The Martyrdom of Stephen
Text: Acts 6:8-7:60
Core Idea: The death of Stephen reminds us that we’re called to boldly speak about Jesus, humbly trust Jesus, and joyfully imitate Jesus. Then, may we learn to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ as we aim to make His name great.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Lighthouse. It is great to see you. I want to welcome all of you, but especially our Tugboat and Anchor friends, as they will be joining us for the whole service today. Again, the reason we do this is because we firmly believe that our children and youth are not simply spectators but participants in worship on Sunday. One time, I was practicing my sermon at home, and Eli happened to be there. I think I was talking about how God was, one day, going to judge us for our sins – and Eli, all of a sudden, looked up and said, “What? Why?” So, I had to stop and explain to him. The point is that, yes, they may not fully understand everything that goes on here – but our children and youth are more than capable of tuning in. In fact, they’re not just processing what they see and hear, but they’re actually being shaped by it. Then, what we do here is not just about keeping families together – but it’s really about passing down the passion for God’s glory from one generation to the next so that they, too, will set their hope in Him. Now, to help our children engage a little more, we’ll take a break from our current sermon series and follow the curriculum that the Tugboat ministry is currently going through. So, please open your Bibles to Acts 6:8-7:60. But before we read this, let me quickly give you the context so that we’ll better appreciate this story. Ever since the coming of the Holy Spirit in Chapter 2, the early church had been enjoying the favor of all people. Because the apostles were performing many wonders and signs (like healing of the lame man), because they were selling property and possessions to give to anyone who had need, and because they were preaching the gospel with authority, we read in Acts 5:16 that, “Crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 5:14, “More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” In other words, people loved the early church – but this only made the Jewish leaders more jealous. In fact, it made them so angry that they began to look for opportunities to get rid of them – and that’s where we pick up today. Now, due to the length of Stephen’s speech and my limited time, we won’t read all of his sermon, though we’ll certainly think through its content and significance. Then, with that in mind, let me invite Eve up so she can read this for us.
6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) – Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia – who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 7:1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” 2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ 4 So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship Me in this place.’ 8 Then He gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. 9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. 11 Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. 17 As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. 20 At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. 23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. 30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ 35 This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God Himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. 37 This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. 39 But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt – we don’t know what has happened to him!’ 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? 43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon. 44 Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? says the Lord. Or where will My resting place be? 50 Has not My hand made all these things?’ 51 You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him – 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Thank you, Eve, for reading the passage for us. And children, I hope the video helped you to understand the story better – in fact, it was so thorough that it probably helped the adults as well. Then, let’s just dive in and look at this story under three headings:
· WHAT STEPHEN SAID
· WHAT STEPHEN SAW
· WHAT STEPHEN DID
1) WHAT STEPHEN SAID
Stephen was one of the seven men appointed by the apostles to oversee the daily distribution of food in the church so that they wouldn’t be diverted from the ministry of prayer and preaching. Now, considering the importance of this work, the apostles didn’t choose just anyone – no, they looked for those who were full of the Spirit and wisdom. In fact, this is how Stephen is described in verse 8: “a man full of God’s grace and power, [who] performed great wonders and signs among the people.” All that to say, Stephen was a passionate lover of God and a humble servant of the church. But his growing popularity only made the Jewish leaders jealous – so, in verse 11, they secretly persuaded some people to testify against him by accusing him of saying blasphemous words against Moses and God. And that’s exactly what happened. Before the Sanhedrin, these false witnesses basically said, “This man claims that we can get rid of the temple and the law because they’re not important anymore.” Now, this couldn’t be more serious because nothing was more sacred to the Jews than the temple and the law, for the temple represented the presence of God, and the law represented the Word of God. So, to speak against the temple and the law was to blaspheme God Himself – which, by the way, was punishable by death. Now, considering his life was at stake, it would’ve been completely understandable if Stephen was intimidated and scared. Honestly, if I were surrounded by a group of angry people who literally wanted to kill me, my face would immediately show how frightened and terrified I was – but not for Stephen. Verse 15, “His face was like the face of an angel.” In other words, nothing fazed him. He remained completely calm and confident, which is why when the high priest asked Stephen in verse 1, “Are these charges true?” he was able to respond with clarity, conviction, and courage.
