Boldness

Acts 7:54-60

Acts 7:54–60 ESV

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

PRAY

Some say this was the final rejection of Jesus as Messiah for the Jews. They say that because it was after this that the audience shifted from the Jews to the Gentiles.

What did they hear?

They heard quite a bit. Stephen really poured it out on them. He called them out and that took some guts. I will try to quickly lay out what they heard.

Stephen was only preaching about Jesus when the Jews falsely accused him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. It was here that he charged them for their crimes.

Stephen points out how they forgot their heritage (7:1-8)

They rejected the God-sent deliverers (9-36)

They worshipped idols (37-43)

They despised the Temple (44-50)

They resisted God’s Truth (51-53)

What did they do?

The stoning of Stephen was illegal. The Sanhedrin didn’t have the authority under Roman rule to authorize the use of the death penalty. Basically this was done by mob action.

What did he see?

Stephen was stoned for speaking the Truth.

What they meant for condemnation was used for coronation.

Stephen received his crown that day as he entered the glory of heaven.