Prelude to Persecution Acts 7:1-16

Transcription

1 Prelude to Persecution Acts 7:1-16 A bloody rainbow robe, an old man s tears, A starry desert night, a slave boy s frantic fears. A prison cell, a butler s cup, a baker s fate, A pharaoh s cryptic dream of seven years. A carpenter shop, a thirty year wait, A preacher at a river gray as slate, A pinnacle, some loaves of desert stone. Two sisters, sickness and a call too late. A night, some sleepers and a garden groan. A regal robe, some thorns, a whip, a moan. A cross, a midday night, a final cry, A bloodless body and a death alone. All echoes: Joseph, Jesus, low and high, Of sacrifice for sin for you and I. The solid stone walls of the Sanhedrin echoed an angry buzz of voices. Then the chief priest lifted a hand to silence them. And with eyes like ice, he stared at the young Jew who stood before him for a few moments. Then he spoke to Stephen. The high priest said, Are these things so? Verse 1 The things were charges lying, larcenous witnesses made against the young man. Behind those false witnesses was a fierce squad of Pharisees. For long weeks they had discussed, disputed and finally argued with Stephen. The subject in question was a Man from Nazareth named Jesus. Stephen insisted He was and is and ever shall be the crucified Christ and resurrected Redeemer. The young Pharisees attempted to refute Stephen s arguments. But time and time again they were defeated. So they hatched a plot, hired some witnesses and whipped the Sanhedrin into a frenzy with half truths and outright lies. Then they ambushed Stephen. In a mob, they dragged him up the steps to the temple courtyard and across the paving stones to the council chamber on the south side of the sanctuary. Now, standing before prosperous, powerful men, the young man was all alone. At least, it looked like he was. But looks can be deceiving. The unseen presence of God s Holy Spirit was with him. So Stephen stood, strong and serene in complete confidence that Christ would remember His promise. I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. Luke 21:15 Stephen did not have faith in a myth or a foolish fantasy. And our Savior did precisely what He promised.

2 The Lord spoke through His servant that day. And that makes this young man s words much more than the words of a dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ. They are the words from the mouth of our high and holy Master. And they overflow with eternal truths. The Holy Place On the surface, Stephen s words seem like a harmless recounting of the history of God s people. But we dare not be deceived. After all, these words were like acid in the ears of the council members. Although they were rich and respected, they raged when they heard what Stephen said. They became so angry, they dragged him out and battered him to death with heavy stones. Also, we are at a disadvantage as we study these words. We cannot listen as the men who first heard Stephen speak did. They knew the Scriptures better than we know our own address. Then too, we must remember that Stephen s purpose was not really to defend himself. No, just as Jesus said, this was an opportunity for God s servant to testify of the truth of the Gospel. Still, Stephen did array his reply around the two charges that were lodged against him. This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; Acts 6:13 It is abundantly obvious that Stephen never spoke against the temple. Still, he could not simply deny that charge. That would have been both superfluous and highly misleading. Actually, the problem was not really what Stephen was supposed to have said. The real difficulty was the misconception the council members had concerning the temple. Once, it had been God s dwelling place on earth. And as such, it was indeed the one and only holy place on earth. O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Isaiah 37:16 In the incensed darkness of the innermost chamber of the temple sanctuary, a chest sat with a glittering gold cover. On either end of that cover, a holy angel was carved. And God dwelled between and above them. That was more than a myth for those Pharisees forefathers. It was overt and obvious. In the form of a cloud called the Shekinah Glory, God s presence hovered within the tent temple and later in Solomon s temple. But that was a long time ago. As Israel descended into idolatry, the Shekinah departed. And when God s Son died for the sins of all mankind, the Lord emphatically demonstrated that He had departed from the temple. Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; Matthew 27:50-51 That temple veil was not torn to tell men they could come into God s presence at will. True, we can. But that was not the meaning of the torn veil. The real message was that God was coming out. For uncounted centuries, men had come to the temple because it was the one and only place where they could meet God. Also, divinely appointed priests served as mediators: intermediary links between God and men. But when Jesus died, all that changed. Now there is no sacred temple on earth. Instead, the physical body of every believer is God s dwelling place: His holy temple....do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