Now, if you look at his answer in verses 2-50 (the part we didn’t read), you may be wondering, “What does any of this have to do with the charges against him? Why is he giving them an overview of the OT history when he’s being accused of blaspheming against the temple and the law? How are they related? What is Stephen trying to communicate?” Well, we don’t have the time to go through this verse by verse, but I do want to summarize it and show you that Stephen, indeed, was answering the issue of the temple and the law. First, Stephen shows that the temple is not needed to meet with God. His reasoning goes something like this: “Think about where God met with Abraham – it wasn’t at the temple. It wasn’t even Jerusalem – the holy city. It was in Mesopotamia – the land of idols. Where was Joseph when God met with him? Egypt. What about Moses? He met God in the flames of a burning bush near Mount Sinai. In fact, even when Solomon built the temple for God, His presence was not confined to a building, for heaven is His throne and earth is His footstool. All that to say, we don’t need the temple to meet with God, for He’s always on the move with His people. Wherever we are, He’ll reveal Himself to us.” This was important to point out because the Sanhedrin thought that God was on their side simply because of their geographic location. Because they were in the land of promise, they assumed that they were in a right relationship with the Lord. But Stephen was proving them wrong. Now, at this point, the accusers could’ve said, “Well, even if you’re right, we still need to obey the law perfectly to meet with God. But who is able to do that? No one, which is why God has given us the temple to offer sacrifices. We need the temple because we can’t obey the law. And without obeying the law, we will never see God.” So, to address this idea, he shares one more point. Second, Stephen shows that the Israelites did not obey the law in the past, and yet God still met with them. Here’s what he was basically saying: “Under Moses, our ancestors didn’t obey the law. Under Aaron, they didn’t obey the law – in fact, they worshiped the golden calf. Prophet Amos said they didn’t obey the law. And yet God did not abandon them. Why? Because of His grace and love for them. This is why He sent prophet after prophet to draw them back to Him. But what did our ancestors do? They persecuted every prophet who had been sent to them. Time after time, they rejected God’s mercy.”
Now, he could’ve ended there – but he decided to apply this for the Sanhedrin. Verse 51, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him – you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” It should be obvious to us by now that Stephen wasn’t really interested in clearing his name – his only aim was to preach the gospel and bring more people to Jesus. He wanted Christ’s name to be exalted, not his own. Then, here’s what he was saying to these religious leaders: “You bear a striking resemblance to your ancestors who rebelled against God and rejected the messengers of God. You talk as if you uphold the law, but you don’t obey it. You have the appearance of protecting the temple, but your hearts are so hardened that you just go through the motions meaninglessly. And to top it off, you betrayed and killed the Righteous One. You crucified the One who came to fulfill the law and replace the temple – Jesus Christ. But it’s not too late. Repent and turn to Christ, for He will meet with you just as He has done in the past over and over again. Don’t reject His mercy for your life.” Well, how did they respond? Verse 54, “When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.”
What can we take away from this? Well, the first thing that came to my mind was the fact that the gospel is offensive. The Sanhedrin really believed that the temple and the law were absolutely necessary to meet with God – but the gospel shattered their beliefs, for it claimed that Jesus is the only way to God. Now, Stephen was convinced of this – which is why he boldly preached it to them, even though his life was at stake. He went through the Scripture to show these religious leaders how Christ fulfilled and replaced the temple and the law. Then, in the same way, if we’re convinced of this truth, we should also courageously preach the gospel and point people to Christ using the whole Bible – to show them how Jesus fulfills all God’s promises. Now, some of you might be thinking, “But I don’t know how to do that. In fact, I’ve never even read the whole Bible yet. How do you expect me to show Christ from the Bible?” If this is you, I pray that you’ll dig deeper and study harder so that you’ll be able to do that. Brothers and sisters, we should always desire greater things. We should never settle down – we should never be okay that we’re lacking in knowledge and faith. So, if you haven’t read the whole Bible yet, start today. You don’t have to wait until the new year – start today. And invite others to do it with you so that you won’t quickly give up. Look to the Word as if you’re looking for that hidden treasure. And as you do that, boldly proclaim, clearly teach, and earnestly persuade people to see that Jesus is all they truly need. Show them money can’t give them lasting security, power can’t give them lasting peace, fame and popularity can’t give them lasting friendship, success and accomplishments can’t give them a lasting legacy – only Jesus can give us all those things, for He’s the Creator and Lover of our souls. Then, will you do that today? Study the Word, experience the power of the gospel, and courageously proclaim the truth, even if the cost is great, for Christ is worth the cost. Let’s boldly speak about Jesus.
