You can turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 6. Acts chapter 6 for our meditation, our sermon this morning. We're going to break up the reading a little bit. We're going to start reading in Acts chapter 6.

We're going to read to 7 to B. Skip a portion and then pick up at Acts 7 and verse 44. I'll give a brief explanation once we break up at seven, too, as to why we do that. But let's begin reading in Acts, chapter six, at verse eight, and Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians and those from Cilicia in Asia, disputing with Stephen, and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes. And they came upon him, seized him and brought him to the council.

They also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against the holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us. And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. Then the high priest said, Are these things so? And he said, Brethren and fathers, listen." Now, what Stephen goes on to do in the following verses is he goes to set forth an apologetic presentation of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Covenant religion.

The Pharisees, all these unbelieving Jews gathered before Stephen, bringing these charges against him, were charging him for blasphemy, of blasphemy, charging him for opposing Old Covenant religion and the truth of it. And Stephen goes on to show that he does not disrespect and oppose what God had revealed in Old Covenant religion. But rather, the Christ whom he preaches, the Christ that he is all about, is the one to whom all of those articles of Old Covenant religion point to. He goes on to argue, or he is arguing, that the true tabernacle, the true temple of God, is fulfilled and manifested in Christ Jesus, the Savior.

And so we'll pick up reading in verse 44. But again, Stephen is plotting the history of Old Covenant religion and its fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ. verse 44 of chapter 7. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house.

However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands. As the prophet says, heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Has my hand not made all these things?

You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at Him with their teeth. But He, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord.

And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 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." Amen. Well, let's go to the Lord again in prayer. Righteous Father, we bless your name again that we can read from your scriptures and engage in this act of worship, the preaching of your word. And we just pray, Lord God, now that you would bless this activity to the praise of your name, Lord God, that you would cause us all to have ears and hearts open, that we might receive with gladness your word.

And we pray, Lord God, that when we leave, we would exalt and exalt the Lord Jesus upon our praises and our actions, and that we would sing his praises, that we would rejoice in all things that you reveal to us, and that we'd seek to live our lives in a manner worthy of your calling by grace. So just be with us now, Lord God, and cause us to engage in right and proper religion to the praise of your glorious grace. And it's in Christ's name that we again pray. Amen.

Introduction: Biblical Anthropology

Well, we're going to engage this morning in a study of anthropology, and hopefully I won't scare anybody off by using that term. We won't be examining skulls, and we won't be looking at bones. But we will be engaging in biblical anthropology, a study of man. Kids, that's what anthropology means, a study of man.

And when it concerns biblical anthropology, a study of man involves man as it pertains to creation, as it pertains to his standing before God, as it pertains to sin, salvation, etc. And from this narrative in the book of Acts, the trial and the death of Stephen, we're going to look at anthropology under three headings or a study of the characters and individuals involved under three headings. First, the murderers. Second, the martyr.

And thirdly, the messiah. So the murderers, the martyr and the messiah. Now, the Book of Acts up to this point is a record of what the ruling and reigning Christ is doing in time and in history concerning his church, concerning the advance of the gospel. Jesus, at the outset of the Book of Acts, said to his disciples, you will be witnesses to me first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth.

And as we follow the narrative in the Book of Acts up to this point, the first part of that table of contents, if you will, is going on. His disciples, his chosen heralds are being witnesses in Jerusalem. And this narrative concerning the trial of Stephen is right at the verge of the gospel going beyond the borders of Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. In fact, the very stoning of Stephen is the impetus whereby the gospel goes out beyond the borders of Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and then the uttermost parts of the earth.

Stephen was one of those seven men chosen, if we can use the term, as a deacon in the church at Jerusalem. Just backing up to verse 5, after the church had chosen, chapter 6, verse 5, after the church had chosen the men, we read, and the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and then names the other ones also. So Stephen is one of these men full of faith and power, full of faith and the Holy Spirit. chosen to be ministers to the church there in Jerusalem. And now we pick up the narrative concerning the trial, the defense and the death of Stephen.

And we're going to notice first off, we're going to look at

The Murderers

the murderers. The murderers, first off, will notice their identity. We don't need to spend too much time on this. Generally speaking, they are unbelieving Jews.

Specifically, we read here in verse nine, then there arose some from what is called the synagogue of the freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia. Now, there is some debate, which, again, we don't need to spend time on, as to who these actually were. And is that the Synagogue of the Freedmen comprised of Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia? Or is it the Synagogue of the Freedmen and then also Cyrenians, Alexandrians, et cetera?

I would take it as one of the options is that it's the Synagogue of the Freedmen comprised of Cyrenians and Alexandrians and those from Cilicia and Asia. So two different groups of unbelieving Jews here coming to bring the heat upon Stephen, this ungodly heat that they'll bring upon this one who is to become a martyr. So we have the Synagogue of the Freedmen, and most likely they were Jews released from Roman slavery. under the rule of a particular emperor. But moving on also, they are also before the Jewish council.

