Acts 7
Stephen preaches.
His sermon is long and filled with history, Jewish history, Israel’s history. His words point out that the plan all along was Jesus. Gods role in the history of Israel was all to bring out Jesus. All the patriarchs and prophets and people were providing a path to Jesus.
Jesus is THE plan and path for our salvation.
What is salvation? It is having all of our sins washed away because one perfect man who was in fact God in the flesh, willingly died in our place. He willingly took on all of our sins. All of us. All of it. And he died. And then he came back to life. All we have to do is confess that we need forgiveness and then accept the forgiveness God offers us in Jesus.
The surprise of this chapter is that after preaching eloquently, and passionately the crowd doesn’t receive what Stephen said. Instead they pound him with rocks until he is dead.
He didn’t go out fighting, he went out contending, contending for the faith. He went out like Jesus did, he went out forgiving. I hope I follow his example.
“59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”
And we meet Saul, Professional Christian hater. Little did he know how this Jesus would change his life.
Peter’s Posts 