← Back to sermon library

Acts chapter seven, we'll pick 
up the last section. I'll read beginning in verse 
44 to chapter eight, verse one. And then our focus this evening 
is on the martyrdom of Stephen in verses 54 and following. So beginning though in verse 
44, 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 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. Now Saul was 
consenting to his death. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for this, your written word. Thank you for the book 
of Acts and what it teaches us concerning disciple making and 
church planting and the extension of the kingdom of Our blessed 
Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, we thank you as well for your 
mercy afforded to your people in life and in death. And may 
these things encourage us, and may the gospel of our salvation 
refresh our minds and hearts tonight as well, Father, as we 
participate in the supper. May this indeed be a means of 
grace, and may you strengthen our faith, and may you help us 
to glorify you in this present evil age. Again, Father, forgive 
us of all sin and unrighteousness and guide us now by your Holy 
Spirit. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. Well, Acts chapter 7 and 
the culmination here in the martyrdom of Stephen actually begins prior 
to this. If you go back to chapter 6, 
you'll notice that Stephen is arrested. There is a sort of 
a debate or a discussion and they are bested by Stephen. So, 
of course, in terms of silencing their opponent, they arrest him 
and they put him up on trial. And the particular charges that 
they level against him are found in chapter 6 at verse 11. 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. That would be the 
Jewish Sanhedrin. And then it says, they also set 
up false witnesses who said, this man does not cease to speak 
blasphemous words against this holy place and the law, the holy 
place being the temple. It's gonna be the subject matter 
of his defense in the entirety of chapter seven. So they said, 
we have heard him say, verse 14, that this Jesus of Nazareth 
will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered 
to us. Interestingly, that's the same 
charge that they leveled against our Lord Jesus. Remember, when 
he stands before the Sanhedrin, This was the issue. You said 
you were going to destroy the temple. He didn't actually say 
he was going to destroy the temple like with C4 or something. We 
know that he was talking about the temple of his body. Intriguingly, 
going back in redemptive history, this was the same charge leveled 
at the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah prophesied concerning 
the fall of the southern kingdom. He prophesied concerning the 
Babylonian captivity of Judah, which would result in the decimation 
of their temple. For the Jews, the temple was 
everything. And so if they perceived that you were speaking ill of 
the temple, that was indeed a blasphemous offense. And so Stephen then 
defends himself in chapter 7. And Stephen's basic point, we 
don't have time to rehearse the entirety of his sermon, but he 
develops a biblical theology of God's dwelling among people. 
And he essentially says that God doesn't need a temple, an 
earthly place, in order to manifest his glory or his presence among 
his people. Abraham met with God prior to 
the tabernacle and temple. We see this in the patriarchs. We see this throughout redemptive 
history. And at this latter part of his sermon, he tells us that 
Solomon built a house for God. And then in verse 48, he says, 
however, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, 
as the prophet says. Now, when he gets into the words 
that he speaks as they're about to converge upon him and destroy 
him, he essentially says that everything the temple stood for 
is realized in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. So they are 
incensed and outraged against him. And so he defends himself 
by highlighting that he is not attacking the temple. He appreciates 
the theology of the temple. and how it inevitably led to 
the Lord Jesus Christ. The temple wasn't an end in and 
of itself, but rather it pointed forward to the blessed Christ. And so now that Christ has come, 
we have temple or dwelling in God through our Lord Jesus. So 
that's kind of the essence of his defense. Now, as he concludes 
his defense, notice in verses 51 to 53, he's not just, you 
know, satisfied with giving them a Bible study. Here's your biblical 
theology of temple, and here's what it means. Now, I want everybody 
to go home and think about this. No, he rebukes them. He applies 
his words, and he says, 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. He upbraids these men because 
of their culpability or responsibility in the death of the Lord of Glory. 
So again, he presses this home on their consciences. And that 
brings us now to his martyrdom. On the one hand, if you're thinking 
like a devil in man's clothes, you'll understand why they're 
so upset. They didn't like to be called stiff-necked and uncircumcised 
in heart. They didn't want to be told that 
they always resist the Holy Spirit. This outraged them. But the means 
that they employ to try to silence him was murder. It was wicked. 