Verse one, then the high priest said, are these things so? So generally speaking, and to summarize this, gathered before Stephen are unbelieving Jews, those who opposed Christ and those who oppose his people. Secondly,

Their Ungodly Wisdom and Opposition

their ungodly wisdom. Notice their ungodly wisdom, first off, and that they are disputing an authorized herald of the triune God. Verse nine. Then there were some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians and those from Cilicia and Asia disputing with Stephen.

They're disputing with one who is full of faith and power and who did great wonders and signs among the people. Their ungodly wisdom is first off manifest in the fact that they are opposing an authorized herald of the living and true God. We'll notice this in a few moments, but they are doing they are following in the tradition of their fathers. And Stephen indicts them for this later.

They are doing exactly what their fathers did throughout the age of the church, throughout the age of the Old Testament and into the new. They are opposing the authorized and God blessed representatives of the triune God. And they do that to their shame. And it is it is obviously a mark of an ungodly wisdom.

But notice maybe more specifically, they do this, of course, not with biblical wisdom. We'll see that Stephen, when we get to looking at the martyrs, Stephen employs biblical wisdom. He goes to the scriptures. He argues from the word of God.

He argues from God's revelation. But these murderers, they argue based upon lies. They argue based upon the violation of their pride. They argue based upon a sinful response to truth.

And we'll get to that now as we look at their ungodly opposition. Notice verses 11, 12, and 13. What they engage in with this man Stephen. They don't engage in a legal response.

They don't engage in something comprised of legitimate and valid evidence, but rather they are conniving. Verse 11, Then they secretly induced men to say, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. You can see the activity of the ungodly when they do not like the godly. The activity of sinners, unsaved, unpricked, and unempowered by the grace of God.

Those who reside in their wickedness, they react to truth in such an ungodly way. Then they secretly induced men to say, verse 12, and they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. Another activity of those who are opposing godliness and truth, those who are opposing the living and true God and the Christ that he testifies to, they stir up the people. They cause problems.

They go to people. They have maybe a rally meeting to stir them up onto greater and a more heated opposition against Christ and his people. We see this throughout the book of Acts when Paul and Silas or when Paul and Barnabas or whoever are the representatives being narrated in the book of Acts come to preach the gospel. Whenever there is an ungodly response to it, and it's normally by the Jews, I don't mean to be anti-Semitic, but in the pages of Acts, it's Gentiles respond to the gospel more often than not, and the unbelieving Jews, according to the prophet's words, seeing they will not see, hearing they will not understand, do not respond rightly.

But what I'm trying to say is that every time Christ is preached, even when we hear the Lord adding to the church, we see that enjoined response, the Jews stir up the people to oppose the apostles and their preaching of Christ and Him crucified. That's always the response of the ungodly when they're given sway is to stir up people in opposition to those who bring the message of Christ. And also, verse 13, another activity of the ungodly. They also set up false witnesses who said, this man does not cease to speak. blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

Not only do they go to men secretly, not only do they stir up the people to respond with venom against God's people, but they also incite people to bear false witness, to lie. It's a threefold evil, a threefold wickedness that these murderers engage in. Again, they don't engage in justice, they don't engage in law, they don't engage in due course and due diligence. but rather they engage in what God abominates, in what God hates. You can turn to Proverbs for a moment, and we'll see as we read these very quickly, you'll see these murderers that we just have read about clearly defined and clearly characterized here in the Proverbs.

Proverbs chapter 6, beginning at verse 16. It's not just one of these things that these murderous Jews engage in, but many of them. These six things the Lord hates, Proverbs 6.16. Yes, seven are an abomination to Him.

A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. I would I would argue that these murderers are the three dimensional manifestations of the Proverbs 6 16 and following man. They engage in all of these things that the Lord God abominates and they do so again to their shame and to their condemnation. Notice also there under their ungodly opposition they were indicted by the truth.

Indicted by the Truth

They were indicted by the truth. First off, the very fact that they're secretly inducing men to say that they're stirring up and that they're setting up false witnesses. That's a response to the fact that they were indicted by the truth. Of course, they did not respond rightly, but they're indicted by the truth and they respond in that ungodly way of opposing the people of God, opposing Stephen in this case, and by extension, the reigning Christ.

But notice again, they were indicted by the truth. And we see that also in verse 15. We see something of the legitimacy of Stephen as a herald, but also the fact that they were indicted by the truth. And all who sat in the council looked steadfastly at him, saw his face, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

I'm not sure if you've ever had it sometimes, but I remember as a child and children, maybe you get this sometimes. Whenever we engage in a lie or whenever we engage in sin and we look at someone who indicts us, we should and we can feel that that conscience and that guiltiness. And we look at them and we can see them not as not as the face of an angel, but we can see them as a righteous judge in front of us. Yes, my mother and my father is right.

