When God Showed Up For Stephen - Part 2

When God Showed Up For Stephen - Part 2

Acts 6–7; Hebrews 12:1–2

Only one other passage describes the resurrected Jesus as standing in heaven. Here’s that verse:

Revelation 5:6

“And I saw … a Lamb standing, as if slain…”

God is revealing something profound about Himself here: when a martyr gives their life for God, Jesus stands with them and gives them courage. I Peter tells us over and over again that Jesus suffered, too. He gave an example for us to follow and when we follow Him down that path, He is with us and He will stand for us.

Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”

Paul describes to Timothy how that rest gives us strength. As Paul’s own martyrdom neared, he wrote:

2 Timothy 4:17

“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished…”

Returning to Acts 6-7, Stephen’s fear dissolves. He endures his suffering because he sees what lies beyond it. His eyes are fixed, not on pain, but on promise. And as the stones fall, he prays. His final words are not cries for justice, but prayers of trust and forgiveness. He dies like someone who knows where home is. Stephen is condemned below — but honored above. He dies looking at Jesus and that brought him comfort, and even joy.

And standing there, watching it all, is a young man named Saul. That’s Paul — the same man who wrote those encouraging words to Timothy and who would later write this:

Philippians 3:20-21

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

Paul tells us that we are strangers and exiles here. To be with Christ is far better. Those words did not come from theory. They came from watching Stephen live it out.

When God shows up, He reminds us where we truly belong.

And once we know that, we are strengthened and nothing becomes too difficult to bear because Christ stands with us — literally.