All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:8-15

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Today’s title is “Live Like Jesus to Die like Jesus”

I would think that there are many who preach that if you obey Jesus and live like Jesus, you will be blessed greatly. People who heard such sermons will try to live like Jesus to be blessed. As a pastor who is familiar with the real-life of the people, I can hardly deny that those who endeavor to live like Jesus become more blessed than others in many ways. But that’s never a hard and fast rule. Bible often shows that godly lives end up in greater sufferings. No wonder some innocent people who just believed the simple formula of blessings gets frustrated. Spiritual leaders and teachers need to be more true to what the Bible says. Today’s passage shows one good example of a wonderful Christian life. Stephen was a great man of God full of God’s grace and power. His godliness was recognized by both god and man. He served the needy people as one of the seven deacons who waited on the table. He had a profound understanding of God’s work which is reflected in his sermon. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he performed great wonders and signs. It seems to me that Stephen was a small embodiment of Christ. He was indeed a little Jesus. So what was God’s reward for such a godly life? Today’s passage seems to me to imply that it is to die like Christ. Godly and faithful Stephen goes through what Jesus went through almost exactly. Because of his faithfulness to God, he was hated by some. Knowing that they couldn’t stand up against his wisdom, they falsely accused him of something he never has done. Stephen then was seized and brought to the Sanhedrin for a trial like Jesus was. Then he was stoned to death. So the bible almost seems to say that if you live like Jesus, you can die like Jesus. Am I exaggerating? I think I am not. I am merely reflecting on what the Bible seems to say. Of course, I am not saying that we should all die the martyr’s death like Stephen. I am just saying that we are too often misled to preach and to hear man-pleasing messages that have no biblical warrants. I confess that I have made the same errors. I can’t help regretting it as I am facing the somber truth in the biblical narratives of Stephen in a refreshing way. How about you? Are you eagerly trying to follow Jesus? Good! So what do you expect as a reward for such faithfulness? Are you willing to take it if it is to die like Christ as Stephen? Then you must be truly following Jesus. Amen!