Sermon Idea: Stephen’s ministry and death bear witness that God’s transcendent presence is not restricted to one people group, place, or thing but is found in Jesus Christ.
Introduction: I trust that you are familiar with the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. No doubt you are familiar with, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Or the most often referenced saying, “It is finished.”
These are the most memorable words of Jesus on the cross, but they are not the only words. Jesus also prayed for those who were crucifying him.
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Lk 23:34)
Just before taking his last breath, Jesus entrusts himself to the Father by saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this, he breathed his last. (Lk 23:46)
Jesus dies on the cross with unwavering trust in the Father, so he can forgive those crucifying him and willingly surrender his life in hope of the resurrection.
Stephen was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and a friend of the apostles. We learned in Acts 6:5 that he was a man, “…full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” Like Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served, Stephen was a man who gave his time and energy to serving the weak and vulnerable.
His name means “crown,” and he was the first martyr of the Christian faith. Familiar as we are with Jesus’ last words, you may not have ever thought about the last words of Stephen.
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 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. (Ac 7:59–60)
Stephen’s example is one of Christ-likeness in life, ministry, and even death. One of the reasons I wanted to take this whole unit together rather than dividing it over several weeks is that taken together, you can get a picture of a faithful witness to Christ whose ministry reflects Jesus Christ, whose reading of the Bible is centered on Jesus Christ, and whose last words resemble Jesus Christ.
Jesus is at the center of it all for Stephen, and Jesus should be at the center of it all for us.
At one level, this text advances the story of Acts by transitioning from the mission in Jerusalem to the planting of churches in Judea and Samaria. Jerusalem or the temple will not limit God’s presence and work, because Jesus Christ is the ascended Lord and the cornerstone of a new temple. The presence of God and the worship of God can be found wherever the people of God are.
You might capture the meaning of this section as follows: Stephen’s ministry and death bear witness that God’s transcendent presence is not restricted to one people group, place, or thing, but is found in Jesus Christ.
That is the central message, but it is communicated by a messenger whose life, ministry, and death resemble our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to keep the message and the messenger in view, because both lead us to Jesus Christ.
To do that, we’ll follow the narrative in four movements: Stephen’s Christ-like ministry, Stephen’s Christ-centered biblical defense, Stephen’s Christ-likeness in the face of death, and Stephen’s church-scattering sacrifice.
I.) Stephen’s Christ-like ministry (Acts 6:8-15)
Stephen is described as a man “full of grace and power.” These are characteristics not natural to Stephen nor ones he cultivated with time or practice. They are the result of God’s grace and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.
Stephen is one of three individuals, apart from the apostles, who perform signs and wonders. As a reminder, the signs and wonders point beyond themselves. They are displays of power to authenticate and validate the message of the gospel that the apostles preach. Stephen, then, must have been making much of Jesus Christ and the new covenant that he brought.
His ministry brings him into conflict with fellow Hellenistic Jews, who have taken issue with what Stephen is preaching.
9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. (Ac 6:9)
As the Pharisees and Sadducees often attempted with Jesus, these Jews debated with Stephen with no success, “…they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:10)
This is precisely what Jesus promised to his disciples.
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. (Lk 21:15)
Unable to defeat Stephen in a public debate, they conspired among themselves to bring serious accusations of blasphemy against Stephen. This alone is reminiscent of Jesus’ suffering, but we also have the added element of false witnesses. Stephen is walking the path of his Lord.
11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” (Ac 6:11–14)
The charges are first introduced generally in verse 11 and then detailed in verses 13-14. They are accusing Stephen of blaspheming Moses and God because he allegedly spoke against the law and the temple. It appears that Stephen was probably preaching that Jesus was the Messiah who fulfilled the law and ended the Old Covenant sacrificial system.
If this is what Stephen was doing, he was not blaspheming Moses or God, but showing how the law and the temple pointed forward and found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The new covenant has come, so that the old covenant is passing away.
13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Heb 8:13)
There would have been a grain of truth in what these false witnesses said, but it would be a twisted and exaggerated truth to paint as bad a picture of Stephen as possible.