It was vile. So I want to look first at the 
blessedness of Stephen in verses 54 to 56. Secondly, the murderous 
rage of the council in verses 57 and 58. And then finally, 
the death of Stephen in verse 59 to chapter 8, verse 1. What follows in chapters 8 and 
9 are closely connected to what Stephen prays in terms of Lord, 
do not charge them with this sin. But notice in the first 
place with reference to the council, verse 54, when they heard these 
things, they were caught to the heart and they gnashed at him 
with their teeth. The things they heard, the entirety 
of his speech, especially the emphasis upon the temple pointing 
to our Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't dwell in a house made 
with hands. Rather, it was typifying the 
coming of the Messiah, the just and holy one that you men crucify. Notice their fury. When it says 
they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. The word 
means to be cut to the quick or to be infuriated. You see 
an instance of this in chapter 5 at verse 33. You can turn there. When they heard this, they were 
furious and plotted to kill them. In chapter 2, there's a positive 
effect of being cut to the heart that is absolutely contrary to 
what we find in our passage. Now, when they heard this, they 
were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the 
apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? So there's a positive 
cutting to the heart, a conviction for sin and a desire for the 
Savior, but they have the negative cutting to the heart. They're 
outraged. They're furious. They want to rid the world of 
Stephen. As far as they are concerned, 
he is a blasphemer and he does not deserve to live. Notice as 
well they gnash their teeth at him. This is an expression of 
rage in the Old Testament passages where it's used. Matthew Poole 
makes the observation, gnashing of teeth is the curse of the 
damned, which men by their sins do prepare for. There's weeping 
and wailing and gnashing of teeth is what our blessed Savior says 
concerning hell and the outer darkness. So they are already 
preparing for that eventuality. Now note the blessedness of Stephen 
in the midst of this. They heard these things, they 
were cut to the heart, they gnashed at him with their teeth. Stephen 
probably understands that this is not going well, humanly speaking. Stephen understands that they 
did not respond favorably to his message. They were not cut 
to the heart and said, men and brethren, what must we do to 
be saved? No, they're angry, they're infuriated, they're going 
to get rid of him. And Stephen understands this. 
But notice how God affords comfort to his suffering saint in the 
time of crisis. Notice specifically what we find. 
There is a vision that he has and there is a declaration that 
he makes. The vision is in verse 55. Notice, 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. Brethren, there 
is our triune God. As I've had cause to reflect 
upon in the Gospel of John, it's not just one place or two places 
where we see the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. It is everywhere 
through Scripture. The true and living God is but 
one only. But this true and living God 
exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. the Father unbegotten, 
the Son begotten by the Father, the Spirit proceeds from the 
Father and the Son. So Stephen now is full of the 
Holy Spirit, he gazes up into heaven and there he sees the 
glory of God, and significantly there Jesus is standing at the 
right hand of God. Now again, brethren, I can't 
overestimate how this would outrage this particular audience. He 
has just reminded them that they killed him. They crucified him. And yet now Stephen has an eye 
full of Jesus standing at the right hand of the glory of God 
most high. That is precisely what he says. 
Now it's a vision that's available to him. And it's a vision that 
is limited or accommodated to Stephen's capability, capacity. The creature never fully sees 
the glory of the creator. John Calvin says, the glory of 
God appeared not unto Stephen holy as it was, but according 
to man's capacity. For that infiniteness cannot 
be comprehended with the measure of any creature. We cannot exhaust, 
we cannot contain, we cannot hold a view of the glory of God 
Most High as He is. That's why our confession of 
faith says that He's known only to Himself at the level of essence. 
The creature cannot plumb the depths of the glory of God Most 
High. So he's filled with the Holy 
Spirit. He sees the glory of God. And again, interestingly, 
he sees Jesus, not sitting at the right hand of the Father, 
but standing at the right hand of the Father. Turn back to chapter 
2 in the book of Acts, and you'll see another reference where Jesus 
is at the right hand of the Father. Acts chapter 2, specifically 
at verse 32. This Jesus God has raised up, 
of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the 
right hand of God, and having received from the Father the 
promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now 
see and hear. And then over in chapter 5. Chapter 
5, same sort of an emphasis in verse 31. Him God has exalted 
to his right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance 
to Israel and forgiveness of sins. So now as Stephen is being 
prevailed upon by this Sanhedrin, they're gnashing their teeth 
at him, they're infuriated, they're outraged with him. God, the Spirit, 
fills him. The Lord God Most High manifests 
himself to him, and he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of 
the Father. Now, other places in Scripture that speak of Jesus 
at the right hand of God, certainly Psalm 110.1, Yahweh said to my 
Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 
The book of Hebrews, chapter 10, makes much of the fact that 
Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father, after accomplishing 
his priestly work. That's a significant bit of theology, 
because the high priest on the Day of Atonement didn't sit down 
in the Holy of Holies. The high priest on the Day of 
Atonement went in, he made his sacrifice, and then he got out. And then he found the scapegoat, 
he put his hands upon that animal, he confessed the sins of Israel, 
and then they drove it out into the wilderness. He didn't sit 
in the Holy of Holies. So, theologically, to show the 
superiority of the high priestly office of Christ, once he offers 
up himself, that one sacrifice for sin, he sits down at the 
right hand of the Father. What's the implication? Never 
to duplicate the sacrifice again. It's once for all. What we do 
tonight in terms of the supper is different than Roman Catholicism. 
Roman Catholicism sees in their Lord's Supper an unbloody sacrifice, 
a sacrifice of atonement. That's not what we're about. 
