Communion With the Christ:: When Stones Are Thrown

Act: 7:51-60- Speaks to us regarding the stoning of the Deacon Stephen, one of the first Christian Martyrs for His profession about the Lord Jesus.

The Deacon, St. Stephen had been preaching about the Person of Jesus Christ to the Jews at Jerusalem. St. Stephen's message regarding our Lord Jesus angered the "religious" crowd. Enraged, the crowd of religious person took up stones and began to violently pelt the Deacon with them.

As St. Stephan was struck by the hurled stones; battered and badly injured, his eyes instinctively lifted toward the Heavens and in his remaining moments upon the Earth, even as the stones rained down upon him, St. Stephen saw the Lord Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father his eyes fixed upon Stephen.

As St. Stephen sees the Lord, he tells those who throw the stones that he sees Jesus, which causes them to react even worse and throw stones all the more.

Stones Thrown

When we profess Jesus, that is, when we accept that Jesus is God and our Savior, then we Christians can find ourselves, at times, the objects of rebuke from the world and unfortunately even from some "professing" Christians, that is to say, stones are then thrown in our direction.

These stones which, can be hurled in our direction, are not just literal ones picked up from the Earth. The stones being cast at the Deacon St. Stephen, and ourselves, represent the hardened carnal response of the world around us. This has, and is, the way the world and the carnal nature reacts when the person of Jesus Christ is truly given his place of prominence and the focus to our lives and or ministries.

These stones, can take many forms as they are cast upon and at us. Whenever we speak of Jesus or even when we give Christ that place of prominence in our lives. When the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus, there will be a reaction by the carnal attitudes surrounding us, which will react badly and, in some cases, aggressively. St. Stephen's testimony regarding Jesus, challenged the religious leaders notion of how to relate to the great God.

Shown by the Spirit

Carnality finds itself at odds with Jesus. The carnal nature within humanity wants to believe that it is "good enough" that somehow, its performance is alright, or it is when Jesus is brought into the situation then the carnality is convicted and then the reaction is hostility

It takes the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to see our need for Jesus.

"Why I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1Cor:12:3

The Holy Spirit will always speak to regarding Jesus, he is and always will direct us to the Son of God, not to anything other, but Jesus above all. This is what carnality has an issue with.

Even carnality masked as piety will have at, some point this reaction against the name of our Lord Jesus. Jesus said, to a crowed of pious Jews who attempted to trap Him with a question regarding the woman caught in adultery if she should be stoned to death, he answered them, and all of us:

"He that is without sin among you, let cast the him first stone"Jhn:8:7.

This shows us that the ones casting stones at the Deacon Stephen were blind to their sins.

“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you" Jhn: 16:5-15

Refuge in Christ

When St. Stephen preached about Jesus, it brought on the predictable reaction of the religious crowd, ; stones were then thrown. As those stones came upon St. Stephen, he had no place to go but to Jesus himself, that is, when in the midst of the stoning, in his dying moments St. Stephen had no others place to go but to his Lord, trusting in Jesus even as the stones struck him.

Even in the midst of his dying St. Stephen surrendered all over to Jesus; the entire situation, even there in the midst of it. St. Stephen waited upon Jesus, knowing that his death was at hand. This should be our response as well, to any and to all the stones which are thrown in our direction in life, whatever form that these stones manifest themselves or from whom they are cast at us.

This shows Christians we can take refuge in Christ, give over what is happening in our lives no matter what befalls us, whatever it might be, we like St. Stephen, should keep trusting that in the end whatever comes upon us we can to seek our refuge in our Lord. St. Stephen looked to Jesus; he did not seek escape but sought his Lord. Jesus was his escape.

This speaks far beyond just a violent reaction from the world at the mention of Christ, it is for us in any and all difficult situations. When we face hardship that seemed to be prolonged or sickness, whatever we face, when the stones of this life are hurled against us, we should lift our eyes Heavenward, and fix our gaze upon Jesus, trusting him to give us refuge in the midst of the hardships which befall us.

For the Good

St. Stephen knew that if what he faced meant his death it would ultimately be for the good, his and for Christians down through the ages, for each of us now and always, to the very end of this world.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rm: 8:28

What St. Stephen recognized was that our Lord was in full control of everything whatever it might be. He may have even had Psalm :31 in mind, which is a "Messianic Psalm" , that is, it looked ahead to Jesus' moments on the cross, accomplishing our salvation, from which Jesus was not delivered, but Jesus faced it trusting in His Father.

Jesus knew his death had meaning and that God the Father could be trusted to cause the outcome to be for Jesus' glory and our redemption...Jesus sought refuge in His Father as the events on the day of crucifixion unfolded.

"In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth"Ps:31:1-5

St. Stephen understood that his life, every season, or times, was in the hands of God, all of his life and even the time of his death.

"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” All my times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me" Ps: 31:14-15

Christ the Living Stone

The stones which the world may throw our way brings death, and death is what proceeds out of the carnal nature. But God himself has cast a Stone to all humanity, to any and all who will but by grace receive it. This Stone is our Lord Jesus.

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture, it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." 1Pet: 2:1-8

Jesus Standing for Stephen

Jesus stood as the stones struck St. Stephen. Standing in the culture of that time was an act of respect, honor and giving someone undivided attention; this tells us that Jesus was giving St. Stephen is his full attention and honoring the sacrifice of laying down his life for the cause of the Gospel, that is what Jesus was doing at that very moment at the very throne of the Great God.

Jesus gave his attention to St. Stephen, and his attention is on you and all of His people during our times of difficulties. Whatever we face we are not alone, Jesus is in full control of what is taking place, his eyes are on us he is standing for us.

"But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfast into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" Acts:7:55

Jesus stands for us in our test and difficulties, even when stones are thrown his attention is upon us, and Jesus is for us, even if the situation results in our death, he will ultimately turn it for our good no matter when stones are thrown. In Jesus we can find our refuge when stones are thrown.

Benediction: May we each and all ever lift our eyes unto Heaven when we face the stones cast at us in this life, for our Lord stands for us and with us , today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen