Scripture Daily

Context No. 1611 of 4322 · Acts

Context · Reflection

Acts 7:51-60: in context

51“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. 52Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. 53You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!” 54Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord. 58They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen, having preached boldly to the council, ends by rebuking them for resisting the Holy Spirit and betraying the Righteous One, and they are enraged. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazes into heaven and sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand. When he says so, they cover their ears, rush at him, drag him out, and stone him. As he dies, Stephen prays, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit; and then, kneeling, he cries with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And with that he falls asleep.

Stephen's death is patterned on the death of his Lord, and the likeness stands out in his final words. As Jesus on the cross had prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, so Stephen, being stoned, prays, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. In the very act of being murdered, he forgives his murderers, asking God not to charge them with his death. This is the grace of Christ reproduced in his servant: the power to forgive even those doing us the greatest harm, to pray for the good of those who are killing us. It is a supernatural grace, not something the natural heart can produce; the natural response to being stoned is not forgiveness but curses. That Stephen could forgive his killers as they killed him shows the Spirit of Christ living in him, the same Spirit that forgave from the cross. And notice what he saw: Jesus standing at God's right hand. Elsewhere Christ is described as seated at God's right hand; here he stands, as if risen to his feet to welcome his faithful servant home. The dying Stephen, forgiving his enemies, saw his Lord standing to receive him. There is a double grace in this scene worth taking to heart. The grace to forgive those who harm us, even grievously, is possible, given by the Spirit of Christ, who himself forgave from the cross; and the Lord we die into stands to welcome us. Stephen forgave his murderers and commended his spirit to Jesus, who stood to receive him. That grace to forgive is held out to us too, by the same Spirit; and the same Lord stands to welcome all who are his.

Can I forgive even those who harm me grievously, as Stephen forgave his murderers and Christ forgave from the cross, trusting that the Spirit who gave them that grace can give it to me, and that the Lord I belong to stands to welcome his own?

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