I am lying to them. Yes, I did do X. I did do Y. I did do Z.

And the person standing in front of me is... Sometimes that sinful response stirs up. Pride comes in and you get angry at them. You get mad at them.

You know they're right. And you get very angry. That's the response of these murderers, the unbelieving Jews, the synagogue of the freedmen, et cetera, the high priest and the council. They're very angry, not because of righteousness, not because of wholesome severity and righteous indignation, but because Stephen is right.

Christ is right. And Christianity is right. And they hate it and they seek to suppress that truth in unrighteousness. And what a horrible way to suppress the truth in unrighteousness as we have read the discourse and as we'll continue to work through it.

But notice also they were indicted by the truth. If you fast forward a bit to Act 754. Acts 7, 54. Notice this response.

And we're going to make a comparison to a different response in Acts chapter 2. But look at Acts 7, verse 54. After Stephen had indicted them for murdering the Lord Jesus Christ, betraying him, they respond this way. Or the discourse, or the narrative rather, reads, verse 54, when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart.

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. They were indicted by the truth. But look at the response. And they gnashed at him with their teeth.

Back up for a moment to Acts 2.37. A little Bible flipping going on, but it's useful to compare this passage with something quite similar, both in text and in occasion. Acts chapter two. This is Peter on the day of Pentecost, bringing the message of Christ crucified, resurrected, ascended and now reigning king.

And notice that verse 36. Well, we'll notice verse 37 primarily, but backing up to verse 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.

They were indicted by the truth. They were pricked in their conscience. They were hit in the heart, if you will, by the message preached by Peter. Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.

But notice and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Quite a contrast here. We have the people before Peter, again, unbelieving Jews from all nation under heaven, as chapter 2 says it. They had all gathered together, devout Jews had gathered together from every nation under heaven to hear, not to hear originally, but they did hear Peter preaching Christ to them.

And in Acts chapter 2 and in Acts chapter 7, we have Christ preached. But what's the response in Acts 7? When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. and they gnashed at him with their teeth. They were indicted by the truth, but they were indicted by the truth and they opposed him in an ungodly manner.

Keeping the Family Tradition

Notice fourthly, they're keeping the family tradition. their keeping of the family tradition. Verse 51, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised. This is verse 51 of Act 7. You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.

You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. This would be quite a leveling and a heavy indictment against them because the Jews were very proud of their pedigree. The Jews were very proud of their heritage.

They built monuments and glorious articles of architecture for their fathers. And here Stephen comes along and he says, adding to this, verse 52, which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one. Stephen indicts their fathers, and then he says, you're just like them.

Jesus did something similar in his life and ministry. He says, you are witnesses against yourselves to the Pharisees and to the Sadducees. You are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Stephen is very Christ-like here in his response, bringing this indictment, but again, They are just like their fathers, the fathers throughout Jews, unbelieving Jews throughout the history of the church, throughout the history of Christ's people.

When the prophets would bring the right message, a message, yes, that they might not want to hear when they would bring that message, they would always oppose it. They would always oppose the living and true God in all his declarations of grace and mercy, kindness, calls to obedience, calls to genuine heart religion. And they would murder the messengers. And here, Stephen is no different as the recipient of that opposition.

And they, the murderers, are no different in that opposition.

Their Murderous Rage

And then lastly, under the murderers, their murderous rage. Notice Acts 7, beginning at verse 57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Now, we need to see the gravity of what's going on here. These unbelieving Jews are the recipients of the oracles of God. We're talking about God's old covenant people.

In Romans chapter 9, Paul is brought to tears, continual tears and grief. because he wants the nation, the nation of whom he is a brother and a member, to be saved. He wants them to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's not just because this Jesus Christ is something new now announced to them, but it is the case that throughout Old Covenant religion, he was announced. They had Genesis 3.15.

They had Deuteronomy 18, which, mind you, Stephen quotes in his apologetics. They had Isaiah 53. They had Psalm 22. They had Psalm 16.

They had Micah 5 too. They had the knowledge that there would be one coming who would come to bring salvation to his people. And yet in the life and ministry of that one who was to come, they murder him. They nail him with Roman nails upon Calvary's tree and they cry out for his blood to be spilled.

And now Stephen comes and he preaches the fact that all of those articles of old covenant religion that they love so much pointed to and were fulfilled in Christ Jesus, the Redeemer. And yet they hate him and oppose him for that. He comes and in the face of all this adversity and trial and opposition and hatred, he says in verse 56, Stephen does, Look, I see the heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. They should have at that time, if we had our druthers, if we had our way, we would have wanted them to bend a knee right there and say, yes, Jesus Christ, my Lord and my King.

