Everyone in the Jerusalem church liked Stephen. A “man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” – and a fluent Greek speaker in a city where many spoke Aramaic – God had a special place for him on the Way (cf. Acts 6:3, 5). When the Greek-speaking widows felt neglected in the church’s daily distribution for the needy, Stephen was one of the first men unanimously chosen to help bridge the gap (cf. Acts 6:1-7). He had the reputation, the heart, and the skills to make a difference. If that weren’t enough, he was also a gifted teacher, regularly addressing gatherings of Greek-speaking Jews that “could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:8-10). Yet instead of joining Stephen on the Way, some of them “secretly instigated men” to falsely accuse him before the Jewish Council, claiming he said that Jesus would destroy the Temple and change the Law of Moses (Acts 6:13-14). If that sounds familiar, it is because the same false charges were used to condemn Jesus before the same group not long before (cf. Matt. 26:57-68, Mk. 14:55-65). If Stephen had any advantage, it was that the Governor was not in town: the Romans did not allow the Council to enact capital punishment, hence the reason they had brought Jesus to Pilate to be crucified (cf. Jn. 19:6-16).
If Stephen was nervous, it didn’t show on his “face of an angel” as he took the Jewish people’s most accomplished religious leaders to church (Acts 6:15). He made Israel’s entire history his defense, using that irresistible wisdom of his to show that the only people rejecting what Moses and the Temple represented were those who rejected Jesus (cf. Acts 7:1-53). The Council was livid. Then Stephen’s own journey on the Way reached a fateful moment: he “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). Rather than being convicted by what Stephen witnessed, the Council furiously rushed and illegally executed him the old-fashioned way: stoning. As rocks pounded his body until Stephen “fell asleep”, he followed Jesus all the Way, crying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”, much like Jesus prayed on the cross (cf. Acts 7:60, Lk. 23:34).
Life on the Way will not always be gladness, favor, and esteem. Sometimes, it will mean facing persecution, injustice, and even death. Yet, the Way led Stephen through incredible pain straight to Jesus. He saw Jesus. His dying words were like Jesus. Now Stephen rests with Jesus until that glorious day when Jesus comes and the dead in Christ shall rise. If we will boldly follow Jesus all the Way, we will see God’s glory, too.
Join us as we learn from the real people in Jerusalem, Antioch, and Ephesus how to truly follow “The Way, the Truth, and the Life” of Jesus Christ together!