There is a once-for-all sacrifice that Christ rendered, and now 
he sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father. So significantly, 
here we see Jesus standing. Well, it never says that he can 
only sit or he can only stand. Why is he standing? I think there's 
two particular reasons. So remember, he's full of the 
Holy Spirit, he looks up into heaven, he sees the glory of 
God, and there Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I think 
it suggests two things. First, his willingness and his 
readiness to receive Stephen unto himself. his willingness 
and his readiness to receive Stephen unto himself. After Stephen 
has his body caved in by the stones of this murderous rage, 
he is going to depart and be present with the Lord. And so 
that standing there signifies the help of the Savior, the comfort 
of the Savior, the graciousness of the Savior to receive his 
servant unto himself. But I think secondly, I think 
that what is suggested here is that it's not Stephen ultimately 
that's on trial. It's not Stephen that's ultimately 
under scrutiny. It's the Sanhedrin. Our blessed 
Christ at the right hand of the Father is watching over these 
lawless men, these godless men, these wretched men, and it's 
Him that is the judge that will in fact do right in terms of 
their ultimate destruction in A.D. 70. Poole and Gill say this, 
and standing ready to assist and comfort all that should suffer 
for his sake. That's Matthew Poole. John Gill 
says, where he was seen by him standing to denote his readiness 
to assist him and his indignation at his enemies. And I think that's 
comforting. On the one hand, Comfort in the 
sense that Christ is going to receive us. But on the other 
hand, vindication. Shall not God avenge his elect 
who cry to him day and night? Revelation chapter 6, those souls 
that are under the altar, those martyred souls, they say, how 
long, Lord, until you avenge our blood? The divine response 
isn't, oh, how dare you ask for vengeance? How dare you ever 
suggest there should be any kind of retribution upon the enemies 
of God? No, that's not the answer. The 
answer is, is that it's going to come. 2 Thessalonians 1, the 
apostle says, it is righteous with God to pay with tribulation 
those who afflict you. Brethren, we image God, and God 
is love, but God is also justice. God is righteousness. It is not 
wrong as the people of God to long for those things. So when 
Jesus is standing there ready to receive his servant, he's 
also standing there presiding as judge over this motley crew 
or over this kangaroo court, and he's going to bring judgment 
upon them. And incidentally, that's what 
Jesus prophesied in Matthew chapter 24. That was the basis for which 
they called him to the Sanhedrin. You're talking about the destruction 
of the temple, just like Jeremiah before him. And when Jesus is 
standing before the high priest, he says something that Stephen 
will imitate. Notice what we find in the declaration 
that he makes, verse 56. And he said, look, I see the 
heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of 
God. I'm not sure that anyone else in the New Testament refers 
to Jesus as the Son of Man. Jesus refers to Jesus as the 
Son of Man on numerous occasions. It's one of his favorite titles 
for himself. It reflects Daniel 7, 13 and 14, which is an ascension 
text. It's when the Son of Man ascends 
to the ancient of days and then all power, all glory, all kingdom 
is given unto him so that he may rule and reign. And so when 
Jesus said that before the Sanhedrin, they understand precisely what 
he was talking about. That's why the high priest rent 
his garment and accused him of blasphemy, because he understood 
what Jesus was claiming. Jesus was claiming to be Daniel's 
son of man that would ascend to the Ancient of Days, that 
would take his position at the right hand of the Father, and 
he would rule and reign over all things. And so Stephen says 
essentially the same thing, and it has the same effect upon his 
hearers. Notice that they're not softening. 
Notice that they're not saying, wow, he's making such good biblical 
sense. He's quite the theologian. He's 
quite the man. No. Everything that he says, 
they resist, they reject, and they ultimately drive him out 
of the city to stone him. So he says, look, I see the heavens 
opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Jesus, 
before the Sanhedrin says, when they asked him, are you the Son 
of God? He said, it is as you said. Nevertheless, 
I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at 
the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. 
Intriguingly, brethren, when Christ refers to himself as Son 
of Man, it's not necessarily that he's highlighting his true 
humanity. More often than not, when he 
speaks of being the son of man, it is underscoring his divinity. 
It is underscoring that Daniel passage in Daniel 7, 13 and 14. When he's referred to as the 
son of God, for instance, in Luke's gospel in the genealogy, 
it is his humanity that is being stressed. Now we know the one 
person of Christ, two natures, divine and human. Here, specifically, 
he is predicating of the Son divinity. Look, I see the heavens 
opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Why 
does he tell them what he sees? Why does he do this? Is he trying 
to get stoned? Is he trying to get murdered? 