The One that was promised to them, He came. And He came to them and He preached righteousness, the Kingdom of God, salvation. They put Him to death. He sent a herald.

The risen Christ sends Stephen to come and to preach Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. And they're about to murder him. Stephen tells them that this one who you murder is now ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high. And yet, how do they respond?

They cry out with a loud voice. They stomp up their ears. And they ran at him with one accord. Why do they do this? a number of reasons why, generally speaking, they're mad because they're unregenerate sinners.

But what Stephen is saying here is Stephen is saying that this one who was crucified four years ago, let's say, within a handful of years, this one who you put to death, who you murdered in venomous rage a handful of years ago, is now the one who is exalted at the right hand of the majesty on high, just like he told you. Remember, he was before the high priest. The high priest asked him, tell us this. Are you the Christ?

He says, yes, I am. To paraphrase. Nevertheless, I say to you, very soon or soon after, you will see the Son of Man standing or sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. That's when they rent their garments, when the high priest ripped his garment and they beat Jesus Christ.

But what we see here is the fact that they crucified the Lord of Glory. And now this one is saying is that he is saying that he's seated at the right hand of God. Madness. Madness.

It's madness to them and it's a front to them. It's a stumbling block to them because they could not endure a crucified Messiah, let alone a crucified Messiah now exalted to the right hand of God. Let it never be in their mad theology, in their mad religion. But I think also there is that element of truthfulness, that element that they have already seen.

This man's face is the face of an angel. They had already had to oppose truth by lies, by false witnesses. by ungodly opposition. And what do sinners do when there is the truth exposed to them in the face of truth? They suppress it in unrighteousness.

And so they run at him, they cry out, they cover their ears and they stone Stephen to the dead.

The Martyr

Moving on then to the martyr. A more edifying examination in anthropology is an examination of Stephen, Stephen the martyr. And before we do this, it's always good to remember and to issue a qualification. Whenever we focus on and examine a saint of God, a hero of the faith, we do need to examine him, to look at him.

But we do not engage in idolatry with Stephen the martyr. We're not Roman Catholic. We don't pray to Stephen. And we don't put him on a necklace.

We can acknowledge his heroic activity, his steadfastness in Christ Jesus. But very quickly, we move from Stephen Or as we look at Stephen, we look to the Christ of Stephen. We examine the Christ who empowered him. We examine the Christ who sent him.

We examine the Christ of his profession. And Stephen points us there anyway. He says, don't look at me. Look, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

An examination of a saint is an examination of a trophy of God's grace. And we look at the victor. rather than that trophy.

Stephen's Legitimacy and Composure

But looking at Stephen, we're going to notice first his legitimacy, the strength given to him from on high. Verse 8, if you go back to chapter 6, and Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Stephen is full of faith and power. He is an authorized representative of the living and true God.

He is one who is a herald of Christ sent to bear witness to him. In Christ's earthly ministry, he said before this council, he said before the very same people who are here stoning Stephen, he said, Behold, I send to you wise men, prophets and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some you will persecute from city to city.

And so this is the fulfillment of that prophecy to be sure. One of the fulfillments of that prophecy. Stephen comes as an authorized representative of the sending reigning Christ. And he comes to bring the message of Christ.

His message came with divine authorization. Verse 10, And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. Now, yes, they stoned him to death. But with regards to the legitimacy, the purity, the accuracy and the veracity of the message that Stephen brought, there was no resisting.

There was no opposing because it was God's truth. Stephen comes and he brings as a herald of God's as a herald of Christ, the truth. concerning all of redemptive religion. Remember, Stephen is coming, and he's not just saying, although it would be fine to say and a great thing to say, he's not just saying, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. That in itself is a true and accurate statement and one that ought to be trumpeted all the time, frequently.

But he comes to Jews, he comes to God's old covenant people, and he brings out the fact that all of redemptive religion was fulfilled in Christ from Genesis, from Genesis to Malachi. They didn't have the New Testament yet, but from all of the old covenant is now fulfilled in this Jesus. And he brings that message. And it's a message.

It's a message of truth. And it's a message that they were to hear and that they were to believe. So his legitimacy, he's an authorized representative, and he comes with that divine authorization. Secondly, notice his composure.

Chapter seven, verse one. Then the high priest said, Are these things so? Verse two. And he said, Stephen, and he said, Brethren and fathers, listen, we pointed this out before.

I believe both both Pastor Butler and I. It's amazing in the light of what just happened. secretly inducing men to say, stirring up the people, and engaging or setting up false witnesses that Stephen responds, brethren and fathers, listen. Stephen is very composed. You think of how some of us might respond when people are lying about us, when our own countrymen are lying about us, when people are brought in secretly and they're stirred up against us.

