Scripture: “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.”
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called 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.
Acts 7:51-60 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Stephen, one of the appointed seven deacons, being filled with grace and power, expands his ministry duties to perform signs and wonders. Offended by Stephen’s Gospel presentation, leaders of five sects of the established Jewish community collaborate to find a way to shut Stephen down. But they are no match for Stephen’s Spirit-led wisdom. So they plant confederates amid the crowd to accuse Stephen of blaspheming Moses and God, thereby rousing the people’s and the religious leaders’ ire against Stephen. And they bring false witnesses before the Sanhedrin, who claim Stephen speaks against the temple and the law. Specifically, they charge that Stephen proclaims that Jesus will destroy the temple and change the customs of the Mosiac law. As these false witnesses speak, the council fixates on Stephen’s countenance, which glows like the face of an angel.
Today’s devotion continues with Stephen’s response to the high priest’s question regarding whether the allegations lodged against Stephen are true. Stephen does not directly answer the chief priest’s question. Instead, he begins his response by recounting how their “God of glory” covenanted with the patriarchs, faithfully guiding and rescuing them and their fellow Israelites from danger, only to have the nation perilously rebel with idol worship. Still, through Moses, God led his chosen people through a forty-year desert wandering to prepare the next generation to take possession of the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership. Then, in response to the accusation that he blasphemed the temple, Stephen reminds them that while inspired by David and constructed by Solomon, it cannot contain the Lord, in whom heaven is his throne.
From this recounting of the biblical narrative, which alludes to Israel’s hardened hearts, Stephen changes tenor. He speaks with a prophet’s voice (above text), renouncing the Sanhedrin and all those who follow their lead for resisting the Holy Spirit. Similar to Jesus’ diatribe against the religious leaders (see Luke 11:47 and John 8:44), Stephen accuses them of being sons of those earlier generations who persecuted and killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One (Messiah), whom they have betrayed and murdered, proving they, too, are lawbreakers.
Enraged, the chief priests grind their teeth at Stephen, but Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixes his eyes on a vision of the glorified Son of Man standing at the right hand of his Father in the heavenly realm and proclaims to his interrogators what he sees. No longer willing to listen to another word, these frenzied religious leaders rush on Stephen, drag him out of the city, and stone him. While being pelted, Stephen cries aloud, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v.59), then drops to his knees and shouts for all to hear, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (v.60), and breathes his last.
Of note: Luke parenthetically inserts that the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of the young Saul, later named Paul (v.58), setting the stage for the next segment of church expansion.
Takeaway: Our passage further reveals the hypocrisy of the chief priests. For all their concern regarding Stephen supposedly blaspheming the law, they are the ones who have failed to uphold it. Moreover, the chief priests’ murderous response further confirms the validity of Stephen’s accusation against them as sons of previous generations who also executed those who foretold the coming of the Messiah. Nevertheless, Stephen does not concern himself with their unjust treatment of him. Instead, being filled with the Holy Spirit, he finds strength and solace in fixing his eyes on his glorified and ascended Savior. Thus, Stephen’s pain connects him with his Suffering Servant Lord (see Philippians 3:8-11) and inspires him to petition the Father to forgive his enemies (see Luke 23:24).
Our takeaway? We, too, will encounter hostility from those who are hardhearted to the truth of our Gospel. Like the chief priests, those consumed with pride will rage against our good news that taps into their deeper feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. But like Stephen, if we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, we will rise above our trials and suffering (see Hebrews 12:1-4). Still, this requires us to be filled with the Holy Spirit, as was Stephen. So what does that mean? We must be controlled or dominated by the Spirit of God’s presence and power (see Ephesians 5:17-18). It’s not a one-time event but a lifetime process initiated by the Holy Spirit, who transforms our perspectives of ourselves and our world to align with the Father’s good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
Our part? Agree and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. And the first step is to exercise humility. Without Christ saving us and the Holy Spirit fully indwelling our spirits to align with the Father’s will, we, too, will harbor hateful thoughts toward those who prophetically expose those areas of our egos most consumed by sin. But when we humble our hearts and welcome the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, we mature spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally and eventually develop a godly perspective of our enemies, who are as snared by sin as we sometimes are. This humble and grateful attitude will spur us to fix our eyes on our triumphant Jesus for courage and strength, to pray to our gracious Father to forgive those who persecute us, and to entrust the outcome to him.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Spirit-filled Son, who prayed for our forgiveness and reconciled us to you through his life, death, and resurrection. And we thank you for Stephen’s Spirit-filled example of following in your Son’s footsteps. Still, we confess it is hard to put this sacrificial attitude into practice. So would you please humble our hearts and guide us in submission to the sanctifying work of your Holy Spirit to forgive ourselves and those who persecute us? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
Leave a Reply