Jesus. : Trusting Jesus First, Only, Now, and Alwaysعينة

As the early church grew, meeting the needs of the people became too much for the Twelve disciples to keep up with so they chose some men to help. Stephen was one of those men. Although he had been chosen to help distribute food, Stephen also used the other gifts God had given him to perform wonders and signs. He did this for the same reason Jesus did. He wanted to get people’s attention so they would listen to the Gospel message.

A specific group of religious leaders didn’t like what Stephen was doing. They brought him before other religious leaders and convinced witnesses to lie about him. When asked if the false accusations were true, Stephen did not answer the question. Instead, he used the opportunity to speak in public to share the gospel of Jesus.

The Bible tells us that Stephen was full of God’s grace and power and that he was wise and full of the Holy Spirit (vs. 8,10). These things can only be said of people who walk closely with God. Because Stephen knew God like he did, he wasn’t bothered by the false accusations people made about him. He knew the only opinion that mattered was God’s. Because Stephen’s mind wasn’t preoccupied with thoughts of persuading people about his own character, he was able to see the opportunity to speak the truth for what it was and use it for God’s glory.

When the religious leaders attacked Stephen, God provided the ultimate encouragement. Stephen got to see Jesus supporting him from Heaven as he died the first martyr’s death. After Stephen’s death, followers of Jesus were scattered. As a result of this scattering, the gospel of Jesus spread further than it had so far, just as Jesus had prophesied before going back to Heaven.

The religious leaders who stoned Stephen might have thought they won the day, but they didn’t. God did. He wins the day every time we prove Jesus is enough by giving our everything for His glory.