DAY 12: 5 July 13, Friday Read: Acts 6:8-‐15 Stephen Seized 8
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 11
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen: Defiant Spirit in a Fallen World
Stephen was amidst a crowd of devout Jews who lived all their lives believing that God’s presence was in the temple. Stephen’s message that God’s presence could now live in them contradicted their beliefs directly. But how dare he even begin to preach this to them? In the name of religious tolerance and sensitivity, he should have kept quiet and lived peaceably among them. But Stephen was more concerned with obeying God than pleasing man. Stephen himself experienced the power of Holy Spirit, and his desire was for these people to experience the Him too. This spurred him to overlook concerns over his own safety. He knew that this act could send him to the grave, but he did so anyway. Fearlessly, he preached the sermon that was to be his last. With bold and persuasive words, he told his audience that the God who set Israel apart for Himself and delivered them out of Egypt is the same God that sent Jesus to save them from sin. He told them that the God who David and Solomon built the temple for is the same God who wanted to dwell not in a physical temple, but in His people. Furious as his seemingly blasphemous message, they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And in his last moments on earth, he looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. What a glorious final chapter on earth. Reflect: Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, yet strong opposition arose. When you follow Jesus, do you subtly expect your life to be peaceful and trouble-‐free? Would you still follow Him if it isn’t? The greatest honour known to man in this lifetime is to serve the Lord Jesus. When you consider Stephen’s response, are you more inspired at his example, or more fearful at the cost of following Jesus? Would your story be defined by chapters of faith or fear? Respond: Ask God for faith to speak up for Jesus in your campus, camps, workplaces, families and social circles. Write a one-‐minute speech to tell your family and friends about who Jesus is in your life.