Stephen's Stoning-Part 2

Acts 7

In his defense, Stephen began with a history of the Israelites. Perhaps he was holding his own for awhile, but toward his conclusion, he said, You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,  you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." Yikes! Not a way to keep the crowd happy. In fact, the passage says that they were enraged and ground their teeth at him. I wonder if this reminded them of Jesus who said similar words to the Pharisees. 

But Stephen was full of the Spirit and only looked heavenward. There he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. What a vision! When he declared what he saw, they screamed at him. Plugging their ears, they rushed at him. They threw him outside the city and stoned him. As they were stoning Stephen, he cried out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.What a spirit of Jesus Stephen personified! Did this people think of Jesus when he said these words? Were their hearts touched at all? Were they not affected by the heinousness of what they had done?

Stephen's ministry may not have been long, but it was intense. He was a man of the Spirit, one that made people make a decision about Jesus. Sadly, the people in Chap. 7 did not chose Jesus. The text says that the 'stoners' laid Stephen's garments at the feet of Saul. How ironic! Saul himself would get saved and be stoned as well but first he would become a persecutor of the church. What a difference Jesus makes in a life! What a difference Jesus has made in my life!

Father,

Thank You for savinig me, for allowing Jesus to pay the price for my sin. Help me to stand strong and true as Stephen did. I confess my extreme weakness in sharing with others. Please strengthen me. Give me boldness.

In His name,

Amen