Is he trying to get executed? No. He does it for two reasons. Calvin suggests it's to rebuke 
his hearers. He says God meant not only privately 
to provide for his servant, but also to wring and torment his 
enemies, which this most certainly would have done. but as well 
to corroborate his defense. Look, I see the heavens open 
down the son of man, standing at the right hand of God. He 
is the true temple of God. He is the reason for which the 
temple existed. It pointed toward him. It spoke 
of him, it foreshadowed him. His argument all along has been 
the presence of God is not confined to the temple or to Jerusalem. His glory appeared to Abraham 
in Mesopotamia and his glory was now in heaven associated 
with Jesus and seen by Stephen. So this would outrage his hearers. Now, again, I doubt Stephen said, 
hey, how can I get maximum effect and really irritate these guys? 
I don't think that's what's in his head. I think Calvin is saying 
this is one of the reasons or one of the effects that it has, 
but he's looking up into heaven. He sees the glory of God and 
Jesus standing at his right hand. Who wouldn't report that? Who 
wouldn't exclaim that? Who wouldn't tell somebody or 
tell everybody, look, this is what I'm witnessing, your outrage, 
You're infuriated, you're gnashing your teeth at me, you want to 
destroy me, but God Most High is my ever-present aid and help. God Most High stabilizes His 
saints. In the moment of excruciating 
difficulty, in the moment of excruciating hardship, it is 
not the case that God abandons His people. Yea, though I walk 
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? Because thou art with me 
as I move through the valley of the shadow of death. The Apostle 
Paul at the end of Romans chapter 8, I am persuaded there is nothing 
that can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. And he describes some things 
there that are pretty horrific. He describes some things there 
that are pretty challenging. And yet it is never the case 
that Christ will leave or abandon those for whom he died. From 
heaven he came and sought her. He came to die and bleed for 
her. He will never, ever forsake us 
and will never, ever let us go. Now notice the murderous rage 
of the council in verses 57 and 58. First of all, they seize 
Stephen. So they don't say, wow, great 
observation. This guy's a good theologian. 
We should listen to him. Nope. Then they cried out with 
a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord. Now remember, these are grown 
men. These are the same men that slapped our blessed Savior as 
he stood before the Sanhedrin. These men act like children. 
And that's not a diss on children. Children are supposed to act 
like children. Adults are not supposed to act like children. 
They're acting like petulant little babies that don't get 
their way, and instead of just trying to best him with argumentation, 
refute him with their own scriptures, no. They just get more outraged, 
and now they're going to stop their ears, and they're going 
to rush upon him. the significance of the stopping 
of the ears. Oh, he is blaspheming. The things that he is saying 
are just too wretched for our especially holy and pure ears. These are self-righteous, godless 
men who parade themselves as the leaders in Israel, And yet 
they have descended into the mob mentality of just trying 
to murder somebody. One man says, the remarks send 
the crowd into a frenzy. When Stephen declares that he 
sees the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, he 
is stoned for blasphemy. Because in the view of these 
Jews, no one has the right to be at the side of God's heavenly 
presence. Do you understand that? The one 
that you crucified, the one that you put to death, the one that 
you put into the ground, that one now is standing at the right 
hand of God Most High, and that one is the means by which sinners 
and God dwell together. In other words, He's the temple, 
He's the dwelling place, He's that which tabernacle and temple 
pointed unto. Now notice, they run at him. 
This shows their unity. It shows their solidarity. When 
they heard these things, or rather what then they cried out, verse 
57, with a loud voice, stopped their ears and ran at him with 
one accord. The wicked are at times far more 
unified in their machinations than the righteous are. Shared 
with you before, we've gone through it before in Acts chapter 23. 
There is this conspiracy to murder Paul. There is this conspiracy 
to rid the earth of Paul. These people engage in this. 
They say, we won't eat again until Paul is dead. I don't know 
that I see that kind of Christianity, that kind of commitment. I'm 
not going to eat again until such and such a thing takes place. 
There is resolve on the part of the wicked to try and rid 
the world of the righteous. I've said that this morning. 
This is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. 
That's kind of the connecting theme between the morning and 
the evening sermon. Now notice, they cast him out 
of the city. Verse 58 tells us, they cast 
him out of the city and stoned him. Why did they cast him out 
of the city? Well, the Old Testament law demanded such. And I think 
the idea is simply this, his blasphemy is too wretched to 
penetrate our perfect ears. But his blood is too putrid to 
litter our perfect city. We've got to get him out of the 
city, and we've got to deal with him there. And again, that's 
the stipulation in Leviticus chapter 24. Leviticus 24.14, 
in terms of Old Testament penalty for blasphemy. Take outside the 
camp him who has cursed. Then let all who heard him lay 
their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone 
him. You have an incident or an illustration of this in the 
execution of Naboth in 1 Kings chapter 21. Remember Naboth had 
his own piece of property and Ahab wanted it so he could have 
a vegetable garden or a vineyard. And of course Ahab said, you 
know, it's his, I can't really do anything with it. And Jezebel 
says, go over there and take that land. She concocts a story, 
she accuses him of blasphemy, and they take Naboth outside 
the city, and there they stone him to death. So the Jews are 
operating in a unique situation. They are actually breaking the 
law horribly, But at the same time, in their fastidious self-righteousness, 
they're trying to keep the law. Oh, Leviticus 24, 14, we got 
to drive this man out of the city and we have to execute him. So they cast him out and then 
they stone him. And again, this is the Old Testament 
penalty for blasphemy. So Leviticus 24, 16. And whoever 
blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. 
