When Stones Are Thrown

Act: 7:51-60- Speaks to us regarding  the stoning of the Deacon Stephen , one of the first Christian Martyrs  for His profession about the Lord  Jesus . 

The Deacon Stephen had been preaching about the Person of Jesus Christ to the Jews at Jerusalem, His message regarding our Lord angered the crowd. Enraged the crowd took up stones and began to violently pelt the Deacon with them.
As Stephan was struck by the hurled stones; battered and badly injured , his eyes instinctively lifted toward the Heavens and in his remaining moments upon the Earth ,  even as the stones rained down upon him  , he saw the Lord Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father,   and he tells those who throw the stones  that he sees Jesus ,which causes them to react  even worse  and  throw stones all the more.

Stones Thrown

When we profess Jesus, that we accept that He is God and our Savior , then Christians can  find selves ,at times ,the objects of  rebuke from the world and unfortunately even from some "professing" Christians ,   that is to say, stones are thrown .  

These stones that can be  hurled in our direction, are not just literal ones picked up from the earth, but the stones being cast at the Deacon Stephen ,  and our selves represent the hardened  carnal response of the world around us.  This has, and is  the way the world reacts when the person of Jesus Christ is truly given His place of prominence and the focus to our lives and  or ministries.

These stones can take many forms  as they are cast upon and at us. When ever we speak of Jesus or give Christ that place of prominence in our lives , when the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus. There will be a reaction by the carnal attitudes surrounding us which will  react badly and in some cases aggressively. Stephen's testimony regarding Jesus, challenged the religious leaders notion of how to relate to the great God.

Shown by the Spirit

Carnality  finds itself at odds with Jesus. The carnal nature within humanity  wants to believe  that it is  good enough that somehow its proformence  is alright, or that when Jesus is brought into the situation then  the carnality is convicted. 

It takes the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to our need for Jesus.

 "Why I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1Corinthians:12:3
  
The Holy Spirit will always speak to regarding Jesus, He is and always directs  us to the Son of God,  not to anything other but Jesus above all. This is what carnality has an issue with. Even carnality masked as piety will have at some point this reaction against the name of our Lord Jesus .  Jesus said, to a crowed of pious Jews who attempted to trap Him with a question  regarding the woman caught in adultery if she should be stoned to death, he answered them, and all of us,  "He that is without sin among you, let cast the him first stone"John:8:7  . This shows us that the ones casting stones at the Deacon Stephen were blind to their sins.


“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you"John:16:5-15

Refuge in Christ

 When Stephen preached about Jesus, it brought on the predictable reaction of the crowd and the stones were thrown. As those stones  came upon him, he had no place to go but to Jesus Himself, that is,  when in the midst of the stoning, in his dying moments Stephen  had no others place to go,  but he turned to our Lord trusting  even as the stones struck him.  

Even in the midst of it  Stephen surrendered all over to Jesus ;the entire situation even there in the midst of it. Stephen  waited upon Jesus , knowing that his death was at hand.

This shows Christians  we can refuge in Christ , give over what is happening in our lives no matter what befalls us , what ever it might be ,  we like Stephen , should keep trusting that  in the end what ever comes upon us, we need to seek our refuge in our Lord. Stephen looked to Jesus, he did not seek escape but sought his Lord, Jesus was his escape.   This speaks far beyond just  a violent reaction from the world at the mention of Christ, it is for us in any and all difficult situations. When we face hardship that seemed to be prolonged or sickness, whatever we face , when the stones of this life are hurled against us we should lift our eyes Heaven ward , and fix our gaze upon Jesus, trusting Him to give us refuge in the midst of the hardships which befall us.

