We may as Christians cheer the ending of Joseph and perhaps even accept the entire journey with all it’s trials because of the fact that he ended so well. After all, we love a happy ending. Yet, when we turn to look at the life of Stephen whose face was that of "an angel", who was full of faith and power we shudder at his being stoned. We feel the same agony as we would feel as we watch a missionary who is tortured, a dear saint who is completely lost with Alzheimer’s, a dear patriach who slips away with advancing Parkinson’s, or the dear saint who dies agonizingly with cancer. We struggle in our understanding. We only want the happy ending. We seek the miracle; yet, we do not understand how it is that God’s Glory and Grace may be fulfilled even in those sorrows that we cannot understand. Still, we know that God is in control, His plan is one of good. It is my hope that by looking at the displays of God’s grace and glory in the life and death of Stephen that you might be comforted as well. First lets look at the Scripture recording this.
Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people….
15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Acts 7: 54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 8: 8 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Display #1; Stephen’s life was such that he was full of faith and power, doing great wonders and miracles. God’s grace was displayed in the life of Stephen as God used Him and filled Him with the faith and grace needed every step of the way. It was the Holy Spirit’s power within Stephen that gave him the grace so that he had the face of an angel, gentle yet strong, wise yet meek, and willing to face whatever came before him to follow after Christ.
Display #2: The Holy Spirit was there. The great comforter filled Stephen so that he was able to look into the heavens and see Christ standing on the right hand of God. Christ had stood up from His throne to so that Stephen might see him clearly; knowing that the moments of torture which were to be his were nothing to compare with the Glory he was about to share with Christ in Heaven for eternity. As though Christ stood up to cheer this dear saint as he reached the finish line.
Display#3: As Stephen prayed that his murderers be forgiven, he displayed the grace that he understood because of the grace that God had given him by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Stephen knew that his own salvation was not of works; but a gift of God. If that was due to the gift of God by grace; then, he had no right to accuse those who did not know Christ. Rather, it was his heart that bled because of their unbelief and he longed that they find Christ as well.
Display #4: One of the men in the crowd was Saul who would later become the Apostle Paul. Saul the persecutor of the church would one day become one of God’s greatest writers of the New Testament. God answered the prayer of Stephen when Saul was saved.
Display #5: Sometimes the tragedies of this life are for the good of the kingdom. I am certain Paul never forgot the face of Stephen filled with glory and grace as he was stoned to death. The seed planted that later lead to Saul’s conversion was planted by Stephen’s death.
So, when we don’t understand and we can’t see the plan we can trust the heart of God. I am certain if you approached Stephen in heaven, he would tell you it was worth it all. God displayed His Grace, His love, His mercy and His Glory to Stephen and through the life and death of Stephen. Once more my question to you is do you know Him? Do you love Him? Are you willing to place your life, all of it into His hands? Are you willing to lay aside all else to go where He asks you to go and do what He asks you to do? If so, you will never regret a single moment of this journey. Of this, I am certain; because I would walk every step of the way again, all of the pains, all of the sorrows, all of the moments when I couldn’t see my way—just for the chance to know Him as I know Him today. I seek to know Him and to one day stand in His presence to know Him fully; for that reason, whatever path He lays before me—I will praise Him and I will trust Him.