Just One

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers.

Acts 7:52

          Who said it? Now, that’s an important question to ask when studying the titles of Christ. In this case, it was Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian church.

         

Stephen was the kind of young person that every youth group desires: energetic, servant’s heart, eloquent, and on fire for the Lord. The Sanhedrin had outlawed speaking about Jesus of Nazareth and there he was, right inside the temple, preaching about Christ and making points that no one could refute. He was hauled off to court and the book of Acts records his own defense. Stephen preaches a sermon detailing the history of Israel, pointing out that their ancestors had not only challenged Moses’ leadership, but the authority of every prophet God had sent. Then came the bottom-line: those assembled in that room had betrayed and murdered the Just One of God (a.k.a. the Messiah).

         

The truth hurts and convicting truth hurts a lot, so the courtroom turned into a mob bent on really hurting Stephen. They dragged him outside and threw heavy stones at him until his skull was crushed and he died.

         

There was another young religious zealot witnessing all this, but he belonged to the opposition. Saul of Tarsus would have thrown stones himself if he had the chance, but was outranked by the more hateful clerics. Saul did see the angel-like face of Stephen and the peace with which he died, but the phrase Just One probably was what disturbed him the most.

         

This was probably on his mind while Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute the followers "of the Way" (Acts 9:2). He saw a blinding light from heaven, realized that Jesus of Nazareth was talking to him and was told that someone would come to him with instructions. That someone was an older believer named Ananias who told him “The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth." (Acts 22:14). The same Just One that Stephen had preached about had now became Saul’s Lord.