For the Good

Stephen knew that  if what he faced meant his death, it would ultimately be for the good, his and for Christians down through the ages, for each of us  now and always,  to the very end of this world.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans:8:28

What Stephen recognized was that our Lord was in full control of everything whatever it might be. He may have even had Psalm 31 in mind, which is a "Messianic Psalm" , that is,  it looked ahead to Jesus' moments on the cross, accomplishing our salvation,  from which Jesus was not delivered,  but Jesus faced it trusting in His Father. Jesus knew His death had meaning and that  God the father could be trusted to cause the outcome to be for Jesus' glory and our redemption...Jesus sought refuge in His Father as the events on the day of crucifixion unfolded.

"In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Free me from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth"Psalm:31:1-5

Stephen understood that his life, every season, or times, was in the hands of God , all of his life and even the time of his death.

"But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

All my times are in your hands;

deliver me from my enemies

and from those who pursue me" Psalm:31:14-15

Christ the Living Stone 

The stones that world  may throw our way  brings death,  and  death is what proceeds out of the carnal nature.  But God Himself has cast a Stone to all humanity,  to any and all who will but by grace receive it , this Stone is our Lord Jesus.

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone, and,

“A stone that causes men to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.^"

 1Peter:2:1-8

Jesus Standing for Stephen

Jesus stood as, the stones struck Stephen . Standing in the culture of that time was an act of respect , honor  and giving someone  undivided attention; this tells us that  Jesus was giving Stephen His attention and  honoring the sacrifice of laying down his  life for the cause of the Gospel. That is what Jesus was doing at that moment at the very throne of the Great God. Jesus  gave His  attention to Stephen,   and His attention is on you and all of His people  during our times of difficulties. What ever we face we are not alone, Jesus is in full control of what is taking place , His eyes are on  us He is standing for us.

  "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfast into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" Acts:7:55

Jesus stands for us in our test and difficulties , even when stones are thrown His attention is upon us, and He is for us ,even if  the situation results in our death , He will ultimately turn it for our good no matter when stones are thrown.In Jesus we  can find our refuge when stones are thrown.  Amen

 Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion

Washington, Pennsylvania

Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville , Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com 

Nunc Dimittis:“Now You Let Depart.”

Even from His birth and infancy  Our Lord Jesus Christ was demonstrating  His place as the One who would accomplish everything needed for our salvation



We can read of the Presentation of our Lord at the Temple at Jerusalem   in the Gospel of  Luke. Luke:2:22-40. 

 Under the Old Covenant  a woman was considered to be ceremonially unclean  for 40 days after giving birth, in which case she was unable to enter the Temple and join in the worship of God.  At the end of this period she would come to the Temple  and and be declared "purified"and again be able to join in the community worship. This is part of what we are reading about here when Joseph and Mary come to the Temple, with Jesus.

Purified and Presented

But  in the Gospel account we see more than just the completion of Mary's purification. Joseph and Mary have brought Jesus with them, Jesus, being the Firstborn is to be dedicated to the service of God under the terms of the Old Covenant. 
 "Because all the Firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the Firstborn of the Land of Egypt I hallowed to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal, they will be mine: I AM the Lord" Number:3:13
  "Consecrate to me every firstborn male; the Firstborn of every womb among Israel belong to me, man or animal" Exodus: 13:2     
What we  witness, through Luke’s account, is two events, Mary’s “Purification” which allows for her to be readmitted into the Worship in the Temple. She now, due to the purification offering, has the right to be there in the Temple, and along with her purification we see the dedication of Jesus who is the Firstborn of all firstborn and His consecration, 40 days after His birth, to be a servant of the Most High God. 

The Consecration scarifies and the presentation of the firstborn, were conducted at the Temple in Jerusalem.
 “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Luke: 2:22

Law Fulfilled by Jesus

Luke makes sure in his Gospel that part of what we see here fulfills the Law of Moses .This speaks of what Jesus came to do for each and all what we could never have done ourselves. Jesus is working out our salvation even as an infant.
Even His circumcision on the eighth day, we see Jesus, shedding His blood, looking ahead to the Cross still 33 years in His future. Now the presentation on the 40^th day, when Jesus enters first enters the Temple He is fulfilling the Law of God on our behalf. 

