“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 7:55-56 (NIV)
St. Paul was there when Stephen was stoned to death, but at the time, his name was Saul, and he was basically a first century terrorist, who led a frenzied campaign of hatred against the early church, dragging Christians out of their homes and murdering entire families. It all happened during the reign of the Roman Empire, after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Stephen was the first martyr of that early church. While he was being stoned to death, he saw a vision as the sky opened up and Jesus appeared to him, standing at the right hand of God. Stephen was thrilled to tell the angry crowd what he was seeing. Then he forgave his murderers, as Jesus also once did, and died in peace.
It was about a year or two after Stephen’s death, that Saul was on his way to commit another mass arrest of Christians, when he was suddenly thrown to the ground by a mysterious blinding light. He became totally blind, but heard a voice asking him,
“Saul, Why are you persecuting Me?”
Saul asked, “Who are you?” and the voice answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Saul and Jesus never met before, but it was made clear to him that by persecuting Christians, Saul was persecuting Jesus.
These are the things that cause Jesus to stand up from His throne in Heaven. He stood up when Stephen was being stoned for believing in Him, and He stands up for any innocent people who are suffering for their faith in Him.
Many scriptures depict Jesus seated on a throne, but Stephen saw Him standing up at the right hand of God. The Nicene and the Apostle’s creed both describe Jesus “seated at the right hand of the Father,” but Jesus must stand up for special reasons.
He stands for all those who are living in places where even today, they are imprisoned or persecuted for their faith in Him. He stands up for widows and orphans who are oppressed, and where anyone is deprived of basic human rights or religious freedom. He stands up in seeing the murder of innocent babies, children, and the lack of dignity towards aliens and strangers.
When people believe in Jesus, and sacrificially stand for Him, despite the consequences of punishment, He hears, sees and stands up in Heaven for them.
After Saul repented and believed in Jesus, he received his eyesight. He became the last apostle, changing his name to Paul, praying for others, and preaching the gospel wherever God led him. Jesus was standing up when He inspired Paul to write thirteen letters that became books in the New Testament.
I can imagine Jesus standing up in Heaven today, watching, hoping and empowering His church in every nation of the world, to be united as a beacon of love and light that spreads His message of mercy, to all who are suffering, and to lead many more people to Christ.
Lord, thank you for standing up in heaven, to strengthen your church with perseverance, as you see and hear the prayers of all who suffer for their faith today. Amen
