Face of an Angel

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

FACE OF AN ANGEL

Acts 6:11-15

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

NIV

This is the beginning of the end of this life for Stephen, but before he gives his incredibly eloquent response to their question we are seeing all the false charges against him. We also see the demeanor of Stephen during this time of lies. These Jews who were arguing with Stephen but could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke are the ones who stirred up the people against Stephen. It is amazing when someone speaks the truth, speaks by the power of the Spirit, there will be people who make accusations about him, even if there are false. These people did not want to hear the truth so they had to make Stephen look bad, no matter what it took. They made claims that Stephen said things he may not have, or maybe it was the manner in which he said it they did not like, because he spoke with authority. But the interesting point we can learn here is that when they brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin they looked at Stephen and his face was like the face of an angel. This is a man who truly has a heart for God and a man who God is certainly pleased with. Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, full of God’s divine influence upon his heart and his life reflected that grace, and full of power. Is it any wonder his face looked like the face of an angel? Stephen could not do anything but speak the truth about God, about Jesus. But there are so many, even those who think themselves religious who do not want to hear the truth, so they must accuse, stir up dissension against Stephen. We are going to hear all the words of Stephen as he outlines the whole truth and actually accuses them with that truth, but for now let us simply learn we must also speak the truth. This truth we speak might cause some, even those who think themselves religious, to argue with us, even accuse us of some form of blasphemy, or being self-righteous or pompous, or authoritative, or whatever in order to allow themselves to dismiss the truth. This is what was happening to Stephen and it could happen to us as well, if we are full of faith, and of the Holy spirit, full of God’s divine influence upon our hearts and full of the power of God. Yet through it all, let our face look like the face of an angel. Stephen did not appear with anger, he did not speak with anger, he did not have anger, he was full of faith, full of the love of God toward them and it showed in his demeanor, it showed in his continence and in his face. We will see that even though they noticed his face, it did not prevent them from killing him because of the truth. Although Stephen knew the accusations were all false his demeanor did not change, for he knew the truth. Although we endeavor to live like Jesus, let us also learn to live in the shadow, in the footsteps of Stephen, a man, yet a man full of faith, whose face was like the face of an angel.