If you've ever been If you've been in the life of this church long enough, you've noticed that when people are stirred up and when people have their pride cracked a little bit, crazy things can happen. Stephen was composed. Stephen was not going to revile in return when he was reviled, just like his Savior. When Christ was reviled, he did not revile in return.

Stephen, the same thing, all these charges of blasphemy and hating and hating the holy place in the law and all of these things are brought against him. And yet calmly and with composure, he says, brethren and fathers, listen, very composed. And this is how we ought to be when we are opposed with ungodly wisdom and ungodly opposition. We should respond initially and with the character of composure.

Listen to me. This is what's true. This is what's false. And Stephen engages in that composure and he manifests that composure.

He didn't blow up. He didn't attack. He didn't cry. It's another thing.

You know, some of us, and we think because we've never been in that situation and we can't necessarily, well, we can maybe imagine the situation, but we've never been in a situation like that where we have a whole council, a bunch of countrymen and the high priest gathered together before us. lying and in complete opposition to us. And Stephen knew what was going to go down. Stephen, I think, knew that, OK, this can't end well. Now, he knew it would end well in the sense of God's providence, God's gospel going beyond the borders of Jerusalem.

But he knew that he may need his end. But he, of course, had, as the discourse ends, the peace of Christ at the end of his life. But nevertheless, he probably knew what was going to happen. Us in that situation, some of us may probably break out in tears.

You know, we're about to be stoned to death. We're not. We're about to have large rocks hurled on our head. Now, God would give us the strength.

I'm sure Christians are given that strength and that peace in the hour of need. I don't doubt that. But we can think about it now that this is an amazing response by a godly man. He's about to die.

But he says, Brethren and fathers, listen.

Stephen's Christ-Centeredness

Thirdly, his Christ-centeredness. His Christ-centeredness. He did not seek after self-vindication, but rather Christ-exaltation. It's very important and wonderful to note here.

Stephen didn't say, brethren and fathers, listen, I'm innocent. He didn't say, brethren and fathers, listen, you got it all wrong. Brethren and fathers, listen, just let me go. He said, Brethren and fathers, listen.

And then he gets into the glory of God, the history of Old Covenant revelation and religion fulfilled and consummated in Christ Jesus. His response was Christ-centered. You know, we can think of how we respond to things. And is our response Christ-exalting and Christ-honoring?

When our pride is When people rub against us the wrong way, when we're charged with things, rightly or wrongly, what is our response? Is it Christ glorifying or is it self-vindication? I'm going to get them. I'm going to vindicate my name.

In the household, husbands and wives, if your wife or your husband calls you out on something, you don't have to vindicate yourself. Is your response Christ-honoring? Sometimes we have to sacrifice our pride. We have to push aside our pride, even when we're right, because that's Christ-exalting and that's Christ-glorifying.

How do we respond? Stephen responds again with that wonderful Christ-centeredness. He goes into, not a defense of himself, but a defense of Christ and Christianity.

Stephen's Foundation in Scripture

Fourthly, his foundation. What is Stephen's foundation in this whole discourse, in this whole narrative? Stephen's foundation is redemptive history and revelation. In other words, the scriptures.

Stephen doesn't argue based upon human psychology. He doesn't argue based upon anything save for the scriptures of the living and true God. In fact, his whole and it's amazing here, his whole that he said all of this before the council is amazing. I mean, the reason that I didn't read all of it, I mean, I could have read all of it.

It's Bible, but it's a long narrative. It's a long discourse. Stephen, I imagine, without scrolls and without anything in front of him, gives them the entire history, in a sense, of redemptive religion fulfilled and consummated in Christ Jesus. It's an amazing thing that Stephen can, after all these charges, say, brethren and fathers, listen and then lay out the Old Testament completed in Christ.

It's an amazing thing. And in fact, back up to the Luke for a moment, the book of Luke, the passage that we read this morning. Luke, chapter 12, look at verse 11. This is prophecy fulfilled.

It directly relates to what we're looking at right now. Verse 11 of Luke 12. Now, when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

You see how that relates there? He's brought before a synagogue and magistrates and authorities. He's composed. He doesn't worry.

No doubt this was passed on. This oral tradition and all of those things before the completion of the canon, you would have heard about Christ's words. Don't worry about what you should say. Don't worry about how you should answer or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

And how does the Holy Spirit teach? He teaches according to the Scriptures. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth.

Jesus Christ pray. And so Stephen here, empowered by the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit, working by and with the word, brings from that foundation of the scriptures a perfect argument concerning Christ Jesus and salvation by him. His foundation, Stephen's foundation, is the scriptures. Now,

Stephen's Wholesome Severity and Resolve

notice also his wholesome severity. That means he was angry. He was furious. He was strong, though in that he was righteous and self-control.

If that makes sense. You've heard the term righteous indignation. There is an ungodly anger that people can manifest. Yet there is a righteous anger, a righteous indignation or a wholesome severity.

