REFLECTING THE MAJESTY OF THE SAVIOR
ACTS 7:51-60
(3-1-23)
The Gospels tell the wonderful story of how Jesus Christ, the Son of God left Heaven and came to earth to redeem fallen man. The story begins with the promise of His virgin birth and reveals how this prophecy was fulfilled in a little town called Bethlehem. We are told of the majestic events that took place upon His arrival; shepherds worshipped, the Magi presented gifts, the Host of Heaven praised God, Simeon and Anna rejoiced and many others marveled.
Later we see Jesus as a twelve year old boy in the Temple discussing the scriptures with the teachers. After this there is a period of silence concerning the life of God’s Son; all we are told is that He went to Nazareth with Mary & Joseph and “continued in subjection to them”. (Luke 2:52)
The next time we see Jesus is when John the Baptist proclaimed "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29). Shortly thereafter Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16-17)
Immediately after His baptism Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He remained for 40 days. Time does not permit us to cover everything that happened once Jesus came out of the wilderness and commenced His earthly ministry. However, the Lord Himself provides a great summary in Luke 7:22 when He says “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
For some three and a half years Jesus Christ walked the earth performing many miracles and preaching about the Kingdom of God. During this time He ministered to thousands, transformed many lives and saved countless souls. Then when His hour had come He began to make His way to Jerusalem. Upon his arrival He was worshiped by multitudes and then rejected by many of the same. In time He was betrayed by one of His own, denied by a close friend and abandoned by His Apostles. He was arrested by an angry mob and taken before the authorities. There He was falsely tried, convicted and sentenced to die. He was stripped, mocked, beaten, scourged and ultimately crucified. After His death His body was taken from the Cross, wrapped in grave clothes and placed in a borrowed tomb. Three days later He victoriously rose from the grave to live forevermore.
After His resurrection Jesus spent some 40 days with His disciples teaching and preparing them for the work He would use them to accomplish after His ascension. Then one day at the Mount of Olives Jesus spoke some final words to His most faithful followers He said “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). After delivering these final instructions to His servants Jesus ascended to Heaven. Acts 1:9 says “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
Though Jesus vanished from the sight of the Disciples we are not left to ponder what happened next. Numerous scriptures reveal the fact that when Jesus ascended He sat down at the right hand of the Father. The writer of Hebrews says that (Jesus) “Who being the brightness of (God’s) glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. (Hebrews 1:3)
It is important to note that when Jesus was glorified He “sat down”. The reason that He sat down is because His work of redemption was complete. In the present our Lord and King is seated on His throne at the Father’s right hand; this will continue until the time when He returns in great power and glory.
In the first 7 chapters of Acts Jesus is not seen in visible form. However, His presence is apparent on every page. He is seen in the many miracles and the mighty power that has been displayed in the lives of His Apostles. Each chapter is saturated with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover the power of the Holy Spirit is evident throughout. We witness the Spirit’s power at Pentecost when three thousand men came to faith in Christ. We witness His power in the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful gate. His power is seen in the multitude of people who surrendered to Jesus after hearing Peter’s sermon at Solomon’s Colonnade. The Holy Spirit’s influence is evident in the boldness of the Apostles as they suffered persecution at the hands of the Sanhedrin. His great power is seen in the rapid and decisive judgment of Ananias and Sapphira. The work of the Holy Spirit was revealed in the decision of the Apostles to select seven men to serve the Church. Moreover He was the one who indwelt and empowered those men who were chosen. It was the Spirit of God who empowered and emboldened Stephen to preach the amazing sermon that is recorded in Acts 7.
Though Jesus had ascended to Heaven we are told that it was “the Lord who added to the Church daily those who were being saved”. Jesus may not have been physically on earth in the days since His ascension, but His presence was undeniable.
As we come to the conclusion of this chapter as well as the end of Stephen’s life something amazing takes place. For the first time since He was glorified we are presented with a visible manifestation of the Savior. As he was being stoned for his faithfulness to the Gospel Stephen, “being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (Acts 7:55-56)
We have already seen ample evidence that Jesus sat down once He ascended. Furthermore the scriptures indicate that He is currently seated and will remain so until the time of His return. But here we see Jesus “standing at the right hand of God”. There are various opinions as to why Jesus was standing; instead of debating why He was standing I would rather consider what He saw when He stood up.
There is an old hymn that asks the question “Can The World See Jesus In You?” Certainly the people of this world should see Jesus in every born again Christian. However it is even more important that Jesus sees Himself in each of His followers. I believe that when Jesus rose from His throne and viewed the events that were taking place outside of Jerusalem on the day that Stephen was killed He saw His own reflection.
- I would like to take some time and preach on the subject “Reflecting The Majesty Of The Savior”.
