What happens when human systems fail us? Where do we turn when justice becomes injustice? Stephen's powerful story provides an answer that still resonates today.

Standing before a hostile council with false witnesses arrayed against him, Stephen doesn't cower in fear but shines with supernatural radiance – "his face became as bright as an angel's." This first Christian martyr demonstrates what hope looks like when it's anchored not in human systems but in Christ himself.

The irony is striking: Stephen faces accusations from the "synagogue of freed slaves" – people who had experienced persecution becoming persecutors themselves. His defense doesn't focus on self-preservation but on Israel's long history of rejecting God's chosen leaders. "You have betrayed and murdered the Righteous One," he boldly proclaims, seeing beyond his immediate circumstances to the eternal reality.

When the council drags him out for execution, Stephen's final words mirror Christ's own: "Lord, don't charge them with this sin." Meanwhile, a young man named Saul watches approvingly – the future Apostle Paul, whose transformation would further demonstrate God's redemptive power.

Stephen's name (Stephanos in Greek) means "crown," connecting him to every New Testament reference to crowns – from Jesus' crown of thorns to the crown of righteousness promised to believers. His story reminds us that being filled with the Spirit doesn't guarantee comfort but does provide supernatural perspective when systems turn against us.

Are you facing opposition? Feeling the weight of broken systems? Stephen's witness challenges us to examine where our ultimate hope lies. Not in human institutions, but in "the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the life-sustaining creation of God."

Join us as we explore what it means to be a "Pentecost people" – defined not by human approval but by the same Spirit that allowed Stephen to see heaven opened even as stones rained down upon him.

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