There are passages in the Bible that catch your attention and touch your spirit. There are numerous passages that refer to Christ being seated at the right hand of the Father. There is only one passage that refers to him standing….it’s when Stephen was being stoned. The word for “stand” in the Greek is “hestota”. In the English it has the meaning “cause to stand”.
Stephen was man full of grace and power….performing miracles and signs among the people. And when confronted by the opposition, the Spirit gave him wisdom to refute their accusations. So they turned to treachery and produced false witnesses….and then proceeded to convict and kill him. And Stephen, the man filled with grace, said ….Forgive them.
Familiar?……It’s the same as Christ.
And so when Stephen was being stoned, I think Jesus stood up. He stood up out of love, and out of respect for a man that stood up for him. It was Stephen’s vindication.
There was a young man there….listening and watching all this……his name was Saul. Later when Dr. Luke sought an eyewitness to record the event…he probably talked to Paul (Saul)….because we have Stephen’s exact words of forgiveness. The words were probably seared into Paul’s mind when he fell to his knees in front of Christ. Grace does that…..it breaks a proud man…and makes him useful.
Stephen set the example. Some day it will be our turn…in our time…to stand.
We can do no less.
SELAH
SCRIPTURES:
Acts 6&7
Seated at Right Hand : Mt.26:64; Mk.14:62, 16:19; Lk.22:69; Acts 2:34;
Eph.1:20; Col.3:1; Heb.1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2
Luke 12: 11-12
Isaiah 54:13
Acts 9: 4-6
I John 4:4
PRAYER FOCUS: Infilling of the Holy Spirit to stand.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.
~ Written by Gene Bennett