This is not contrasting or inconsistent with the fact that he was composed. Brethren and fathers, listen. but rather it is perfectly in accord with it, verse 51 and following. You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. He's charging them with what the fathers were charged with, what unbelieving Jews were charged with by God through Moses and by God through the prophets in the Old Testament.

They were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. That stiff neck envisions an oxen or an animal that needs to be held and controlled by a yoke. They're fighting against it. They're kicking against the goats.

It's the language that Jesus uses with Paul a couple of chapters over. But you stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. He's bringing a charge against them that you are unregenerate. Just as your fathers who wouldn't hear, just as your fathers who didn't understand, who wouldn't see, you are doing likewise, and you're doing it to your shame and condemnation.

You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers.

What an indictment. Wholesome severity by Stephen, but righteous, true, and to the point. He knew that this would elicit a response that would end in his death, but nevertheless, he brings it to them. He brings to bear the truth of Christ the truth of their sin, their gross transgression.

And he brings it to bear with wholesome severity. Yes, he was composed. Yes, he was respectful. But also in that, he didn't cower.

He didn't hold back. He brought forth the truth with wholesome severity. A couple more points under Stephen. His resolve.

His resolve. He was settled upon the fact of his near end and he didn't shake. He wasn't moved. He was steadfast in Christ Jesus.

Notice verse 54 and following here. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at Him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, Look, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." I love this response by Stephen. He doesn't care about his persecutors.

Again, he doesn't engage in, oh, wait a minute. You know, they're cut to the heart. They gnash at him with their teeth. They're simply angry at him after he was righteously angry with them.

And he doesn't say, oh, you know, wait a minute. He doesn't, again, he doesn't fight for himself. He doesn't fight for his life. He doesn't fight for health or for anything else.

But rather, he couldn't care less about his persecutors. He has his eyes on Jesus Christ. And we may never be brought before a council to be stoned, but ought that not always to be our response? We are not to be concerned with those who cannot kill the soul, who can only harm the body, who can only shout words at us or hurt us, hurt us in our body, but rather we were to be concerned with what Stephen was concerned with, the glory of God and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God. instructive lessons by Stephen, we cast our eyes away from earthly cares and earthly enemies.

And we cast our eyes of faith in our case upon Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Stephen's Christ-Likeness

Lastly, under Stephen, his Christ likeness, the comparison between Stephen and Christ is glaring. And I don't want to make some ungodly comparison. Christ is Christ and Stephen is Stephen. Christ is perfect in all things.

Stephen is a sinner saved by amazing grace. But we do see that Stephen was Christ like. In fact, all God's people are to be so. But in many cases that we will never be, Stephen was like Christ.

First off, he was falsely accused before a council, before a high priest, just like Jesus. False witnesses were brought in against Christ. False witnesses were brought in against Stephen. Men were secretly induced to say against Christ.

Same with Stephen. The people were induced or stirred up against Christ. Crucify him. Crucify him.

Same with Stephen. Also, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. Men and brethren, listen. Jesus didn't engage in reviling His opponents.

He didn't spit back. He didn't beat back. He didn't mouth off. He didn't insult.

But rather, when he was silent, he was silent. Or when he needed to be silent, he was. And when he needed to speak, he did. And did so with wholesome severity and with grace on his tongue.

Stephen did likewise. His entire response was about the fulfillment of his mission. Again, Stephen's response here, in responding the way he did, he completed his mission as a herald of Christ. Again, didn't argue. for himself, didn't engage in self-indication.

Christ didn't do that either. What did Christ do? Completed the mission. Stephen here completes the mission to the end.

He preaches Christ to them, Christ's fulfillment of old covenant religion, and then he finishes his mission and goes into peace, goes into sleep peacefully in Christ Jesus. He completed his mission just like his savior. verses, chapter 7, verses 51 to 53, he was not afraid to bring the heat. He was not afraid to bring wholesome severity and indict and charge those who were grossly in transgression and sin. Again, we already looked at that, verses 51 to 53.

What did Jesus do in his life and ministry? Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, brood of vipers. Jesus was strong with his wholesome vindication. I don't know.

I've never been in a case where I've called anybody a brood of vipers. I guess I probably could if occasion called for it. And I would be and I would be it would be legitimate for me to do so. But Jesus, the point is, Jesus was strong.

Never, never. He was always perfect in his response. Never too harsh, never too light. He was always perfect in his responses.

And when he needed to, like Stephen, Jesus brought the heat. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Woe to you. He pronounces seven woes.

He pronounces words of imprecation. That means calling down the wrath of God upon his audience. He does that in Matthew 23 and elsewhere. And then lastly, under his Christ likeness, he spoke like his savior in the face of death.

Notice beginning at verse 57, and they cried out with a loud voice. stopped their ears and ran at him with one accord. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Just like Christ, father, into your arms, I commit my spirit into your hands. I commit my spirit. Stephen follows his master and his savior. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And you may see the italicized God inserted in your text there. Stephen is actually saying here the text should read and they stone Stephen as he was calling on and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He's calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He's praying. to Jesus Christ to now receive His Spirit into paradise.

And then also, verse 60, that 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. Remember Jesus from the cross. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Stephen, if he was to choose any words, why not the words of his Savior? Not stealing away any glory, not taking anything from Christ's crucifixion, but rather employing by good example the words of the Savior. Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Isn't that a wonderful ending to Stephen? When he had said this, he fell asleep. You know, I never want to belittle or or, you know, cast cast or take away from the death of loved ones. When our loved ones who are Christian go and they die, they go in peace.

I remember there's a there's a I wish I had brought it now that I'm thinking of it, but in a sermon on Stephen, one one pastor had noted a theologian who had died. And he was in the ministry, I think, about 50 years, something like that, very long in the ministry. And on his deathbed, those who were witnessing wrote about it. They said there was so much peace in this man.

They could see it. They could see in the face of death that Christians know that there is no sting of death. The sting of death has been taken away. There is no victory for death in Hades over the Christian.

But it made a comment, or the fellow who was on his deathbed said, that I have learned more in these past 10 days of my God than I have learned in 50 years previous. It's quite a statement. In those days leading up to death, he learned more about grace, about the love of God, about the faithfulness of God. about those things that are important than he did in 50 years prior. All of his book learning, he said, all the books in the library, though they're good things, though they're good tools, though they're great, all he needed at that point was his God and his Christ.

Because on the deathbed of a Christian, there is much peace and there is much solace for them. And and Stephen is certainly a case in point there. Well, moving on.

The Messiah

And lastly, as we close here shortly to the Messiah, we've looked at the murderers. We've looked at the martyr Stephen, his legitimacy, his composure, his Christ centeredness, his foundation, his wholesome severity, his resolve and his Christ likeness. Now, Jesus Christ here. And we'll spend more time on this this evening as we're going to look at the theology of this narrative.

The theology that comes out from this, but notice notice under the Messiah, under Jesus Christ, his primacy. It is because of and for Jesus Christ that all of this takes place. Remember, Stephen's response is all of Christ. Stephen's response is about Jesus.

It's very interesting, though, because he doesn't speak about Christ anywhere in his response until he gets to the indictment of the people, which is very interesting. Now, Christ is in there to be sure when he cites Deuteronomy 18, 18 to 20, when he cites various portions of Scripture, but Suffice it to say, Christ is absent in a sense of being named from that response. Nevertheless, it is all about Jesus Christ. And again, his primacy, Christ's primacy is clear in that Stephen's apologetic is all about Christ.

He was alive for Christ. He answered for Christ and he died for Christ. And throughout the book, the narrative of the book of Acts, it's all about Jesus Christ. The Pentecostals and the Charismatics like to say it's all about the Holy Spirit.

It's about the Holy Spirit testifying to the glories and the excellencies of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is a book that exalts Christ Jesus. It shows his victory. And now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, he's ruling and reigning and growing his church, empowering his church to go, therefore, and disciple the nations.

Christ's primacy is clear. in this narrative and in this discourse. Secondly, his innocence. Where do we see Christ's innocence stated here? I love this term for Jesus in Acts chapter seven at verse fifty two.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one? of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers. Wonderful term for the Lord Jesus Christ. It has in view His innocence and His harmlessness. His innocence and His harmlessness.

Yes, He was righteously indignant. Yes, He did bring the heat. But He was harmless in the sense that He was not violent. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return.

He was not a zealot. He was not a trouble-causer. He was innocent and He was harmless. Also, it has in view, I believe, his justice as God manifested in the flesh.

Jesus Christ is marked by perfect ethical lawfulness. In other words, when he deals with people, he deals with equity. He's not unfair. He's always perfectly fair.

Like God, the just judge, God, the father, as a just judge, Christ is anointed and his appointed judge is perfectly righteous and fair in all his adjudications. And it has in view, thirdly, his ethical holiness and purity in that he always did the will of his father. He was perfectly righteous from beginning to end. That righteousness which is ours by imputation in the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

And then two quick ones as we close here. Thirdly, His divine justice. His divine justice. I love this quote from John Gill.

And it's speaking concerning this. Look, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing. at the right hand of God. John Gil, Jesus being risen from the dead and ascended on high, was set at the right hand of God in human nature. And so was visible to the corporeal eye of Stephen, whose visual faculty was so extraordinarily enlarged and assisted as to reach the body of Christ in the third heavens, where he was seen by him standing to denote his readiness to assist him and his indignation at his enemies.