This Jesus did, and continued to do all His life right up to the cross.  But Jesus’ life, in way every way fulfilled the Law the way it was meant to be, even as an infant. Jesus makes sure that we all are "purified" and able to join in the community worship of the Great God, it is all through Him we are made pure, and able to approach the Great God.
“so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault” Philippians:2:15a
“But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians: 2:13

The Consecration

The Consecration of the firstborn began with the Exodus and the plague of the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians, which God placed on Egypt. This was the 10^th and last plague, which resulted in the freeing of Israel from captivity.
The Israelites, whose homes were marked with the blood of the lamb, were spared and the angel of death passed over them.  The firstborn of Israel were spared. Because of that, from that time forward all the firstborn sons of Israel now were to be set apart, holy, consecrated to the service of the Lord. This law applied to all tribes of Israel. The firstborn sons of all twelve tribes were to be set aside e to the Lord’s service.

The Priesthood

God had established the Levites as the priesthood tribe before God in Israel But the law  provided an exemption . The Levites took the place for all those firstborn sons in the service of the Lord. The Levites were the tribe who served at the tabernacle and later at the temple of God

The priesthood came from the tribe of Levi. But for the firstborn sons from all the other tribes, the parents would offer up a sacrifice at the Temple so that released their sons from that obligation.
This part of what Joseph and Mary were doing at the Temple for their firstborn son, since they were not Levites but from the tribe of Judah. From which of Judah kings came. Jesus was born from the tribe of Judah; however He also is a firstborn, which means He is consecrated to the service of God, at His presentation at the Temple on the 40^th day.

 Jesus the Priest of God

Even though Jesus in not of Levi, and even though the sacrifice is offered to release Him from  priestly service,  He still is holy, set apart ,  consecrated to God . Regardless of what tribe He was born from.
 Jesus’ life was consecrated to Lord’s service even in His infancy. 
 
Jesus offers the greatest priestly service of all,  for all, when he offered up His own life as the perfect sacrifice for all sin. His body and His blood are the offering, whole and holy and complete.
When we see Jesus is presented at the Temple, on the 40^th  day, as the firstborn , this is a foreshadowing of His entire priestly service for  all of us. 

33 years later, on Calvary, Jesus would shed His blood on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for all humanity, fulfilling the Law in our stead, bring forgiveness and salvation us.
Death passes over us because we are marked with the blood Jesus  the Lamb of God. All this is taking place when this Jesus firstborn son is presented at the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

Simeon and Anna

At The Temple, there were two persons who served God, Simon and Anna, and seeing Jesus at the time of His presentation discerns this. The Holy Spirit spoke to them and reveals this truth, that this child, Jesus, is the Savior who has come to fulfill the all Messianic prophecies  given to Israel, this is the One ,which they waited for and hoped for, the One Who bring Salvation.

Not only is Jesus the great High Priest, greater than any from the tribe of Levi, He is also the great King from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, the Christ.  Simeon and Anna can see this. This truth was revealed to Simeon and Anna by a special work of the Holy Spirit. They see Jesus, and they recognize the Savior, the fulfillment of what they had been waiting for.

 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God. . . .” Luke: 2:25-28

Jesus is the great High Priest, above any from the tribe of Levi; He is also the promised King from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, and the Christ. Simeon and Anna see this. 

Simeon was waiting for the “Consolation of Israel.” “Consolation” is a word means “comfort.” 

Isaiah 40:2- “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, and that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  

Simeon had been watching and waiting for, looking for, longing for. The Lord had showed that Simeon that he would not die until he saw the consolation come in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. Now here was that One, finally, Simeon sees Him, in the person of the infant Jesus now brought into the Temple courts, the long awaited Messiah! 

