1st Sunday After Christmas - St. Stephen, Martyr - 12-26-10

The Church Season of Christmas,
1st Sunday after Christmas,
St. Stephen, Martyr
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 26, 2010)
One Year Series

“The Gift of Faith”

Readings:  
    2 Chronicles 24:17-22
    Psalm 119:137-144
    Acts 6:8-7:2a, 7:51-61,
    Matthew 23:34-39            
   

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Epistle Lesson from the 7th chapter of Acts, especially the following verses.

Acts 7:55-58

But [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The account of the martyrdom of St. Stephen and his cruel death seems utterly out of harmony with the general spirit prevailing at Christmas time. The glorious white of the church paraments are now awash with red.  One day we hear of the Savior lying in the manger, weak and poor, the next day we hear of the same Jesus, standing at the right hand of God in glory. We don’t hear of angels coming down from heaven, as in the Nativity scriptures. Instead, heaven itself opens to receive in triumph the first of that multitude who gave their lives in defense of the faith. St. Stephen is a shining example of the glorious and wondrous power and effect of faith in all who receive Christ as their Savior, it is a reflection of the happiness of all who have had Christmas come into their hearts. Faith in Christ, faith in his Savior, gave St. Stephen the courage to confess Jesus joyfully even when facing a violent death because of his confession.

But who was Stephen, why do we call him as Saint and what is a martyr and why was he the first Christian Martyr.  Stephen was a man who proclaimed the Good news of Jesus Christ. Stephen is called a saint for the same reason you to are a saint.  The Greek word for Saint is ἅγιος, or what we might say in another way, to be consecrated, dedicated, to be made holy.  And indeed while we may say we are not saints, we have been made holy through God’s grace given to us in our baptism, there the Name of God is placed upon us we are made holy, and so we are sainted.  Now this is not to be understood as a person for whom we would pray to for divine intervention, no we only call upon the Name of the Lord, and that would be Jesus Christ and Him alone.  And why was Stephen a martyr?  He is a martyr because he died defending his belief in Jesus Christ.

The scriptures proclaim, “Stephen, a man full of faith.” For Stephen the message of Christ had effected not merely a passing emotion. The first spark of faith had become a great fire that caused his whole heart to glow. Although not an apostle but a distributor of gifts, his faith prompted him to confess Christ publicly. Hostile Jews disputed with him but could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. And so He was arrested and brought before the Council. Fearless, he was filled with such joy that his face was like the face of an angel. Though he knew the consequences of his testimony before the bloodthirsty judges, his faith did not waver. When he boldly accused them of betraying and murdering the Righteous One, they were enraged, they stopped their ears, they cast him out of the city, and then they stoned him to death.

We see in St. Stephen the glorious effect of faith, and of Christmas grace. When the grace of faith fills the heart, confession must follow, even before hostile world. We saw this effect in the shepherds, who shared all that had been told to them. And an elderly Simeon who spoke of seeing his salvation when his eyes saw His Lord. The prophetess Anna spoke of Jesus to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. If we believe in Jesus who was born for our salvation, we, too, shall be willing and ready to confess Him though it may cost our life. We shall say: For me God became man; the Christ Child is mine; salvation is my Christmas gift; at His manger He took from me the guilt and burden of sin. made me God’s child; I am now His brother and an heir of eternal life. Of such a Savior I need not be ashamed. I shall confess Him, even though I be ridiculed, hated, persecuted, killed. Early Christians were thrown to the wild beasts, burned at the stake, yet they confessed without fear or horror. That Christmas joy the heart of a Christian, this world cannot take away or touch, and it cannot extinguish the heavenly light. Our Christmas Treasure, Christ and His grace, is beyond the reach of all and everything, and so He comes for you.

In the account of St. Stephen we see more about what Christmas grace can bring about. Even here he saw heaven open above him and his Savior at the right hand of God. “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” This was an inconceivably great wonder, so great that no mortal, no believer, experienced the like before or after St. Stephen. And the wonder was that St. Stephen was permitted to see all this while still on earth for the strengthening of his faith, and a witness of faith to us.

And a poor question would be for us to ask, What does this biblical text of this dying man, this holy martyr mean to us? Who are we in comparison to him? Well, for what St. Stephen experienced here in his trial, is given to all the faithful.  The Savior is never far from any of His faithful, He is never far from you and He is ever ready to help and encourage and strengthen every believer.

The account Stephen teaches us still more regarding faith. It conquers all dread of death and makes of it a triumphant entry into heavenly glory. When Stephen’s persecutors surrounded him like bloodthirsty beasts and hurled stone after stone on him, Stephen’s courage did not wax nor wane. And Stephen did not plead for mercy, rather standing up like a victorious hero, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” The Lord, Jesus Christ, in whom he believed, is still the Rock on which he, and we too, stand. Fearlessly, joyously he faces death. There is no request that the Lord Jesus deliver him from his enemies, that he be preserved from death. No, there is only the confident petition that his Lord will receive him after death. His only concern is the soul of his murderers. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” This is his last word.  And then Stephen’s life ends: “When he had said this, he fell asleep.” The mighty Savior, in whom Stephen put his trust, has transformed death into a sleep for His faithful. When Stephen’s mangled body breathed its last under a hail of stones, he fell asleep, he breathed his last breath and that same breath would be his first in heaven. Angels carried his soul home. Angel choirs welcomed him, and the Lord gave him the crown of glory.

Not all believers will pass through what Stephen did, but all believers will enjoy the one and the same salvation he received. We honor today Stephen who died for Christ, but we do not hold him over or above any of the faithful people who have ever died in the faith.  For all the faithful will see God and their Savior face to face, and all will receive the crown of life, and all will spend eternity in blissful communion with the angels and all the elect.  Our faith is a gift from God and whether we face an angry crowd like Stephen, or the physical, mental, and sinful challenges of this world, the faith given to us by Jesus Christ enables us to know that Jesus has overcome this world. For Jesus, who was born into this world for you and me, is our Savior until death, and Jesus will bring the faithful home to Himself.

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