As [his enraged accusers] stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he [fell asleep].
Our translation (The New Living Translation) doesn't pick up the language of the original. Luke literally wrote that Stephen
"fell asleep"! I want us to think about Luke's choice of this image for death. By faith, the first followers of Jesus believed that they were never separated from Jesus (
Romans 8:32-39); death was little more than being asleep in Jesus (
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 ESV). We are taught to have the same faith. In the presence of the all-powerful Son of God, death was defeated - remember Jairus' daughter, the widow's son, and Lazarus? A believer's body may cease to have life, but the child of God is alive
"with Christ" (
Philippians 1:19-24) and will receive a new glorious body when he returns in his glory (
1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
O Father, thank you for life that no one can steal from me. I trust that you have hidden my life with Christ and that I will share in his glory when he comes. I believe that nothing can separate me from my Savior's love and future. So, dear Father, give me courage in the face of life's most difficult challenges - even my own death - to believe and anticipate sharing in your glory because of Jesus! Amen.
![Illustration of Acts 7:59-60 NLT — As [his enraged accusers] stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he [fell asleep].](https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/24691.jpg "Illustration of Acts 7:59-60 NLT — As [his enraged accusers] stoned him, Stephen prayed, \"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.\" He fell to his knees, shouting, \"Lord, don't charge them with this sin!\" And with that, he [fell asleep].")
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