Acts 7:48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.
One of the things that strikes me about Stephen is how similar his story is to Jesus’s. Both earn the rage of the Sanhedrin by telling religious truths that differ from the Sanhedrin’s accepted norm. Both are executed violently. Both pray to God to receive their spirit and to forgive those who persecute them.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors….
I’ve always wondered why we don’t hear more about Stephen with these obvious parallels to Jesus. Shouldn’t that similarity make his role much more important? Commentary posits that Stephen’s primary influence is on “a young man named Saul,” almost a throwaway line in verse 58, easy to miss, yet it holds the key to Stephen’s importance to the spread of Christianity.
Acts 7:54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You have a plan for us and that just because the world doesn’t celebrate our accomplishments, you can use us in powerful and lasting ways, just as You used Stephen to lay important groundwork in Saul so that it would eventually come to fruition in You. Help me to faithfully walk this path You’ve placed me on, no matter what. Amen.
Acts 7:59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Have a blessed day.