All the congregation shall certainly stone him, a stranger as well 
as him who was born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of 
the Lord, he shall be put to death. Now the question arises 
in this particular situation, was this the end of judicial 
process? Was this the end of due process? 
After all, the Sanhedrin is the highest political and religious 
court in Israel. But in John 18, they didn't have 
the authority to execute the Savior. In John 18, they admit 
as much. They didn't have the prerogatives 
to execute criminal offenders. That's why they had to go to 
Pilate. That's why they had to concoct the story about Jesus. 
That's why they had to get him on tax evasion. Because, of course, 
that would challenge the prevailing authority in Rome. Anybody that 
doesn't want to pay their taxes, never forget this, brethren. 
You are an enemy of your government if you don't pay their taxes. 
You don't pay your taxes, that's the crime that will get you undone. 
That's what brought down Al Capone, the man who had bodies everywhere, 
the man who engaged in criminal enterprise. It was tax evasion 
that ultimately brought him down. So they charge him with blasphemy, 
but Pilate's not going to execute Jesus based on blasphemy. So 
they concoct this story that he forbids paying taxes to Caesar. So it's a kangaroo court, but 
they acknowledge that they don't have the authority to engage 
in capital punishment relative to the Savior. What changed? Why do they now have it in the 
case of Stephen? They don't have it in the case 
of Stephen. They're getting more emboldened 
against the way. They're getting more emboldened 
against the Christian church. They are getting more outraged, 
and they are taking the law into their own hands. So their fastidiousness, 
well, we've got to take him out of the city. We've got to execute 
him with stones as commanded by Moses in the book of Leviticus. 
But you don't have the authority or the right to do this. Let 
every soul be subject to the governing authority. There is 
no authority except from God. You're under the Roman Empire. 
They didn't give you the ability to engage in capital punishment. 
And so they have taken the law into their own hands. They drive 
Stephen outside of the city and then they throw stones at him. Now kids, they're not throwing 
little rocks to irritate him. They're picking up big stones 
and they're throwing them at Stephen in order to kill him, 
in order to murder him. And this is murder. This isn't 
justice, this isn't righteousness, this isn't due process, this 
is an outrage in terms of jurisprudence. They don't have the authority, 
they don't get any witnesses, they have no cross-examination, 
there's no defense that is appropriate at this point. They just go to 
summary execution to shut him up. Brethren, as I mentioned 
this morning, the antithesis is real. The God-haters hate 
the people of Christ, and they will do them disservice and injustice 
any chance that they get. Notice what they do, according 
to verse 58. And the witnesses laid down their 
clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Why would they 
lay down their clothes? Well, probably because their 
clothes got in the way of being able to throw the stones. If 
you're going to be inhibited from carrying out execution, 
you've got to get rid of any inhibition. Take off the outer 
garment. And what happens as well when 
you're picking up stones and throwing them at people to kill 
them? You probably start to get a little warm, you probably start 
to sweat a little bit. So Luke is very detailed, he's 
very graphic in terms of description, because he wants us to understand, 
oh yeah, a biblical theology of temple, oh yeah, these murderous, 
wretched Jews, but he also wants us to understand the warfare 
that is leveled against the people of God. Stephen is a good man. Stephen is filled with the Holy 
Spirit. Stephen is a wise man. Stephen is a man that knows his 
Bible. And Stephen is a man that can speak the truth. And yet 
that will not hold in this context. And so they have to rid the earth 
of this particular man. So the witnesses are those stoning 
Stephen. Deuteronomy 17, seven. The hands 
of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him 
to death. And afterward, the hands of all 
the people. So you shall put away the evil 
among you. Now notice, and the witnesses 
laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Now Saul is going to feature 
large in the rest of the book of Acts. In fact, the spotlight 
is going to be upon him in the rest of the book of Acts. He's 
introduced here as a young man, probably around the age of 30. 
In Philemon verse nine, he refers to himself as Paul the aged. 
He's probably around 60 at that particular time. And so Saul 
is introduced to us. And I think Saul is introduced 
to us so that when we read Paul's epistles, we understand that 
he's not treating this in an abstract way. He's not saying, 
oh, the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, is a wonderful thing. 
And he talks about the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1, 7. 
