Christ, The Hope of the Dying Saint

Christ, The Hope of the Dying Saint

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Acts 7:55-56

Stephen had, by his bold preaching of Christ, delivered his soul. His enemies returned the favor, by delivering his soul to Christ. As he closed his declaration of the Gospel to them, they closed his earthly book of life. We, apart from some egregious sin, cannot choose the manner of our own death. As the poet, Emily Dickinson said, ‘Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me.’ Stephen did what he, under God, must do, by preaching Christ. His foes did, what they, by nature must do; oppose the Truth, and kill the messenger. It has been ever thus.

It is delightful that Christ, in Stephen’s dying moments, gave unto him a clear sight of Himself. As our text declares, ‘But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ Christ is the hope of the dying Saint. Other saints, not perishing under such dreadful circumstances, have testified that they have had great sights of Christ. Christ is ever the Guiding Light of His Blood-bought people. He would not have us depart this scene of time with any uncertainty. In the case of Stephen, Christ gave honor to whom honor was due. Typically, He sits upon His Throne. For the first martyr of the New Testament era of the Church, He offers a standing ovation. Oh, that our eyes as they close on earth would be filled with a clear sight of Christ and that His Face will be the First One we see when they open in Glory. As Christ has been our Hope in all our seasons upon earth, so may He be in our final hour, and afterward in all the endless ages of eternity.

Our Gracious Master,
We hope in You, in all seasons.
You are faithful, now and forever.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice