The martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7 may not feel like a Christmas-y message, but Stephen’s summary of the Old Testament points clearly and powerfully to the coming of Christ.
- Jesus is the child of Abraham who brought blessing to the world.
- Jesus is the prophet like Moses who brought the light of truth into the world.
- And Jesus is the King like David who came to reign over the whole world.
Here is Stephen’s conclusion:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
Acts 7:51-53
Stephen saw his own suffering and death as the continuation of the Old Testament pattern, as God’s people continually rejected God’s Word and as they even rejected God’s Son.
This Christmas season, may we learn from the example of Israel and not harden our hearts to God’s Word. Instead, let’s listen closely to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us through His Word. Let’s invite the Spirit to soften our hearts and show us how we have betrayed and neglected the Righteous One; how we have disobeyed and rebelled against God’s will.
May the kindness of our Savior lead us to repentance as we reflect on the manger that prepared the way to the cross.
More Bible summary videos are here. And you can review our sermon series from 2019, Open the Bible, when we walked through the entire Bible story and saw how it all points to Jesus! These are great resources to use with people who are seeking the truth about life, faith and salvation.