Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Faithful Then, Faithful Now.
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Read Acts 7
The first martyr for Christ was Stephen. From the moment Luke (the writer of Acts) introduces Stephen, we’re told he’s a man of righteous character. Stephen was selected as one of the first deacons of the Christian church, men called upon to help administer food to widows in need. This indicates that Stephen was a man of compassion with a heart for the needy. Acts describes Stephen as being “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (6:5) and “full of God’s grace and power” (v. 8). God performed wonders and signs through Stephen, which led to opposition from the Jewish religious leaders.
Stephen’s opponents tried to argue with him, but their arguments could not stand up to the wisdom God’s Spirit granted him in his moment of need (v. 10). Stephen’s trial before the Jewish leaders echoes the sham trial of Jesus. His opponents made false accusations against him, saying he blasphemed God and spoke against the law of Moses, and they called upon false witnesses to testify against him. Luke wrote that Stephen’s face was like that of an angel during all this.
- When asked to give a response, Stephen eloquently delivered one of the most powerful speeches in the Bible.
He retold the history of Israel, beginning with Abraham. He accused his accusers of resisting the Holy Spirit and of rejecting and murdering God’s righteous one, Jesus Christ. He also accused his opponents of being the ones who rejected God’s law.
The Jewish leaders were furious and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
Looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw a vision of Christ and told the people he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. At this, the people dragged Stephen out of the city and stoned him. In a final Christlike moment, Stephen prayed for God to receive his spirit and not to hold the sins of his murderers against them. Then he died.
Stephen’s story is one of unshakable faith and trust in God.
Even when it meant certain death, Stephen did not back down from speaking the truth about Christ. This kind of faith should challenge us: How willing are we to boldly stand in our faith against all opposition? Though it may not come to actual violence in our own lives, our faith may draw consternation, judgment, or ridicule from others. How will we react when we experience these things?
The word martyr comes from the Greek word meaning “witness.”
Though most of us will not die for our faith, each follower of Jesus is called to be a witness. We are laborers in God’s vineyard, sharing the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, we should
always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have.
This means we should always be ready to talk about Jesus.
For many of us, talking about our faith or about Jesus with those who are not believers may be a scary prospect. Remember, God promises to give us wisdom through his Spirit in our time of need. We don’t need to try to out-argue people; we just need to testify to our experience with Jesus, like the Samaritan woman and so many others we’ve read about on this journey.
Ultimately, our focus should be on Christ, not on people who challenge our faith.
While Stephen was being wrongfully accused and attacked, he looked to Heaven. In our times of struggle, we keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, Jesus promises that if we acknowledge Him before others, He in turn will acknowledge us before God the Father (Matthew 10:32). Christ is the one who can present us before God “without fault and with great joy” (Jude v. 24). This is the joy 1 Peter 4:13 promises — the joy we await when Christ returns and His glory is revealed. Until then, we are His witnesses.
Excerpted with permission from Faithful Then, Faithful Now, copyright Zondervan.
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Your Turn
Most of us won’t be called upon to be martyrs for our faith, but all of us will face time when it’ll require courage to take a stand for our faith in Jesus. Are you ready? Are you ready to be a witness for Jesus even if it’s hard? Let’s be ready! ~ Devotionals Daily