Nov 22, 2025 Christ In Life and Death – Words of Grace Blog – November 21, 2025
This Sunday at Grace Community Church, we will consider the martyrdom of Stephen from Acts 7:54-60. This paragraph is worth a weekend of meditation to mine all its encouragement for our living and dying in Christ.
John Stott said that Stephen’s death was full of Christ. That’s because three times Stephen speaks of Jesus while he is in the process of being stoned to death. First, Stephen said he saw into heaven where Jesus was standing at the right hand of God. Second, he called out to Jesus to receive his spirit after the first stones began to batter his body. Finally, just before he “fell asleep”, he asked the Lord not to hold this sin against his murderers.
We have all seen the movie scene of the “beautiful death”. The person on the deathbed with perfect hair and plenty of makeup drifts off for what appears to be an afternoon nap. I’ve been at several deaths, and they were not beautiful. They were, however, sacred. That’s because the person died “in Christ”.
Stephen’s death was brutal, not beautiful. His accusers were full of rage to the point of murder. They rushed upon him, drove him out of the city, and crushed him with rocks big enough to kill. And yet, as he died, he looked to Jesus. And when he died, he was received by Jesus. His death was sacred.
Yes, Stephen’s death was full of Christ. That’s because Stephen’s life was full of Christ’s Spirit. When he was selected to oversee the service to the widows in Jerusalem, when he was making his defense before the council that accused him of blasphemy against the holy things of God, and finally, as he was being stoned to death, we are told he was full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6-7).
Stephen’s trust in Jesus and entrustment of himself to Jesus did not begin at his death. His assurance of forgiveness and his forgiving others were not last-minute realities. This was his life from the time he became a Christian. His life was a life full of Jesus and ended full of him. Then came the fullness of life with Jesus that is now his.
At Stephen’s murder, there was a young man named Saul who approvingly held the coats of those who threw the stones. This young man soon became a Christian himself. He would become known as the Apostle Paul, who suffered for Christ’s sake until his own death. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian church that it was his earnest hope that with great courage he would honor Christ in his body, whether by life or by death.
Jesus answered Stephen’s prayer by forgiving Paul for giving approval to those who killed him. Jesus added a bonus answer by using Stephen’s life and death as an example to Paul of living and dying in Christ. Now both men are together with their Lord.
Young and old alike, let’s live with Christ every day with the sure hope that to die in him will be gain.
I’ll pray for you this weekend and see you Sunday to worship our Lord.
-Scott