The physician Luke wrote how the Sanhedrin, “stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles”, and in chapter eight and verse two of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “devout men carried Stephen to his burial” where we read:
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
The verse begins, “And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, ...” Luke began with the words, “and devout men” which means “and pious, religious and reverencing male human beings” “carried Stephen” or “helped to carry and bear the body of Stephen whose name means crowned and was one of the seven deacons in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr” “to his burial” which means “toward Stephen's entombment”. Luke shared how men who “reverenced” God “carried Stephen's” body to a place to be buried.
The verse goes on to say, “... and made great lamentation over him.” Luke continued with the words, “and made great lamentation” which means “and made ready, produced and provided large and abundant mourning with the beating of the breast as a sign of grief” “over him” or “over Stephen”. Luke shared how the men who “carried” “Stephen's body” to be buried “mourned” greatly over his death.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how there were people who “grieved greatly” over the death of “Stephen”. “Stephen” had presented the gospel of Jesus Christ to people, and he performed miracles among them. This changed their lives forever. Now “Stephen” was dead, and his badly beaten and dead body needed to be buried. These “pious” men “carried” “Stephen's body” to be entombed, but “Stephen's spirit” was in Heaven with Jesus. God knows every person will eventually expire, and the reason He sent His Son Jesus into the world was to “die” for their sins so they could live forever with Him. Anyone who yields their life to Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Though people “lament” over the burial of the earthly body, those who believe in, trust in, rely upon and cling to Jesus will live forever with God. Let all who read these word believe.
Next time Luke shares how Saul, “made havoc of the church”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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