In the lonely hills of Judaea long ago,
shepherds were watching their flock in the stillness of the night. Suddenly,
a bright light penetrated the darkness striking fear into their hearts. An
angel appeared in the glow of the light that glistened all around them.
Speaking words of reassurance, the messenger from God said, "Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people" (Luke 2:10). The angel was announcing that the opportunity for
all people to experience majestic delight was coming.
As if on cue with the announcement that a Savor, Christ the Lord, would be
born, the angel was joined with a "multitude of the heavenly host
praising God." This heavenly choir proclaimed, "Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).
They were rejoicing for what was about to occur. God was sending His Son to
bring peace and good will to all men.
After a short time had elapsed from the astonishing announcement of the
angels, a baby was born who would be the bearer of good tidings and peace
for all men. Jesus of Nazareth came into this world proclaiming a message of
peace, joy, and love. He lived His life bringing sight to the blind, hearing
to the deaf, and deliverance to the oppressed. He lived doing nothing but
good. (Acts 10:38).
Yet, He was murdered. Jesus of Nazareth was slain as a common criminal. He
did no wrong nor said an evil or frivolous word, still he was crucified out
of animosity. He who was the embodiment of love was hated. He was slain by
the people He came to save.
The world of religion is a cruel world. With religion being defined as man’s
attempt to live for God, it is mystifying why the religious are so eager to
kill one another. God is love, yet often the followers of God become so
hateful. The cruelty of zealots for God, at first glance, defies reason.
Jesus knew the reality of what would occur from religion, from those who
trust in themselves for their own righteousness. For example, the parable of
the Pharisee and the publican was spoken "unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (Luke 18:9).
Jesus knew that a basic tenet of all religions, any attempt of those who
trust in themselves for their righteousness, was that they always despise
others.
Religion and despising others always go together. A religious person is
extemely jealous of anyone who appears to be or claims to be more righteous.
Religion abhor the thought that someone else might know and practice a
better way to God.
The problem with religion goes even deeper. Jesus also stated that
"every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John 3:20). Any good deed
that is done for self-righteousness is called evil. It is called evil not
because the deed that is being done itself is evil. The deed is probably a
good thing that needs to be done. It is call evil because the deed is being
done for selfish motives, self-righteousness.
Jesus went on to clarify what He was saying by stating that "he that
doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in God" (John 3:21). The real issue is not the deed
but the power behind the deed. Is the toiling (literal meaning of wrought)
of the task an act of self-righteousness or is it a task that is actually
produced by God in the person?
If it is an act of self-righteousness, the person does not want the light of
truth to expose him. He will resist and hate the light for the disclosure of
his motives. Thus, Jesus, who is the light of all lights, will be bitterly
hated by those who are working the hardest for God.
The problem with religion goes even deeper. In all deeds done for God, the
light of truth reveals that they were not done for God but for the person
who is attempting to do them. God is not the object of the person’s deed.
The object of the deed, the reason why it is being done, is the person’s
own service to God. He is doing it not for God but for himself. His entire
existence and sense of well-being rest upon what he does. He is working for
himself.
The real problem with religion is that people use it to obtain their place
of acceptance and honor among the people. Working for one’s self will
bring glory to the doer of the deeds. When that position of power and honor
is threatened, religion will strikes out in deadly rage. It will protect its
throne.
For example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, some of the people who
witnessed the restoration hurried to tell the leaders of the religious sect
of the Pharisees. The chief priests and the Pharisees immediately called a
council. Their concern in their own words was "If we let him thus
alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away
both our place and nation" (John 11:48). Those who have worked hard to
get to the place of prominence among the people will become enraged when
that power and honor is threatened.
Thus, the Man of Love, who was born to be the bearer of good tidings and
peace for all men, would be murdered by those who saw their leadership
threatened. Jesus of Nazareth, proclaiming a message of peace, joy, and
love, was crucified when He exposed by His very presence the evil deeds of
the self-righteous. The Savior, who lived His life bringing sight to the
blind, hearing to the deaf, and deliverance to the oppressed, was despised
and hated by those who were losing control of the people.