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins according to the riches of his grace. He knew that theologically. He knew that biblically. But 
he knew that experientially. Here was a man that was tasked 
with guarding the outer garments of those engaged in an act of 
murder against Christ's martyr. This is grace, brethren, the 
fact that God answers this prayer in the conversion of Saul of 
Tarsus, the prayer we'll see in just a moment, and in the 
use of Saul of Tarsus as the great apostle Paul to the Gentiles. Paul knew the grace of which 
he wrote. Paul knew the grace of which 
he preached. Paul knew that grace because 
it was grace that taught his heart to fear. He was a murderous 
wretch just like the rest of them. He was a murderous and 
complicit individual in the stoning death of this wonderful man called 
Stephen. Now notice finally the death 
of Stephen in verses 59 and following. We see his death and then as 
well we see the consent of Saul. Notice in the first place his 
dying words. His dying words. You can tell 
a lot about a man by what he says in the 11th hour. And Stephen 
is no exception to that. Notice in verse 59, they stoned 
Stephen as he was calling on. God there is supplied. I think 
it's better left out. They stoned Stephen as he was 
calling on and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Notice the 
similarity with his master. It's precisely one of the sayings 
of the Savior on the cross. He says to the Father, receive 
my spirit. This is from Psalm 31, and we 
see it specifically on the cross in Luke chapter 23. So he says, 
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. That's a comforting proposition. 
Notice what he's saying there. Notice what he's doing. Jesus 
is standing there, poised to receive him. And so Stephen affirms 
that, yes, receive my spirit. That's the end for all of us 
as God's people. If we're not God's people, we 
don't get that blessing. If we're not God's people, we 
don't get that comfort. If we're not God's people, the 
end is terrifying. But in this instance, even though 
he's being stoned to death, he's being pelted, he is being brought 
within inches of his life, he's able to say to his blessed master, 
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. The comfort afforded by our blessed 
God is obvious. Calvin says this is an inestimable 
comfort, in that we know our souls do not wander up and down 
when they flit out of our bodies, but that Christ receiveth them, 
that he may keep them faithfully if we commend them into his hands. 
This hope ought to encourage us to suffer death patiently. Now, none of us plan for our 
death that way. Well, you know, when the end 
comes, I hope I suffer it patiently. But perhaps we should. Perhaps 
we should pray to God for the grace necessary to exit this 
world in such a fashion. and to realize that this is the 
means by which we gain. Remember Paul in Philippians 
1.21, for to me to live is Christ and to die is what? To gain. 
What do you do with Paul? Do you kill him? He gets more 
Christ. Do you let him live? He gets 
more Christ. Whatever you do with Paul, it's 
about more Christ. See, that's an attitude or a 
disposition that the people of God need to imbibe. That's the 
kind of thing that we need to be about. We need to have that 
confident expectation that when we breathe our last, the Lord 
Jesus is going to receive our spirit. Paul says in 2 Corinthians, 
it's better to depart and be present with the Lord, or to 
be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Philippians 
1.23, he's conflicted. If I stay on, there'll be fruit 
from my ministry. But if I leave, it is far more 
excellently better, is what he says. The reality that an ascent 
into heaven to be with the Savior is something that is most glorious. 
And the reality that Jesus hears prayer and receives the spirits 
of just men made perfect. Again, that he calls upon Jesus 
to receive his spirit. We miss things like that all 
the time in our Bible reading, but they wouldn't have. They 
would understand Psalm 31. Into your hand, I commit my spirit. Who is the receiver of spirit? 
It's God most high. What is Stephen predicating of 
Jesus? That he's God most high. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Notice as well, he then calls 
upon Jesus to forgive them. just like Jesus on the cross. He calls out to the father to 
receive his spirit. And he says, father, forgive 
them for they do not know what they do. So he calls on Jesus 
to forgive these murderers. Notice in verse 60, then he knelt 
down and cried out with a loud voice. That's similar to Jesus 
as well. When Jesus cried out, it was 
with a loud voice. When Stephen cries out, it's 
with a loud voice. How does he have the energy? 