Then Simeon with, Jesus  in his arms and exclaims: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke: 2:29-32

Nunc Dimittis

The declaration of Simeon has come into the liturgy of the Church as the Hymn called the Nunc Dimittis, which means “Now You Let Depart.”
Often this Hymn is sung it after the sharing of the Communion after we encounter the Lord Jesus, when we take Him into our arms, that is embrace Him  personally, we can now  to depart in peace just as Simeon declared he was able to do, we have now no fear, even departing this life. When we come to believe in Jesus, our lives have accomplished everything a human life was intended to accomplish.
 Simeon held Jesus in his arms and beheld with his own eyes, the Lord’s salvation in the person of the Jesus. When we come to believe in Jesus, we express it though sharing the Lord’s Supper, the Communion, we are truly ready and able “to depart in peace”. 

Simeon declared openly that this child is the salvation God has prepared “in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
For all peoples, all nations, not just Israel, will be blessed in and by Jesus’ coming. Gentiles will come to see the light.

Darkness of the Cross

This glorious salvation and light came through suffering and darkness of the Cross there at Calvary. The shadow that shrouded the world, as Jesus was upon the Cross accomplishing our salvation and redemption is foreshadowed at His presentation. 

Simeon tells Mary she will have grief, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke: 2:34-25

Jesus faced great opposition in His ministry. He will be spoken against by the religious leaders of the day the Scribe and Pharisee and Sadducees, the Chief Priest and Elders of people. They conspired against Jesus to stop and to have Him killed.

The death of Jesus, her firstborn son, was like a sword piercing Mary’s soul, bring great grief, as she stood at the cross and sees Jesus dying. 

This is the only way that our salvation could be accomplished for us. It would take the death of God’s only begotten Son come in the flesh, Mary’s firstborn son, to accomplish it for us.
Only Jesus’ holy blood alone.  Only He as the great High Priest, His priestly service of offering up the perfect sacrifice Himself  would accomplish it. His life could never have ended any other way. 

The Cross is the logical conclusion to a life based on complete conformity to the will of God; the Cross declares that Jesus would rather die, than found outside the will of God. Jesus’ sacrifice was not just one day at Calvary, but rather Jesus scarified His whole life, His Whole life. All His Life, All His Life. He was fully consecrated to His Father. That day at the Temple only shows what has always been true.

His Sacrifice is more than enough, to accomplish our salvation. We are saved from eternal death and condemnation. We are saved for life and peace with God and eternal life beyond the confines of this world in Eternity. This is the consolation of Israel that Simeon and all of us are waiting for it found in Jesus alone.

The power of the blood is found in the value of the life that it sustains, the blood of Jesus sustained the life of God in the flesh, therefore His life as fully  God, is more valued then the sum total of all humanity , but being fully human Jesus could die for all humanity.John:1:1-3,14, and Colssians:2:9

Now Anna

Prophetess Anna was one the other saint of God . Scripture tells us that Anna was among those “waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” “Redemption” meaning being set free, liberated.
Anna as well sees our Redeemer, our liberator, in the child Jesus.  Jesus Christ is our Lord who has redeemed all of us lost and condemned humanity, purchased and won for us freeing us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. 

He brought this redeeming by His holy blood and His perfect innocent suffering and death. This redemption He has won for us is,   eternal life in the kingdom of God. Like Anna, we too will begin to give praise and thanks to God and to speak to others about Jesus. 

Consolation and redemption, salvation and peace. All of these Jesus brought with Him when He enters the Temple for His Presentation. He is the firstborn, the High Priest, and the Messiah. In the Temple, even in the Church, the People of God, His Temple, we still find the same Jesus and so we receive His blessings.
In Jesus Christ we find our consolation and our redemption, our comfort and freedom. In Jesus Christ, we find salvation, peace, eternal life and forgiveness. Jesus is here in the Church ,the Temple, that  the firstborn Son is still being presented to and for  us, and so we all can sing the Hymn Nunc Dimittis  with Simeon 
.
“Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.” Amen.

 Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion

Washington, Pennsylvania

Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville , Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com