Episode 60: Acts 7 The First Martyr

Have you ever been ostracized? Have you had someone lie about you, run you down behind your back, and try to get people to turn against you? That's what happened to Stephen in Acts 7. He was a man full of faith and the grace of God and all he did was preach about Jesus and work miracles. He did absolutely nothing wrong and yet by the end of this chapter, he would be stoned to death! Why? Because some Jews from a synagogue wanted to debate him and have a Bible study and when they couldn't hang with Stephen they got jealous and went to the Sanhedrin and told them a bunch of lies. Stephen was called in for questioning and as he was talking to the Sanhedrin they didn't like what he was saying so they put their hands over their ears, started yelling to drown out his words, they dragged him outside of the city, and stoned him to death. As Stephen was dying he looks up and see Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father! And just like His Savior, Stephen asks Jesus to forgive these men. Someone may have ostracized us for whatever reason, however, if we want to be like Jesus, we must forgive.