He's being stoned to death. Right? Well, if God calls upon 
you to suffer in a similar manner, then God affords the resources 
necessary so that you'll be stable, so that you'll be secure, so 
that you'll be equipped and able. Sometimes we read Fox's Book 
of Martyrs, or we read incidents like these, and we say, man, 
I wonder if I could handle that. Somebody put a gun to my head 
and said, recant or I pull the trigger. What would we do? Well, 
I'd like to say I'm not going to recant and they can go ahead 
and pull the trigger, but I know I'm a chicken. I know I'm a coward. If God puts us in that kind of 
a situation, we trust God to provide the Spirit to aid us 
in that situation. When Thomas Hawks is burning 
and melting in the fire and his last dying words is, Christ is 
Lord of the fire, we say, man, what a great guy Thomas Hawks 
was. He was, but what a great God we serve that gives his people 
the energy and the strength in dire straits to cry out with 
a loud voice when they're within inches of their death and say 
this Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, 
do not charge them with this sin. Do not charge them with 
this sin. Again, you gotta see where the 
narrative is going. Saul of Tarsus is going to not 
be charged with this sin. Saul of Tarsus is gonna be forgiven 
on the road to Damascus. Saul of Tarsus is the fruit of 
an 11th hour prayer offered up by Stephen in a time of great 
calamity and in a time of great trial. He says, Lord, do not 
charge them with this sin. And God most high receives that 
petition. Now, in terms of his corroborating 
evidence to his sermon beforehand, you say, well, Butler, it doesn't 
say, he says that, you know, Jesus is why the temple stood. Jesus is the anti-type for that 
typical temple. Oh, yes, he does. Notice he connects 
Jesus with the forgiveness of sins. That's temple stuff. Notice that he connects Jesus 
with access to God. That's temple stuff. And he connects 
Jesus to this house of prayer, which is the temple. So everything 
the temple stood for, everything that it typified, finds its realization 
and fulfillment in our Lord Jesus. So in these dying words, he is 
corroborating the biblical theology of temple that he presented beginning 
in chapter seven at verse one. He is not shrinking back. He 
is not saying, oh no, I capitulate. I'm gonna see it the way you 
guys tell me. No, he contends for the truth even to the bitter 
end. And then notice how verse 60 
describes his death. And when he had said this, he 
fell asleep. Probably not the word choice 
I would have picked if I was Luke. He was brutalized, he was 
bleeding, he was battered, he was broken. What a horrific and 
wretched death that he died. I think anybody would be satisfied 
with that response. But for Luke, when he had said 
this, he fell asleep. F.F. Bruce says, Stephen fell 
asleep, an unexpectedly peaceful description for so brutal a death, 
but one which fits the spirit in which Stephen accepted his 
martyrdom. Amen. The people of God die well. The people of God exit this world 
in a manner that is consistent with their calling, their high 
calling, in Christ Jesus the Lord. And then finally notice 
the consent of Saul of Tarsus in verse 1. Now Saul was consenting 
to his death. This means to join in approval, 
to agree with, to approve of, to consent to, to be sympathetic 
with, to the murder. He was consenting to an act of 
murder. So when he says, this is a faithful 
saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the 
world sinners to save of whom I am chief. He's not kidding 
brethren. It was grace that taught my heart 
to fear. Paul could sing that with John 
Newton. Paul could sing that with any 
of us. He wasn't some theological machine that just wrote abstract 
theology and dispensed it to the masses. His whole theology 
was essentially an explication of what had happened to him on 
the road to Damascus. He wasn't seeking Christ. He 
was opposing Christ. He wasn't seeking to be in the 
church. He was trying to destroy the church. It was grace that 
taught his heart to fear. And interestingly, he repeats 
this in two places that I think are significant. Turn to Acts 
chapter 22. Acts chapter 22. specifically at verse 20. Well, verse 17, now it happened 
when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple 
that I was in a trance and saw him saying to me, make haste 
and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your 
testimony concerning me. So I said, Lord, they know that 
in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on 
you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also 
was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes 
of those who were killing him. He never forgot that, brethren. 
You just don't forget something like that. And then turn to Romans 
chapter 1. Romans chapter 1, where the apostle 
is upbraiding the Gentiles, for what can be known of God is manifest 
to them through the created order. The creature leads us to the 
Creator. We look at the effects and we 
go to the cause. And Paul tells us that in general 
revelation, God manifests Himself. But one of the things that he 
says, the end of the chapter, notice in verse 32, who, knowing 
the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such 
things are deserving of death, they not only do the same, but 
also approve of those who practice them. Calvin says in his commentary, 
this is the summit of evil. It's not only that you're content 
to damn yourself, but you want to sit around and watch everybody 
else and consent while they damn themselves. And so the apostle 
probably, maybe, potentially has in his own mind here, in 
the utilization of this particular statement, this Stephen incident. He may not have picked up a stone. 
He may not have thrown one at Stephen's head. He may not have 
delivered the death blow, but he was involved. He was consenting. He was approving. There was everything 
about that particular event that satisfied this man. He was a 
wretch saved by grace. He was a sinner that needed the 
cleansing blood. of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Back to Acts chapter 7, I love 
what Matthew Henry says concerning this incident. He says that Paul 
fed his eyes with this bloody spectacle in hopes it would put 
a stop to the growth of Christianity. He says, we have reason to think 
that Paul ordered Luke to insert this for shame to himself and 
glory to free grace. So that when we come to 1 Timothy 
1.15, we can't scratch our heads and say, what kind of a sinner 
was Paul? Oh, this is the kind of sinner Paul was. So that when 
Paul preaches the gospel to sinners like you and me, when Paul celebrates 
the grace of God Most High, When he says in Ephesians 1, in him 
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of his grace, we can affirm that Paul's 
not lying, Paul's not faking, Paul's not engaged in hyperbole. 