For any who has eyes to see and ears to hear, God gives them a clue as to who really represents him in this moment. Stephen’s face shines brightly.
15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (Ac 6:15)
Moses’ face shone brightly after meeting with God. Jesus was transfigured, shining brightly before his disciples, revealing his divine glory. For Stephen’s face to shine brightly like an angel is a sign that he is God’s messenger, a representative of heaven. Far from opposing Moses, Stephen is like Moses, speaking the will of God about the law and the temple.
Can you imagine communing with God so closely that you reflect his glory? Can you imagine following Jesus so closely that your life resembles his in visible and tangible ways?
Stephen is captivated by a vision of the glory of God in Christ that is so real to him that he shines brightly.
Several months ago, we had the privilege of having Paul Washer with us, who preached a really edifying sermon on a Wednesday evening. What has stuck with me the most about him being here was not necessarily what he said while preaching, but what he said afterward. There were only a few of us left here. He was encouraging one of our young men to pursue the Lord through the Word and prayer, to experience God’s presence truly. And speaking of his own experience, he said of God, “He is more real to me in this moment than the three of you put together.”
I have thought about that a lot since. For Stephen, the glory of God in Jesus Christ was more real to him than all these false witnesses put together.
It is this communion and experience of God that leads Stephen to speak so authoritatively in his sermon in Acts 7: Stephen’s ministry is Christ-like, and his defense is Christ-centered.
II.) Stephen’s Christ-centered biblical defense (Acts 7:1-53)
The high priest’s question prompts Stephen’s sermon, “Are these things so?”
Stephen then responds with a robust biblical and theological defense against these false charges. This is the longest speech in Acts, and it is filled with numerous details. There is, though, a discernible structure and two themes that are developed.
That is how we are going to tackle this together. I want to show you how the structure might be understood and then explain the two themes. This way, we can get the meat and meaning of the sermon without commenting on every verse and every detail.
The sermon has four major sections that focus on the covenants God made with Abraham (vv. 2-16), Moses (vv. 17-43), David (vv. 44-50), and the New Covenant (vv. 52-53).
With this structure, Stephen then develops a primary theme and a secondary theme.
Stephen’s primary point is that the presence of God cannot be limited to one people group, place, or structure, such as the temple. Beginning with Abraham, Stephen shows that God was present and at work among his people outside Jerusalem, even before the Temple was built.
The second theme of Stephen’s sermon is the rejection of God’s prophets. Throughout Israel’s history, God’s prophets were rejected, just as they are rejecting Stephen this very moment.
I want to survey these four sections, noting these two themes as they occur.
Abrahamic Covenant
The glory of God appeared to Abraham in a foreign land long before God brought the people into the promised land.
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ (Ac 7:2–3)
This is a promise that God would fulfill to Abraham’s offspring, but after they endure slavery in Egypt, God promises to rescue his people, so that they might worship God in the promised land.
7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ (Ac 7:7)
The point? God appeared to Abraham in a foreign land, and worship of God can occur without a temple.
Stephen then mentions Joseph, thereby introducing the theme of rejection. Joseph was rejected by his brothers and sold into Egypt. However, this also allows Stephen to focus on God’s presence. Why? God was with Joseph in Egypt.
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. (Ac 7:9–10)
God not only used Joseph mightily while he was in Egypt (vv. 11-15), but also blessed and multiplied the people there.
17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt (Ac 7:17)
Eventually, a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph and who harshly enslaved Israel. Stephen then moves to the second section, Moses and the covenant God made with Israel.
Mosaic Covenant
The presence of God was with Moses in Egypt. Look at verse 20, “At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight.”
Eventually, Moses would see the harsh treatment of Israel by the Egyptians. He became so enraged by it that he killed an Egyptian in vengeance. The Israelites did not receive this well. His own people initially rejected Moses.
27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ (Ac 7:27–28)
So Moses fled into the wilderness to the land of Midian. Why is this important? God’s presence is with Moses in Midian, just as it was in Egypt.
