Stephen’s testimony of the truth of the Christian gospel is deeply inspiring. He was on the way to becoming the first Christian martyr. Here he also proves himself to be one of the finest expositors of the faith that there has ever been, able to show the truth of the message within the context in which he found himself, and from which his hearers and accusers came. He was fearless and full of integrity in telling that truth, doing something similar to that which Jesus did to his two companions on the road from Jerusalem after the resurrection, showing that, in spite of scepticism, lack of faith or belief and seeming lack of credibility, the story of the people of God, which finds its greatest glory to that point in the coming, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, stands up to scrutiny.
The excitement here is that we all get to play a part in the continuing of that story now. The story does not end in Acts, nor in the rest of the New Testament, The work of the Spirit that the Scriptures describes continues to this day.
More than this, even, the excitement and hope of the age to come rings out for Christians today. The Kingdom of God is come, in part, and is continuing to come. It will be brought to final fruition in the return of Jesus, where the narrative that has run throughout not just human history, but eternity too, will be brought to completion, as God and people are together, and God’s dwelling place is with man.
In the meantime, let’s rejoice in the privilege of the part we play in living out the story of the people of God. Let’s find ways to know and share His love with others, and delight in the opportunity to write the next chapter in the unfolding story of God and His people, following in Stephen’s footsteps.