It would not be long after the death of Jesus that the first martyr of His
followers would occur for the same reason. Stephen, a man who was filled
with the presence of Jesus, had manifested in his life such noble virtues as
faith, power, wisdom, and character that his face appeared as the face of an
angel (Acts of the Apostles 6:8,10,15). Although many of the same deeds of
Jesus, the blind saw, the deaf heard, and the oppressed delivered, were done
by Stephen, he, too, was murdered. He was cast outside of the city of
Jerusalem by an anger mob. Who then hurled stones at him until he was beaten
to death (Acts of the Apostles 7:58,59). Another man, who did nothing but
good after Jesus came into his life, was despised and hated by those who
trusted in their own righteousness.
Stephen is introduced to us as a need among the believers arose. When Jesus
came into the lives of the early followers, many of them sold their land and
gave the money to the apostles to be used as was needed (Acts of the
Apostles 4:37). In the daily administration of meeting those needs, however,
some of the believers felted that the Jewish believers were getting
preferential treatment.
As the apostles called the disciples together to handled the problem, it
pointed to a greater need for the apostles. The daily administration of the
needs of the multitude of believers was forcing them to abandon the word of
God. The implication seem to be that it was not proper for them not to have
the time to pray and to preach the word of God that they felt was necessary
(Acts of the Apostles 6:4).
The multitude of believers agreed and "seven men of honest report, full
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" was appointed to handle the daily
administration of the needs of the people. Along with Stephen, Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas were given the
responsibility of seeing that all the widows were properly assisted. After
the apostles had prayed, they imposed (literal meaning of laid in
"laid their hands") upon the seven to faithful fulfill their new
responsibility.
It allowed the apostles to increase the amount of time they had to preach
the word of God. The preaching of the gospel brought results as the number
of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem. There was even "a great
company of priest" which came to be believers in Jesus Christ (Acts of
the Apostles 6:7). The church was growing with the passing of each day.
As with Jesus, it was not long until the religious crowd began to oppose the
believers. Stephen, who was being used mightily by God, became the target of
their investigation. He, however, like Peter at the Feast of Pentecost, was
speaking not in his ability but in the power and inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. The leaders of the various synagogue that were opposing him
"were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake"
(Acts of the Apostles 6:10).
Being unable to dispute successfully the claims of Stephen, they began to
contrive false charges against him. Stirring the people with their
accusations, the elders and the scribes were able to bring him before the
council to answer their allegations. He was charge with speaking
"blasphemous words against Moses, and against God" (Acts of the
Apostles 6:12).
They alleged that Stephen had said that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the
temple and change the laws which Moses had delivered. Of course, what Jesus
had said was that they would attempt to destroy His temple but in
three days it would be raised again. By His death, resurrection, ascension,
and return back into the believers life, He would actually fulfill the laws
of Moses.
What the elders, scribes, and the council did not understand was that this
same Jesus whom they had slain was actually the One of whom they were in
contention. They thought they were dealing only with Stephen. They had no
idea of what happened at the recent Feast of Pentecost and probably everyday
since then.
They did kill Jesus but God the Father had raised Him, taken Him up into
Heaven, and sent Him back again to be the life of the believers (Acts of the
Apostles 5:30,31). It was not Stephen they were disputing. It was Jesus
Christ who now was in Stephen enabling him to experience the life of God.
They knew not the power behind the "wisdom and the spirit by which he
spake" (Acts of the Apostles 6:10). They did see, however, "his
face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts of the Apostle 6:15).
At that moment in time, Stephen had been transformed to the image of Jesus
Christ.
There would be no way the religious leaders could let him live. Just as
Jesus was murdered by the self-righteous, Stephen would also be killed by
the same crowd. He would become the first of many martyrs for the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
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