I want us to try and picture the scene in Heaven for just a moment. (Some of what I am about to share is speculation, but it is based on the Revelation that Jesus gave His servant John)
God the Father is seated on His majestic throne. His appearance is like a jasper and carnelian stone. Around His throne is a magnificent emerald rainbow. Coming from the throne are scenes of lightning, sounds of thunder and many voices. At the base of this throne is a sea of glass, like crystal. Next to the Father is His beloved Son, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the very King of kings and Lord of lords, our Savior Jesus Christ. The angels are there serving and praising the Lord. The saints of all the ages are worshipping at the feet of the Savior.
You can almost hear the host of Heaven crying out "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" Echoes of praise ring out through the abode of our Lord and His people say “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." Perhaps they cried “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" The multitudes may have been saying “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
We are not told exactly what was taking place in Heaven at the moment that Stephen received his vision but I am sure that they were far greater than anything our mortal minds can comprehend. But something happened on earth that caused our Savior to turn His attention away from the worship and praise that was being offered to Him. For a brief moment His amazing work of interceding on behalf of His people ceased.
His servant Stephen was standing before the Sanhedrin defending his faith. In the process he preached a message that infuriated those in attendance. After presenting an accurate history of the Nation of Israel and proclaiming that Jesus was the Promised Messiah, he boldly indicted his listeners for their part in the death of Christ.
“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.” (Acts 7:54)
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.” (Acts 7:57-58)
There were many who witnessed this act of intense persecution. The members of the Sanhedrin, many common Jews, and Saul of Tarsus were either actively involved or at the very least consenting to the death of Stephen. There were also some faithful Christians watching these things take place. But most importantly Jesus Christ Himself was watching what transpired just outside of the city. In the final moments of Stephen’s life the Savior rose from His throne and looked through the portals of glory and watched His faithful servant lay down his life for His name. Jesus saw more than an angry mob actively involved in the murder of a Christian; in that moment Jesus saw a reflection of Himself.
Just before his departure, Stephen saw a glimpse of the Savior and he cried out “I see Jesus”. Though we are unable to see Him physically, we see Jesus through eyes of faith. More importantly Jesus sees us! Nothing that happens in our lives escapes His attention. It should be our desire that when Jesus looks at us, He sees a reflection of Himself. Not only should this be our desire, we know that it is God’s will that we continuously become more and more like His Son.
Paul spoke of this in Romans 8:28-29 when he said: “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Is your life one that reflects the majesty of the Savior? Perhaps you would like to know how to live in such a way. We can learn how to reflect the image of Christ by examining the life of Stephen. There are three truths from his biography that I would like for us to consider. First of all we will see that:
I. THOSE WHO REFLECT THE IMAGE OF JESUS LIVE LIKE JESUS
Jesus came to earth to do the Father’s will. He said in John 5:30: “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me”. Jesus served His Father and spent His entire earthly ministry pointing others to Him. He declared in Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Throughout His time on Earth, Jesus uncompromisingly preached the word with both passion and compassion. All four Gospels are filled with examples of the bold preaching of our Savior. Jesus was not only devoted to the Father’s will; He was also concerned about the eternal destiny and personal holiness of those within His Church.
Ephesians 5:25 …Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Each of these attributes of Jesus was reflected in the life of Stephen. Before he was introduced to the multitude as a candidate to be chosen to serve the church, Stephen was living for the Lord. His testimony was one of faithfulness, service and spirituality. In fact, this is why he was chosen to serve. When the Apostles directed the members of the Church to select “seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”, one of those men was Stephen. (Acts 6:5 …And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…) After he was chosen, God used him to do wonderful things among the people. (Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.)
Not only did Stephen perform many signs and wonders, like Jesus, he uncompromisingly preached the truth of God’s Word. This is evident in Acts 7:51 when he looked at the religious leaders and said "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it." It was this holy boldness that brought Stephen to this place of persecution and would ultimately lead to his martyrdom.
We are not told much about Stephen; his life and ministry was brief compared to others. But every aspect of his life reflected the image of his Savior. He was a man devoted to God’s will, he was a servant of the Lord’s people and his heart’s desire was to please the Lord and point others to Him.
If we truly desire to reflect the majesty of the Savior, then we must possess these same characteristics. We must be fully devoted to God’s will in our lives. This means that we are to live for Him and not for ourselves. Furthermore, this requires us to surrender to Him and follow Him wherever He leads, do whatever He says and stay as long as long as it takes to accomplish the task that He has assigned.
To reflect the image of Jesus we must have compassion for the lost and an immense desire to do whatever is necessary to point them to the Master. Like Stephen (and more importantly like Jesus) we should have a desire to serve the Lord’s people. If we really desire to live like Jesus we must understand that we have a responsibility to both sinners and saints alike.
