I want to propose a thesis from this story which we have just read, and then give three supporting details. The thesis is this: I believe that God chooses certain men (and women) to be of great honor by allowing them to point to His glory.
Certainly that is what occurs in this story of Stephen’s life. One cannot read this without seeing that Stephen’s life and (more importantly) death point to Christ. Look at the obvious parallels.
1. Men oppose Stephen and argue with him, but verse 10 says, “And yet they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”
How many times do we see this in the life of Jesus? Men come to him, argue with him, but they cannot compete with his wisdom. It happens in practically every encounter that he has with the Pharisees. One such example is in Matthew 21:23-27. The elders come to him and ask him by what authority he does everything. Verse 24 says, “And Jesus answered and said to them, 'I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?'”
And they were stumped, knowing if they say, “heaven” that he would say, “Then why didn’t you believe him.” But if they say, “from men” then the multitude could attack them because John was revered as a prophet. So they said, “We do not know.” And he responded, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Christ’s wisdom and spirit was unbeatable. So was Stephen’s, apparently.
2. Verse 11 says that the men “induced [other] men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’” And what was their false witnesses’ testimony? They said that they had heard Stephen say that Jesus would destroy the temple (v. 14).
Was this not the situation that we find with Jesus in Matthew 26? Matthew 26:59-61 says, “Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, 'This man stated, "I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days."'”
3. Then as Stephen gives his defense and they begin to stone him and kill him, he cries out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! … Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (v. 59-60).
And was that not similar to Jesus’ cries, “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit” and “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:46 and 23:34)?
Stephen’s life and death recorded in this section of Acts is an obvious pointing to the glory of Christ. God chose him to be of great honor in that.
In fact, if Stephen had lived back in the time of David, we would have said that this was a Messianic prophecy. We would have said, “Yes, this is dealing with Stephen, but even more than that, it is describing what occurred (or from that perspective, “will occur”) with Christ.” For that is the situation with David in Psalm 22. As Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He was clearly pointing to the twenty-second psalm of David. And if you read it, then you see how much this describes the suffering of Christ. However, David could write much of that psalm because it was his suffering. He felt abandoned by God. He felt like his joints and bones were like wax. He knew that his enemies were around him, mocking him. That is why he no doubt sits to pen this psalm. He is recording his suffering and despair to God. But there is no doubt that his writing points to Christ even more than it points to him
How can this be? I think it is because David served as a model of Christ. David was showing us the glory of Christ in his own life. David served to show us in some of his life what the Messiah was going to do and be about. He was one of the men, like Stephen, whom God chose to be of great honor, by allowing him to point to the glory of Christ. David’s life pointed forward; Stephen’s life pointed backward. But they both pointed to Jesus.
But what are such men as David and Stephen like? What do the men look like whom God chooses to be of great honor by allowing their lives to point to his glory? I think there are a few qualities. I will point them out from Stephen’s life, but you could do the same from David’s and others’ as well.
First,
Stephen is described as a man who is full of the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom, full of faith, full of grace, and full of power. This man knew God. All you have to do is read his defense in 7:1-53 to know that he knew the Scriptures and the progress of redemption. He knew it. I believe that in all that is written about him here, it would be easy to speculate that he knew God better than he knew anything.
And his passion was to bring glory to his Lord. Do not think that Stephen did not know that this situation had great potential of not ending pretty. I mean, at the end of chapter six, he is dragged away, brought before the council, and they are bringing false testimony against him. These men are not looking to let him go on his merry way. But, even knowing that, Stephen says in 7:51-53, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
You do not say such things to angry men who want to kill you unless you are crazy—or unless you are so crazily obsessed with God, and with God receiving glory from those who hate him, that you count that greater than your own life. Stephen was passionate about what God is passionate about, namely, glorifying himself. Stephen knew that God had created them for his glory. He knew Isaiah 43:6-7 said, “I will say to the North, ‘Give them up!’ And to the South, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” He knew it and he wanted men to be called out and serve the purpose for which they were created so much that he was willing to give his life for it. He was a man after God’s own heart, which, consequently, is what God says of David as well. And to show how dear Stephen was to Jesus, he stands up to behold his child as he is about to die (Acts 7:55). So, such men know God and are passionate about what he is passionate about—himself.