He's not just trying to win arguments, but rather he is telling you 
of the availability of a fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness. 
Do not continue in rebellion against God. Do not continue 
to resist. Do not continue to reject. Do 
not be one that would be upbraided by Stephen. You stiff-necked 
and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy 
Spirit. Don't do that. Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Confess Him as Lord and Savior. Turn from your sins and know 
the joy of being found in Him. Not having your own righteousness 
which is from the law, but that righteousness which is from God 
received by faith. In conclusion, the murderers 
are wretched. Their vile response to his message 
is to be cut to the heart and infuriated and gnash at him with 
their teeth. And their murderous response 
to his vision is in verses 57 and 58. They prevail upon him 
with one accord, they drive him out of the city, and they commence 
to stone him to death. Now, in terms of the goodness 
of God, we ought to appreciate that He is with His people in 
their time of trial. I referred to that girl Leah 
this morning. How did she do it? Honestly, 
brethren, that would be a tough one. By the age of 18 to have 
two children from somebody that did not marry you and love you 
and care for you and do those things that are good in a marriage 
situation. How does she do it? Is she just 
a bulwark of stability and a strong individual? Well, no doubt she's 
got some natural resources. No doubt she's a sturdy gal, 
but it's the grace of God. How does Thomas Hawks in the 
fire say, Christ is Lord of the fire. It is because the sovereign 
God, the triune God, affords help to his people in time of 
need. Notice as well that he gives 
strength to his people in their time of need. He's not just with 
them. Stephen's full of the Holy Spirit. 
He gazes up and he sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at 
his right hand. But he's also given the strength 
to be able to stand up in the midst of this. He's able to cry 
out with a loud voice his petitions to our blessed God. As well, 
he gives peace to his people at their time of death. We see 
it in the use of the verb. He fell asleep. He was brutalized. He was stoned to death, and yet 
the choice by Luke is, he fell asleep. As well, he receives 
his people when the Spirit departs from the body. No matter how 
broken, bruised, and battered their bodies are, the Spirit 
departs and is present with the Lord. See, there's not soul sleep. There's not this period of an 
unconsciousness on the part of Stephen. Stephen ended that day 
the way the thief on the cross ended that day, being received 
in that glorious kingdom by the blessed Savior himself. And then 
we see, in terms of the goodness of God, that he answers prayer. 
This dying prayer of a martyr who says, do not charge them 
with this sin. Brethren, the significance of 
that prayer and its answer has impacted Western civilization, 
the entirety of the world. The Apostle Paul was not just 
an exceptional religious figure. But that man did great things 
for a lot of different things all throughout the world. And 
we have much indebtedness to his ministry, both in terms of 
preaching and missionary endeavor, and the epistles that he wrote. 
But I want to end on the final note with reference to Stephen. 
He ultimately demonstrated dependence on the triune God. Brethren, 
that ought to be our prayer. We ought to want to just finish 
well. I don't want to abandon the Lord. I don't want to recant. 
I want to be able to deal with and bear up, I'm speaking for 
all of us, with whatever it is they throw at me, with whatever 
it is they hurl at us. That ought to be our prayer, 
that in death we don't dishonor our blessed Master. He expressed 
courage in the face of martyrdom. He doesn't shrink back. He doesn't 
cry out. He doesn't run from there. He 
doesn't say, well, what about my rights? I'm not getting the 
case or the jurisprudence that I stand in need of. No, he bears 
up under this with great courage. As well, he evidences Christ 
likeness in his trial and affliction. He imitates the Savior. Lord, 
do not charge them with this sin. Lord, receive my spirit. These were what Christ did on 
the cross, and Stephen imitates that. But I want to underscore 
finally with something that's very familiar to at least half 
or three quarters of you, Heidelberg Catechism number one. What is 
your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, 
but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior, 
Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my 
sins with his precious blood. He has delivered me from the 
tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such 
a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will 
of my Father in heaven. In fact, all things must work 
together for my salvation because I belong to him. Christ, by his 
Holy Spirit, also assures me of eternal life and makes me 
wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. 
Christ is our only comfort in life. And in death, it has been 
well said of the people of God that they die well because of 
the God of the people that is poised to receive the spirit 
when we separate from the body. Stephen teaches us glorious truths. God demonstrates glorious things 
in this passage. And while it is bloody, while 
it is brutal, while it is wretched, and while it is definitely Contrary 
in terms of any approach to law abidingness on the part of people, 
it does evidence the grace and the mercy and the goodness of 
our God, and that Christ is our only hope, our only comfort in 
life and in death. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for this passage, we thank you for this 
example of Stephen and his death in this time of great affliction 
and hardship, he nevertheless has communion with the triune 
God. Give us that confident expectation 
that if called upon to suffer in like manner, our blessed Savior 
will be there to receive us. We thank you that you are our 
only hope, our only comfort in life and in death, and may these 
things encourage our hearts. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord, amen.