3 Also, since the Savior s sacrifice, there is no need for a holy priesthood. Now our loving Lord is the one and only mediator between human beings and their Creator....there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 So Stephen could not simply deny the charge that he spoke against the holy place. If he had, he would have been saying the temple still was the one and only holy place on earth where men can meet God. He emphasized that point first by referring to the Lord as the God of glory. He also recalled the Genesis account of Abraham. Again and again, Stephen mentioned that God spoke to the patriarch. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, Verse 2 The Lord spoke to Abraham in Mesopotamia when the patriarch still lived among pagans. He spoke to the old man again in Haran and repeatedly in Canaan. The only holy place Abraham had was where he happened to be when God called him, encouraged him, and gave him great and glorious promises. Stephen s defense was simple. Even if he had spoken against the temple, he could not be guilty of speaking against the holy place. There is no holy place but wherever God meets with men. The Holy Promises Stephen faced a similar problem with the other charge. Lying witnesses also insisted that the Savior s servant spoke against the Law God gave Moses. Once again, Stephen was forced to remind the learned council members of truths they should have known. He did so by reminding the Sanhedrin, how God dealt with Abraham. And always the pattern was the same. God made promises without providing any proof He really would do what He said. And each time Abraham first believed God, then obeyed Him. He believed God would give him the hills and valleys of Canaan as his personal possession. And he continued to believe all of his life, even though he never saw the fulfillment of that promise. Stephen recalled how Abraham wandered as a vagabond and a stranger in a land God had given him. He lived in a tent. And even when he needed a burial place for his wife, he had to purchase it. He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. Verse 5 The word translated descendants in that verse means really seed. Abraham s loving Lord promised to give the land of Canaan to both him and his seed. And Paul explained precisely what that means....the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 God s sinless Son, the Lord Jesus, is the recipient of all of God s promises to Abraham. And we share in those blessings by faith.

4 And therein lies the Spirit s point as He spoke through Stephen. Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees believed that what really matters is obedience alone, without regard to any inner attitudes. That is why Jesus called them whitewashed sepulchers. They appeared pure in outward obedience. But on the inside they were filled with the death, decay and destruction of disbelieve. They were nothing at all like their ancestor. Abraham believed God s promises. And obedience followed his faith. Just as with circumcision, obedience was a seal and sign of his faith in God. And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; Verse 8 Once again Paul explained what God would have us learn from Abraham and his obedience to the Lord in circumcision....he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, Romans 4:11 Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, Romans 4:3-5 In a way, Stephen did speak against the Law. He told anyone who would listen that obedience to God s commandments was not enough to save any man. That was true of the fanatical Pharisees who hated Stephen and plotted His murder. And it is every bit as true for men today. It is not possible to please God by attempting to obey His holy commandments. Like Abraham, we must believe God. Specifically, we must believe with all our heart and soul and mind that Jesus Christ loves us and laid down His life for frail and failing people like us. It is faith in the Christ of the cross that saves, not empty obedience. That is the truth of God s Word. And saying that out loud and insisting it is eternally true is neither dishonoring nor speaking against the Old Testament Law. It is confirming it. The Holy Prince It was not fair. And it certainly was not right. But Abraham s grandson, Israel, did not love all of his sons as he should have. Instead, he favored one son above all the others. Even as a boy, Joseph was the very image of his beautiful mother, Rachel. Israel s love for her was not quenched when she died. So he lavished all his affection and appreciation upon her first son. You remember the story of Joseph and his angry, jealous brothers. Stephen did too. And so did the council members. The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, Verse 9 God s Spirit offered the story of Joseph, his father and brothers as an allegory, a story in symbols. It is an echo of the Gospel.

5 Pontus Pilate was a pagan politician. But even he could see why the ruling Jews hated Jesus and were determined to crucify Him....he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. Matthew 27:18 Also, the Lord was with Joseph. But to an infinitely greater degree, He was with Jesus. And just as the patriarchs hated and rejected Joseph, the ruling Jews hated and rejected Jesus. Joseph s brothers brought his blood-soaked, many-colored robe back to their father. And with pretended tears, they told the old man his favorite son had been killed. In that, the powerful Jews on the Sanhedrin outdid their ancestors. Out of anger and envy, they really did kill Jesus. Years passed, and God exalted Joseph to ther very highest power in Egypt. Meanwhile, a famine forced Joseph s family to come to Egypt to purchase food. Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. Verses Joseph s brothers did not recognize him when they visited Egypt the first time. And the Jews did not recognize God s eternal Son when He walked among them. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. John 1:10-11 Unlike the patriarchs, the Jews did not bow down to Jesus. Instead, they hated and hounded Him, scorned and scourged Him. Jacob s sons returned to their father with precious food. But soon it was all gone. And they had to return to Egypt. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, Verses Joseph s brothers did not recognize him as the brother they envied and sold into slavery until their second visit. In the same way, the Jews did not know God s Son when He came the first time. But God s Word promises that Christ will come to this world a second time. And then all of human kind will know He really is the Ruler of righteousness and Lord of all. Then no one in all of history will refuse to bow down before Jesus Christ and confess that He really is both Lord and God. As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. Romans 14:11...at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11 The men on the ruling council were filled with fury and violence. And not a single one of them believed they would ever bow down and declare that the Jesus they hated really was and is and ever shall be Christ, Creator and King of all creation. But they were wrong. And if we are as proud and arrogant, as foolish and hard hearted as they were, we are too. One day a shimmering white throne will loom before us. And one by one, all of mankind will be judged.

6 The judge on that high and holy throne will be Jesus. And even those who were once proud and arrogant will bow down before Him. That is not a fantasy or a horror story to scare weak minded men. It is the truth. In all the veracity of His Name, our God declares it is so. He will judge all men. And we will all bow before Him. Those who bow before Jesus on judgement day will do so too late. But if we believe in Jesus and bow before Him in confession and commitment today, we will be saved and forever forgiven. That is the Spirit s message to each and every one of us. The time to bow before and believe in Jesus is now.