And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval
and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.
Acts 22:20
Perhaps the martyr whose death received the most attention in the New Testament (along with John the Baptist) was Stephen in Acts 6 and 7. Stephen was one of seven wise men appointed to oversee the ministry to widows in Acts 6. Stephen was described as “a man full of grace and power” who performed “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people”. As was often the case when there was a mighty work of the Lord going on, opposition arose.
Some of the Jews stirred up false accusations against Stephen and brought him before the high religious court, called the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked him to refute the charges against him. What followed was a powerful, anointed speech by Stephen, which recapped Jewish history from Abraham to Jesus (Acts 7). The priests were so infuriated once he spoke about Jesus as the Messiah that “they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him”.
Put your imagination to work. Close your eyes and picture Stephen having the life slowly taken from him with each stone thrown. Look at the angry mob that was swirling around him, vile words and curses accompanying each hurled stone. Look back at Stephen as he cried out, “Lord, do not hold it against them”. Can you see him? Can you see the stone that took his life? Can you see yourself in his place? Or would you have been one to watch, maybe even hold coats like a man named Saul?
Stephen is a vivid example of the extreme price paid for being a follower of Christ in a hostile environment. He shows us how to stand firm, speak up, and keep going forward until our physical life is over.
I am led to believe that Stephen’s life and death was a key component of Paul’s conversion. We will look at this tomorrow. As Paul shared his faith in Christ to the masses in Jerusalem while in custody, he referenced Stephen in the verse mentioned above.
Stephen’s life teaches us an important lesson. How we behave in our living and dying can be a great witness to both the saved and unsaved. We are being watched, so may our lives be a testimony that points people to the Savior.