Acts #21 - I See Heaven

Acts 7:54-8:1a (NIV)
Read by: Eric Peterson

What kind of influence do you want your life to have?

On today’s episode of Daily Read we find Stephen standing before the Sanhedrin, the leaders who are at the heart of Jewish life in Jerusalem. He’s been telling the story and had just called out the entire institution for having missed Jesus as the Righteous One who was foretold and having killed him.

As this enrages them, Stephen has this incredible vision that draws a sharp contrast that Lukes first readers would have probably picked up on but we can easily miss. If you were a God fearing person in the 1st century, you knew the Temple as the place where Heaven and Earth met. And you would have expected the leaders in that place to be the ones aware of the presence of Heaven. But in today’s passage it’s Stephen who sees through the earthly reality to the heavenly reality in his midst.

One writer reminds us by saying, it’s not like he sees a far of heaven and a gateway that he gets a peek through. Rather, it’s like a midst lifting and all of a sudden you can see what’s been there all along. Today’s passage gives us a glimpse into what is available to us in total surrender. And though Stephen goes to sleep, which means to die, his life changes everything because of who is standing there watching his execution.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage gave you encouragement?

2. When you think about Stephen, having been led by the spirit into this interaction with the Sanhedrin, what parts of his life do you find yourself wanting to emulate? His boldness, his relationship to the Spirit, his candor, his wisdom?

3. Stephen is living his life in total surrender to Jesus and right at the very end, he experiences an unveiling of the reality that has been there the entire time. What would it mean for you to live in such a way that is aware of and attentive to the presence of Heaven around you? How would that impact those who witness your life?

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Bible Project: Acts 1-12 Overview >>

InterVarsity Press Selections: Acts >>

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