The Stoning of Stephen

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 sotpped 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 wiht a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

- Acts 7:54-60

What a man of great courage in a moment of great terror.

This passage always moves my heart. Stephen saw Jesus rightly as the King that He is. His love for the LORD caused him to gaze into heaven, fixing his eyes on God and not the opposition before Him. And as he saw the glory of God, he was strengthened to reflect Christ radically as he forgave freely.

Seeing the LORD Jesus for who He is will only naturally lead to such courage. When our eyes are opened to see that He is great and He is for us, our hearts are filled with strength and boldness. May we be so filled with the Spirit that we fix our eyes on the things of heaven. May our eyes and hearts be opened to see and know the living King, so that we may be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth.