I See Jesus

 

The Boxer Rebellion in China was the largest massacre of Protestant missionaries in history, with 188 adults and children being killed. Thirty thousand Chinese Christians also perished during the summer of 1900 at the hands of the Boxers. Among them was Chang Shen, the best known evangelist in Manchuria. Chang had been a notorious character prior to his conversion—a gambler, thief, and womanizer. At midlife he lost his eyesight, and neighbors considered it a judgment from God.

Hearing of a missionary hospital in a distant area, Chang traveled hundreds of miles only to find all the beds full. The hospital chaplain kindly gave him his own bed, and over time, doctors partially restored Chang’s vision. In the process they introduced him to Jesus Christ. When Chang asked for baptism, missionary James Webster told him, “Go home and tell your neighbors you have changed. I’ll visit you later, and if you are still following Jesus, I will baptize you.”

When Webster arrived in Chang’s village five months later, he found hundreds of inquirers. Chang’s eyesight didn’t last, but his evangelistic zeal did. He traveled from village to village, winning hundreds to Christ. Missionaries followed in his wake, baptizing and organizing churches of the converts he had won. When he was finally arrested by the Boxers, he was put in an open cart and driven to a nearby graveyard while singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know. …”

At the cemetery, he was shoved into a kneeling position. Three times he uttered the words of Stephen, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then the sword sliced through his neck like a knife through butter. The Boxers were so deeply shaken by Chang’s quiet authority that they had his body drenched in oil and burned, so as to prevent, they thought, his resurrection. But still apprehensive, they retreated from the area altogether, thus saving other Christians from being butchered to death.

In Acts 6:8 we read “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” Stephen was one of the six men put in charge of serving tables in the early Church.  The chosen men had to be “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). Stephen is the first on the list, revealing the high esteem that the Church had for him. For a man to be approved by those who know him best is the epitome of approval.

There was a rich fullness about Stephen. Acts 6 describes him as full of the Spirit and wisdom (v.3); full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (v.5); full of God’s grace and power (v.8). The phrase "full of grace " is found in only one other passage in the New Testament (John 1:14) and there it describes Jesus. Stephen reflected the character of Jesus.  He is the first non-apostle described as doing miraculous works.  He went from serving tables to performing miracles; from being faithful in little ministries to being entrusted with larger ministries (Matt.25:21).

9 Opposition arose…who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke… They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:9-15) Stephen’s ministry drew attention of opposition. Opposition this time arose from the religious leaders and the people. Before this time the religious leaders were afraid of arresting the believers because of the people (Acts 5:26).

This is the third time the Council sat in judgment on the disciples, first Peter and John, then all twelve and now Stephen. Each time the intensity of their "persecution" increased, going from warnings, to flogging and finally stoning.  Isaiah 11:2 predicted this about Jesus “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him; The Spirit of wisdom and understanding; The Spirit of counsel and might; The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. It’s no wonder that his enemies could not withstand his wisdom.

All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. What is the face of an angel like? The description is of a person who is close to God and reflects some of His glory as a result of being in his presence. Stephen had a "shining face" just like Moses (Exodus 34:29). Even with enraged enemies glowering upon him, he had no fear but He had no anger or animosity but was filled with grace.

He was kept in perfect quiet; he had trust which nothing could disturb. While the Jews are accusing Stephen of being a blasphemer, God puts a glow on his face.  Stephen stood, as Moses did with the mark of divine favor on his face. God will demonstrate His glory on the face of those people who live close to him; not visibly, but in the calm, peaceful, tranquil, almost transcendent trust that comes through in the most hateful, violent circumstances. 

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors... They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him” (Acts 7:51-53).”When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and, rushing upon Stephen, dragged him out of the courtroom, through the gate, out of the city, and stoned him!

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56). This has to be one of the most amazing passages in the entire Bible. Stephen saw heaven and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the mighty God!

Before he was crucified Jesus told the religious leaders “from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God” (Luke 22:69). After he had provided purification for sins, he (Jesus) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven (Heb 1:3). Jesus is spoken of in Scripture as “seated at the right hand of God” (matt 26:64; mark 16:19; Acts 2:34; Eph. 1:20; Col.3:1). Only once is He spoken of as “standing” and that once is here.

There was a sense in which Jesus suffered along with Stephen as he was martyred for as Jesus later told Saul "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5). It is as if Jesus, who was watching from heaven, had heard every malicious taunt that was hurled at His servant Stephen in that court on earth. He felt the cruelties inflicted on Stephen as if they were inflicted on himself.

The tender Shepherd sees one of the choicest sheep of the fold in the fangs of ravening wolves. And, as Stephen enters the valley of the shadow of death, He has no fear for the good shepherd is there to comforts and to give him dying grace. He stood up to honor Stephen for a job well done and to welcome him home; ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! ... Enter into the joy of your Lord’ (matt. 25:21).

Stephen "looked up steadfastly into heaven." If he had not looked up he would not have seen the vision of glory. If he had looked down, he would have seen danger and would have been afraid. He looked up and saw the sweet peace of heaven above him. He endured the stoning, because he was “seeing him who is invisible."  He saw heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God

Son of Man is a Messianic phrase (Dan.7:13,14) which the religious leaders were familiar with. The phrase must have been like a knife turning in the stomach of the Sanhedrin and especially Caiaphas. At his trial Jesus told Caiaphas “hereafter you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt 26:63-64). The Sanhedrin did not see the glorified Jesus but they will one day and it will be a monumental shock to them (Rev.1:7).

They all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7:57-58). Here we have the first introduction to the man who would become the greatest of all followers of Jesus Christ. The word “young "gives no indication of Saul’s age; Thirty years after Stephen's martyrdom, Paul speaks of himself as Paul, the aged (Philemon 1:9)”. 

The young Saul was not throwing stones and he did not raise his voice. But years later Paul, addressing Jesus, said ‘And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him’(Acts 22:4,20).   And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”(Acts 7:59-60).” His dying prayers were like his Master's (Luke 23:46).

To Stephen, dying was only breathing out his soul into the hands of Jesus Christ! His body was being mangled and broken, but his spirit, his real self, could not be harmed. Beyond the strange mystery of death Jesus waited to receive his spirit. The moment he dies, he will enter into the presence of Jesus. Maybe Paul had Stephen’s dying scene in mind when, years later, he wrote “we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).

Stephen “fell asleep.” What a picture of peace the word suggests, right here in the heart and fury of the mob! Even though the stones hurled past his head and rained down upon him"he fell asleep”. Stephen died in peace like one who falls asleep. Think of a tired child creeping into the mother's bosom and falling asleep. This beautiful Scriptural designation of death tells us, therefore, of life beyond, of resurrection, of immortality.

We shall awake from this sleep of death and our life shall go on again. We shall awake refreshed, lying down weary and rising strong; lying down sick, or old, or deformed, or worn-out--and rising well, young and radiant in heavenly beauty! The death of a Christian does not mark the end, but the beginning of endless bliss! While the Sanhedrin would see his body and think he was finally dead, unbeknownst to them, he was more alive than he had ever been on earth. It’s not a wonder that Balaam wished w “Let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like his!”(Num.23:10)

The last scene in our passage shows us the burial of Stephen. The death of Stephen, a dynamic witness for Jesus, brought shock and sorrow to those in the early church (Acts 7:57-60); Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him” (8:2). His body was laid away in the grave but they could not bury his influence. Stephen lived and died without ever recording one single convert but his death was not in vain.

Stephen’s speech was brief but if his words had reached or impressed no other life, they fell upon the ears of Saul. He never forgot the face of Stephen and his dying words. God answered Stephen’s last prayer; he forgave Saul. Stephen's preaching was stopped but Saul was called to take up his unfinished work. Toward the end of his life, Paul, decided to go to Jerusalem, where he knew he would be persecuted. But he remained undeterred, declaring that his purpose was “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). 

Stephen’s name “stephanos” was an adornment worn around the head as a crown of victory in the Greek athletic games. It was given to the runner who crossed the goal first and to the disc thrower with the longest toss. Apart from recognition of winners of various kinds of competitions, awarding of a crown or wreath signified appreciation for exceptional contributions to the state or groups within it. How fitting that it is the name of this godly saint who paid the highest price!

God is still looking for men and women who can be chosen because of their character and courage to represent him in the world and to confront the world with the truth. He is looking for people who can receive all  the world’s persecution and stand in the transcendent calm and peace of full confidence that all is well; People who even when rejected and even when persecuted rise above it.