I hope that it is your desire to reflect the image of Jesus, if so then you must live like Him. However, I must warn you, when you live in such a way there will be a price to pay. You will face opposition and endure suffering in this life when you live like Jesus. This leads us to the fact that:
II. THOSE WHO REFLECT THE IMAGE OF JESUS WILL SUFFER LIKE JESUS
Jesus’ unparalleled life was one of service & salvation but it was also one of suffering and sacrifice. Though there are many beautiful moments that are recorded concerning His earthly ministry, in the end His life was marked by betrayal, abandonment, scorn, abuse and ultimately death.
The cries of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” were replaced with cries of “crucify Him”, “give us Barabbas” and “let His blood be on our hands and the hands of our children”.
Authors, theologians and pastors have tried for two millennia to accurately describe the brutal suffering that Jesus endured at the hands of the Jewish and Roman authorities; none have succeeded. Songwriters have attempted to write songs that effectively illustrate the agony of Calvary and all have failed. Hollywood has tried time and again to produce films that reveal the horrors of the Crucifixion, yet none have even come close. Because of His devotion to the Father’s will and His love for lost mankind Jesus endured the most horrific death in the history of the world.
Even as His enemies were treating Him so maliciously, Jesus moved with compassion cried out “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)
Like Jesus, Stephen was arrested and persecuted for preaching the Gospel. He too was summoned to appear before the members of the Sanhedrin. Furthermore Stephen was slandered by false witnesses. In the process an angry crowd gathered and was consenting to his death. In spite of the opposition, Stephen remained faithful to the very end.
If you live like Jesus it is likely that you will suffer as result. This potential suffering may be verbal, physical and even fatal. Stephen shows us that we can endure suffering and even death with great hope and encouragement. Furthermore, his boldness and endurance shows us how God can use our suffering for His glory.
Stephen lived like Jesus, he suffered like Jesus and in the end he died like Jesus. This leads us to the final truth I would like to consider about reflecting the majesty of the Savior. Notice that:
III. THOSE WHO REFLECT THE IMAGE OF JESUS WILL DIE LIKE JESUS
After suffering unimaginable agony for several hours, when all things were accomplished Jesus cried “it is finished, bowed His head and gave up His Spirit”. After His death, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus and placed it in the tomb.
As we examine the death of Stephen we see many similarities between his death and the death of Jesus. Even in his death, Stephen reflected the majesty of the Savior. As he boldly preached the Gospel his enemies “cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him (Acts 7:57-58). As they stoned him, Stephen echoed the words of the Master saying “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:59-60). In Acts 8:2 we are told that “devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.”
If you reflect the majesty of the Savior, you too can die like Jesus. I am not saying that you will be arrested, tortured, stoned, beheaded or brutally crucified as a result of your faithfulness. The reality is that you may live a life of relative ease and die from old age and still die like Jesus. Though your manner of death may be different from that of Stephen or Jesus, you can still die in a way similar to them.
Let me explain: Both Stephen and Jesus died faithfully serving the Lord. They both died compassionately pointing others to Him. They died with assurance that they were accomplishing God’s will and with confidence that their task was complete. Though Stephen and Jesus died in an extremely violent manner, they did so with hope, peace, comfort and assurance. As each of them took their last breaths they did so fully assured of their future resurrection and ultimate glorification.
Every genuine Christian has the opportunity to die in a similar fashion. However, for this to be possible we must live in such a way as to reflect the majesty of our Savior. We must be totally surrendered to His will for our lives. We must be willing to suffer for His cause. We must be steadfast and devoted to the task at hand.
If we will live like our Savior then we can die like Him. We can die serving and compassionately pointing others to Him. We can leave this walk of life with confidence that our task is complete. We have the opportunity to face death with hope, peace, comfort and assurance. When the time of our own departure is at hand we can draw our last breath fully assured of our future resurrection and ultimate glorification.
Stephen is certainly one of the most impressive Christians who ever lived and he was precious to Jesus. With that being said, Stephen was no more precious to Jesus than you are. Moreover, there is nothing that he possessed that you do not have access to! You have the same opportunity to serve the Lord, you have a personal relationship with the very same God, you were redeemed by the same Savior, and the same Spirit that indwelt Stephen lives inside of you.
Just as Jesus was cognizant of all that Stephen endured while he was here on earth, He is aware of everything that you will face in this life; nothing escapes His attention. It is a sobering reality to know that our Savior is watching us.
I encourage you to assess your life and ask the question, “What does Jesus see when He looks me?” Does He see someone who belongs to Him; one who is washed in His blood and redeemed from their sins? Or does He see someone who is dead in trespasses and sin and headed for Hell? If you have never surrendered to the Savior it is important for you to know that Jesus gave His life as the sacrifice for your sins and forgiveness is available to you. I encourage you to repent and believe in Him for salvation today.
If you are certain that you belong to Him, it is imperative that you take the proper steps to ensure that you are living in such a way that you are “Reflecting The Majesty Of The Savior”