Isn't that a wonderful statement? The Westminster Shorter Catechism answers the question, how does Christ execute the office of a king this way? Christ executed the office of a king in subduing us to himself in ruling and defending us and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. You know, we read more often of Jesus Christ seated, sitting at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Here, Stephen sees him standing at the right hand of the majesty on high. It's a glorious thing. Yes, for us, he rules, he subdues us, he conquers our hearts and calls us to himself. He rules and he reigns over us with equity, mercy, and love, but for his and our enemies, He judges them with indignation.

And that is one of the reasons why he is standing here. He is standing in judgment over these that think they are the judges in this case. But no, Christ Jesus rules and reigns. And they might not see judgment then, but surely about 35 years later, when the Romans came under divine empowerment, sacked the city, destroyed the temple, destroyed the city, and put an end to all of those articles of old covenant religion in that manner, surely they knew then that that righteous judge did stand over us in indignation.

And lastly, divine comfort, again, John Gill, he was standing to denote his readiness to assist him. Isn't that wonderful? He'll later cry out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Jesus Christ, he already saw standing, the right hand of the majesty on high, ready to receive him, ready to truly and most certainly answer that prayer.

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Well, in closing, our response to truth, to sin and its finding out.

Application

Let none of us ever be like this council, like these unbelieving Jews. If we're found out in sin, if we're found out wrong, we ought never to respond like these and gnash our teeth. We ought to take it like men, take it like women, take it like Christian believers, and embrace it, forsake it, move on, repent, and find mercy in Christ. These people responded in an ungodly manner to their consciences being pricked, to them being found out in sin, and we ought never to do so.

Let us always be wholesomely tainted by grace and marked by repentance and seeking after the forgiveness of Christ. our response to those who oppose? Are we seeking to be Christ-like before our opponents, before our opposers? Again, do we respond in a way that exalts Christ, or do we respond in a way that seeks to exalt ourselves, that seeks to defend ourselves to the death? Let us always keep in mind, as Stephen manifests and sets forth, that our first and foremost direction is Christward in our responses, or it's Christ-focused and Christ-centered in our responses.

Let us always respond as Christ responded when we are reviled. We do not revile in return. And also, as Stephen responded, and then our response to Christ as Christians, true Christians, our response to Christ in this discourse ought always to be worship. It ought always to be as to that one who is glorious, exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high, ruling and reigning for our good and for the doom of his enemies.

We see Christ here, as Stephen does, though through eyes of faith, standing at the right hand of the majesty on high. Again, for our comfort and for indignation towards those who hate us, and by virtue of that, him. But also, if you're here today and you don't know this Jesus, It's always the preacher's response. And trust me, it is not a mechanical one.

Okay, at the end, we have to make a plea for unbelievers to believe on this blessed Christ. No, it's always something that the preacher enjoys to do. Yes, it is an obligation, but it is a joyful obligation. Yes, it is repetition, but blessed repetition.

The plea from the pulpit to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because if you do not believe now, you may not be like those murderous Jews. You may not be gnashing your teeth. You may not be going out to stone anyone.

But nevertheless, you are just as vile as they are. And on that final day, you'll stand before the judgment of the heavenly tribunal and you will be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. That ought to scare you. That should frighten you.

And if that does, we pray with the grace of God in the back of our minds, resting upon his mercy and his eternal loving kindness, that you would flee in the right direction. that you would not call upon the rocks and the trees to hide you from the wrath of the Lamb in that great day, but that you would call out to Christ as your blessed Savior, and that on your deathbed, like Stephen, you can say, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. We plead with you as the only answer to your sin, the only answer to your deadness and trespasses and sins and your opposition to the living Christ. Believe on Him and you shall be saved. Well, let's pray.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time in worship this morning. We thank you, Lord God, that we can sing, that we can read from the Scriptures, that we can engage in biblical worship. And we just pray, Lord God, that it would not be a weariness to any one of us, young or old, but that we would always enjoy and seek and look forward to coming into the house of the Lord to engage in worship. We pray for us here, who are your people, that you would bless us, cause us to walk in a manner worthy of everlasting life, Lord, that we would walk in the way everlasting, steadfast in Christ Jesus, seeking daily to put sin to death and to live unto righteousness.

And we pray, Lord God, for those who do not know you here, that by the power of your Spirit, by amazing and victorious grace, they would know our Christ, they would know our King, they would know our Redeemer, and that they would believe. Just be with us now, Father, help us to go into this week to seek to exalt Christ Jesus, to seek to live to your glory and to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of your glorious gospel. And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:15
• Deuteronomy 18; 18:18-20
• Psalm 16; 22
• Proverbs 6:16-19
• Isaiah 53
• Micah 5:2
• Matthew 23
• Luke 12:11
• Acts 2:36-37; 6:5; 6:8-15; 7:1-2; 7:44-60
• Romans 9