30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. (Ac 7:30–33)
God was also with Moses on Mount Sinai as Moses heard from God and received the law. Although God met with Moses, the people rejected Moses and turned away from God to worship idols.
36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt (Ac 7:36-39)
In verse 44, Stephen reminds them that God met with his people in the tabernacle, which was a mobile structure until David’s son, Solomon, built the temple.
44 “Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. (Ac 7:44)
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by 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 what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’ (Ac 7:47–50)
We cannot overstate the importance of this last point. Even when the temple is built, God tells us that God does not dwell in houses made by hands. He gives his glory to the temple, but he is not restricted by it or limited to it.
Everything comes together in vv. 51-53, when Stephen transitions to the new covenant and the rejection of Jesus Christ.
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 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, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Ac 7:51–53)
Stephen provides a biblical theology of God’s presence and of the rejection of God’s prophets, both of which culminate in Jesus Christ. Stephen knows God and the ways of God, so he is able to respond to these charges and show that it is them who blaspheme Moses and God, not Stephen.
This is how we are meant to read and reflect on Scripture. We are to read it to know God and his ways better. Our Bible reading grows cold and stale becasue we often open it looking for ourselves or for some other end that concerns us.
But the Bible is not about us; it is about God. It is the revelation of God’s redemptive work throughout human history, interpreted for us so that we might know him and what he is like.
There is no greater end of our lives than to know God rightly. J.I. Packer, in his classic book Knowing God, says it this way.
“What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough object, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; and this the Christian has in a way that no other person has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?”
And how do we grow in our knowledge of God? We grow in our understanding of God through the Word of God. We need to give ourselves to reading, reflecting, and meditating on the whole counsel of God, Genesis-Revelation. Scripture is not a collection of 66 separate and fragmented writings with no relation to one another. Far from it!
The Bible is one, unified story of God’s redemptive work in the world. At the center of that work is Jesus Christ. As I’ve shared with you before, I love the delightful phrase by Dr. Mitchell Chase, “Jesus treasured the Old Testament, and at the same time he was—and is—its treasure.”
Beloved, follow the example of Stephen. Don’t settle for a superficial understanding of the Bible. Don’t dip in and out with little to no knowledge of Scripture’s grand story. The more you understand the big picture, the better you’ll appreciate and benefit from individual books, chapters, and verses.
III.) Stephen’s Christ-likeness facing death (Acts 7:54-60)
As those listening are filled with rage, Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit and is gifted a glimpse into the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
55 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. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Ac 7:55–56)
This is the final straw. These words sealed Stephen’s fate as those surrounding him stoned him, and Saul looked on with approval.
What I want us to take special note of is vv. 59-60, as Stephen echoes the words of Jesus from the cross.
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 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. (Ac 7:59–60)
In his ministry, in his reading of Scripture, and now in his death, the most formative influence on Stephen’s life is Jesus Christ. This is what it looks like to follow Jesus faithfully even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Stephen exemplifies what Peter calls us all to in 1 Peter 2.
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Pe 2:21–23)
Who are the most formative influences in our lives, friends? As we think, speak, and act, who do we resemble? Can other people see and hear Christ-likeness in us?
IV.) Stephen’s church scattering sacrifice (Acts 8:1-3)
Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian faith, and his sacrifice was not in vain. The killers may have thought they were stifling the growth of this movement and killing its momentum, but what they did instead, by God’s providence, is scatter the church to take the gospel into Judea and Samaria.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Ac 8:1)
Beyond that, is the impact Stephen’s death would have on Saul, the young man who approved of it and continued to persecute the church (Acts 8:1, 3)
Later, when Paul is giving his testimony, he mentions Stephen.
20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. (Ac 22:20–21)
We don’t want to say more than the text does, but I don’t think Paul brings this up unless it had a lasting impact on his own understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Stephen was a faithful witness to Christ whose ministry reflected Jesus Christ, whose Bible reading centered on Jesus Christ, and whose last words resembled Jesus Christ.
Jesus was at the center of all Stephen did, and Jesus should be at the center of all we do.
Nathaniel R. Martin 