2) WHAT STEPHEN SAW
Verse 55, “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” This is worth pointing out because this is the only passage in the Bible that describes Jesus as standing at the right hand of God. In most cases, Jesus is described as sitting at the right hand of God – emphasizing the completeness of His work. He finished the work of salvation at the cross – so He’s now sitting at the right hand of God to rule with God and intercede for us. But here, He’s standing. Isn’t that interesting? Then, what’s the difference? Why is Jesus standing here? Different interpretations have been offered by many scholars but let me share just two. First, it could be that He was honoring Stephen. Considering that Stephen was the first to be martyred for the gospel, scholars argue that Jesus standing was His way of honoring and welcoming Stephen home. It’s like Jesus was saying with His arms wide open, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” Second, it could be that He was advocating for Stephen. For the most part in history, the throne room was often the courtroom because the king was also the judge for his people. Then, when it says that Jesus was standing at the right hand of God, scholars argue that He was defending Stephen. It’s like He was saying, “Father, Stephen is worthy to be in Your presence, for My righteousness has now been imputed to him. Not just that, but he has also been faithful to the call You gave him – so open the gates of heaven and welcome him in.” F.F. Bruce writes, “Stephen has been confessing Christ before men, and now he sees Christ confessing his servant before God.” Now, whether Jesus was honoring or advocating for Stephen, the point really is the same: Even though Stephen may be condemned on earth, he will be commended in heaven – even though the people have rejected and killed him, Jesus will receive and live with him forever. And that was all Stephen needed to be bold, even in the most dangerous situation possible. He stood firm even when times were tough because he was confident that his life was safe and secure in Christ.
Think about the implications of this. The truth is that we will suffer if we choose to live a life worthy of the gospel because the gospel is offensive to the world we live in. As a result, we’ll constantly be tempted to ignore the call of the gospel – we’ll be tempted to stay silent, to hold onto our control, avoid pain, and lust after what the world perceives to be good. Then, how can we stay faithful to our call? How can we resist these temptations and give our lives to the Lord in all circumstances? By fixing our eyes on the risen Lord, who is now standing at the right hand of God – advocating and interceding for us. Then, let me ask you, “Where are you fixing your eyes today? Are they on your career, family, entertainment, or other people’s social media accounts – constantly comparing yourself with others? Or are you turning your eyes to Christ, who gave His life for us? Are you fixing your eyes to the King who will return for His own?” Brothers and sisters, look to Christ today, for everything you need and everything you’ve ever wanted is found in Him. Just as Stephen was, you, too, are honored and loved by God – and when the time comes, you’ll be welcomed by God, all because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. If you know this, you’ll be able to face anything. If you truly believe this, you’ll be able to deny yourself, take up your cross, and live your life to make His name great, no matter how costly the sacrifice may be. Think about it – if we see Jesus and His nail-scarred hands, if we remember how Christ suffered for us, if we remember how He gave up His glory in heaven to give us everything, how can we not be moved to suffer for His sake as well? How can we not be moved to give our all, knowing that He alone is worthy of our worship? Why wouldn’t we trade our earthly comfort for heavenly glory? It’s true – the world will not understand this. We’ll probably be called fools for living this way. But listen to what Pastor Richard Wurmbrand said, “There was once a fiddler who played so beautifully that everybody danced. A deaf man who could not hear the music considered them all insane. Those who are with Jesus in suffering hear this music to which other men are deaf. They dance and do not care if they are considered insane.” Friends, if you can hear the music of Christ (the music that sings of His glory, His love, His worth, and His promises), you won’t be able to contain the joy you have in your heart – and it’ll make you dance, even if it makes you look insane. In fact, you won’t even care about what others have to say, for what matters most will be Christ and His glory. One more thing – remember that our life on earth is unbelievably brief compared to our life in heaven. Think of it this way – if our time on earth is a single drop of water, eternity is the endless ocean. Then, why invest in a life that will ultimately pass away? Why give so much for pleasure that won’t last long? Invest in the life to come by remaining faithful to the call that you have received in the Lord. And humbly keep your eyes fixed on Christ so that whenever trials come, you’ll be driven closer to God, not be pulled away from Him.
