Stephen - The first martyr of the early church to the end, like Christ
Acts 7:51-60
In Acts 6, Stephen is chosen to serve. He is full of the Spirit, wisdom, and faith, and he is already living a life of serving before anyone gives him a title. That is a good question for us in the church: do we hand out titles and hope people serve, or do we recognize those who already serve? When Stephen's opponents cannot answer him, they bring false witnesses, and his defense in Acts 7 ends with his being stoned. It is hard to see why someone with such faith would suffer like this. But Acts shows a pattern: we witness to Jesus, opposition rises, we pray and are filled with the Spirit, and God's kingdom grows. Suffering is not a sign of weak faith or an absent God. It is often a sign that we are living as Christ's witnesses.
Stephen's story begins by showing us who we are. His speech traces Israel's history, and the same pattern repeats. God chooses a deliverer, the people reject him, and God accomplishes his plan anyway. When we reject God's plan, we do not stop it. We only lose closeness with him. In Acts 7:51, Stephen calls his hearers stiff-necked, always resisting the Holy Spirit as their fathers did. We are stubborn when we refuse to listen. In Greek, to obey means "to listen under," which means putting ourselves under God's authority. Israel believed it was God's chosen people, yet it put itself on equal footing with God. We cannot know God deeply until we honestly see ourselves, including where we are stubborn.
Seeing ourselves clearly leads us to witness. The Greek word for witness is where we get "martyr," and Stephen shows what that looks like. He could have stayed silent and avoided death, but he spoke. Few of us will be stoned, but we are all called to the spirit of martyrdom. To be a martyr means taking up our cross and dying to ourselves daily.
Stephen's death also shows us that the Christian life is imitating Jesus. His last words echo Christ's on the cross. He entrusts his spirit to the Lord and asks God not to hold his killers' sin against them. He dies without resentment or bitterness, giving his last breath to love and forgiveness. In the early church, being a Christian meant belonging to Christ and following him, not simply agreeing with certain doctrines. We often say "Jesus is mine," asking him to bless and shelter us. We also need to say "I am yours": use me and take me wherever you want.
Lastly, Stephen's eyes are fixed on heaven. In his last moment he sees Jesus standing at God's right hand, though Scripture usually describes him seated. One interpretation is that Jesus stands to welcome Stephen home as an honored guest. Too often we bow our heads under guilt, shame, or earthly concerns instead of looking up. Fixing our eyes on heaven does not depend on the strength of our faith, but on God's faithfulness.
Discussion Questions:
Where in your life are you "stiff-necked," resisting what the Holy Spirit is saying to you? What would it look like to put yourself under God's authority there?
Is there a place where staying silent or keeping the peace has kept you from bearing witness to Jesus? What would a faithful, loving word look like?
Stephen prayed for those who killed him, just as Jesus did. Who is someone you find it hard to forgive, and what would it mean to die to your own hurt toward them?
What are your takeaways from the sermon?