Second,
Stephen’s entire life seems to be so that he can point us to the life of Christ. He is only recorded in a few verses here. We do not read of the many years before this, or his conversion, or anything. We simply read in Acts 6:8-7:60 that he comes, preaches, is taken into court, speaks his defense of the gospel, and is stoned to death. It seems that his story is told entirely to point us to Jesus. But let me contend that I believe that all men’s greatness is measured in their ability to point to Christ.
Look at Jesus’ tribute to John the Baptist in Matthew 11:7-11. Matthew writes, “And as these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes about John, ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Why could Jesus say that John is the greatest? How could he say that he was greater than Abraham? Elijah? Moses? David? Isaiah? He could say he was the greatest because he had the privilege of pointing directly to the Messiah. These others believed that there was one coming, and he would be God. They did not have John’s opportunity, however. John was able to point directly to him and say, “This is he!” John’s greatness was measured in the fact that he pointed to Jesus.
It would be like me saying, “Jonathan Douglas is the greatest person in the world because he introduced me to you.” That would be absurd, of course. But you would understand that I am not exactly bragging about Jonathan am I? I am displaying how great I am in such a statement. This passage is about the greatness of Christ. John’s greatness was found in the fact that he had the calling to point directly to him. But, anyone on this side of the cross—on this side of Pentecost—is greater than John the Baptist. I think that is what Jesus is saying in verse 11 about the “least in the kingdom of heaven.” Anyone on this side of the cross and pouring out of the Spirit is greater than John the Baptist. Why?--Because we can point to Jesus even more clearly than John did. John could say, “That is he!” We can say, “That was he, and he died, and was buried, and was raised, and is coming again." Our greatness is found not in ourselves, but in the opportunity that we have to point to Christ.
So, even though Stephen’s life was not much (as far as that which is mentioned), he was greater than David, Abraham, Isaiah, and many others because his life points us directly to the Son—in whom we have life. And his greatness is found in simply pointing us, and many others, to Christ.
Finally,
Finally, such men (who God uses to be of great honor in allowing them to point to his glory) understand that his glory is shown most clearly in the cross. Therefore, they understand their greatest honor to be found in filling up the afflictions of Christ.
Jesus is most glorified in his death. That is why he can say upon the brink of the crucifixion, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). And he can pray in John 17:1, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee.” He can say and pray these things because He is most glorified in his death.
Therefore, if someone is to be honored and found great in their pointing to the glory of God, then the person, above all else, should point to the death of Christ. And the greatest way that I see that happening in Scripture is in filling up his sufferings. Even as Paul says in Colossians 1:24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” He means that he is able to display the sufferings of Christ to the world. And in that (in displaying his suffering to the world), he is “filling up what is lacking.” For what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings is a personal display of it before men.
That is exactly what Stephen does. He knew God and was passionate about his glory. He wanted to point to Christ. And in his sufferings, which were like Christ’s, he modeled his Lord before them so that they could see him. He was showing them the suffering of Christ in his own suffering. One who is able to do that on this side of the cross and Pentecost is far greater than John the Baptist. What an honor it is to point to the death of Christ, wherein he is most glorified!
Do you see then why the disciples rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer for his name’s sake? That is exactly what had happened. God had chosen them to be of great honor in allowing them to point to His glory, and in the utmost way at that. They were counted worthy to suffer, so that they might point to him.
So what does this mean specifically for Cornerstone? I think it means that we do not despise a little suffering—whether it be at work, or at school, or wherever. And when we encounter suffering, we praise God, rejoicing because we realize the great honor in that. God is honoring us with an opportunity to point men to him. It means that we take the gospel to a man and if he spits in our face, we walk away smiling because they spit on Jesus’ face as well. And when you encounter suffering (of any kind—persecution or cancer), we rejoice in God, knowing that it will draw men’s attention, as we rejoice in him. I guarantee you it will. I think that is precisely why Luke includes that a young man named Saul was there. He wants us to see that living to point to the glory of Christ has an effect in drawing others to Christ.
Know God, pray for a passion to draw attention to his glory, understand that that is where greatness is found (in pointing to Christ), and do your part to fill up what is lacking in his suffering; and I believe that men will look to you and say, “God has counted him worthy to point to his glory.” Strive to be a man like Stephen, knowing God’s grace will be the strength that will allow you to do so.
For His glory. Amen.