3) WHAT STEPHEN DID
Verse 57, “At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.” Just imagine how scary this scene must have been. People must have been swearing and yelling in rage – threatening to take his life. Technically, they didn’t have the right to execute anyone, for that belonged to the Roman authorities – which is why when it says that they began to stone him, I don’t think they were trying to kill him but inflict enough pain to teach him a lesson. But it must have been impossible to control an angry mob like that – and Stephen ended up becoming the first martyr of the church. Now, considering that stoning typically wasn’t a quick death, Stephen must have endured excruciating pain. But listen to what Stephen said at the moment of his death – verse 59, “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’” He didn’t beg for his life. He didn’t blame God for his misery, for he had no regrets. He just calmly faced his death, knowing that this wasn’t the end – he knew that a new life was about to begin for him. He was basically saying, “Lord, I am ready to enter Your presence. In fact, I’m not just ready – I’m excited. I’m looking forward to being with You – it’s something that I’ve been so desperately waiting for. So, Lord, take me in.” Now, as amazing as this was, he had one more thing to say – verse 60, “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.” He didn’t cry out for himself – he cried out for those who were casting stones at him. Doesn’t this remind you of what Jesus said on the cross? Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” This is absolutely amazing because it shows us that Stephen didn’t just boldly speak about Jesus and humbly trust Jesus, but He also joyfully imitated Jesus in his life. His response to false accusations, slander, and anger was grace – he was quick to forgive. Then, how was he able to do this? How was he able to love the people who showed nothing but violence and hatred? Because of his love for Christ and Christ’s love for him. Because what Christ did for him was life-transforming in its nature, Stephen couldn’t react the same way as the world would. Since Christ loved him, a sinner, an enemy of God, Stephen was now choosing to love his enemies. Because Christ was gracious to him by forgiving him, advocating for him, and honoring him, he chose to be gracious to others as well.
Brothers and sisters, are you a gracious person? If others had to describe you, would they say you’re truly gracious in all circumstances? Are you gracious to your spouse, your children, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, strangers (like your server at a restaurant or a random driver on the road), and even your enemies? Are you a compelling example of grace for others? Are you quick to forgive? Are you willing to let go of your pride, die to yourself, so that others could benefit from your sacrifice? Pastor Paul Tripp writes, “We cannot be content with loving our friends and hating our enemies when our Lord has called us to love our enemies, pray for those who mistreat us, and look for ways to do good to them. We all must fight the temptation to keep a record of wrongs, allow bitterness to harden our hearts, and fantasize about the suffering of others. Spite is not in our Lord’s vocabulary of grace.” Then, friends, will you imitate Christ today by showing grace to others? Will you die to yourself so that others can flourish? Do this, for grace is the way of the cross.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the death of Stephen reminds us that we’re called to boldly speak about Jesus, humbly trust Jesus, and joyfully imitate Jesus in our lives. Then, may we learn to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ as we aim to make His name great.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) The gospel Stephen preached was offensive to the Sanhedrin. Why do you think the gospel still offends people today? Have you ever been afraid to share the gospel? What held you back?
2) Why is it significant that Jesus is described as standing at the right hand of God in this moment? How does this image encourage you when facing hardship or opposition? How can we keep our spiritual vision on Christ during trials?
3) Stephen not only spoke about Jesus, but he also imitated Jesus by praying for his enemies. How can we follow his example in our daily lives? Is there anyone in your life you’re struggling to forgive? In what area of your life are you being challenged to die to self right now so that others can flourish?