in persecution is in rebellion against God. Those who follow such a leader are following a person who is actually reacting against the Lord, not against a believer. The man who took the lead in Stephen’s murder was Saul of Tarsus. It’s dangerous to follow anyone who is in rebellion against God. The path of rebellion leads to destruction. The man in rebellion shall perish. There is no exception.
By the way, this is the first time that Saul is mentioned in Scripture. He is said to be young. How old was Saul at this time? Scripture never says.
READ 59. Stephen’s statement here shows his supreme confidence. Stephen was experiencing the pain and suffering of the trial. We see that when he called for the Lord’s help. Remember, believers are not removed or relieved from the suffering s and trials, not even martyrdom.
Stephen called upon the Lord Himself. It was the Lord he saw standing next to God, ready to receive Him. Jesus said He wishes for all believers to be where He is. Stephen called for Jesus to receive his spirit. He was still trusting the grace of God. He was still trusting the righteousness of Jesus for his salvation.
Note the words “Still trusting, or still depending.” Stephen had trusted and lived for Christ during life, so he could expect to trust and live for Christ in eternity. He was going to be where Jesus was. He called for Jesus to accept him where He was. And Jesus was in heaven at the right hand of God. Stephen and all other believers are to be with Jesus right where He is, in heaven.
READ 60. And it is here that we Stephen’s loving and forgiving spirit. His last act was to kneel in prayer and to plead for his persecutors and murderers. Remind you of anyone? Stephen had the same spirit of Christ Himself, who had prayed the same prayer (Lk. 23:34).
The statement, “Do not hold this sin against them” says 3 things:
1. Stephen was filled with compassion for his persecutors. He wanted them to be saved.
2. It says that men WILL be charged with sin.
3. And it says that men must have the charge of sin removed from them to be acceptable before God.
Remember, Stephen, and Jesus, and any other believer for that matter, would never pay the price demanded if sinful men were going to be accepted by God anyway. If God was going to accept men as they are in their sinful state, He would have never allowed His Son to die at the hands of men.
Another thing to note about v. 60 is the believer’s departure. Scripture simply says, “He fell asleep.” There is no death for the believer. Stephen simply passed from this life into the next world, an experience that amounts to nothing more than falling asleep. Sleep is often used to describe death for the believer.
But above all, this scene stresses to us as fellow believers that we are to forgive men no matter what the offense may be.
