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Bible Book: Acts
Bible Book Code: 4400705901
Scene no: 1 of 1

Bible Reference & Cartoon Description

Acts 7:59-60 (NLT)
59 And as they [the Jewish leaders] stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And he fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified by the Bible narrative. I have set this scene in the mid afternoon

LIGHTING NOTES:
The sun illuminates this scene. It is unseen, off to the left (West), casting shadows below and to the right of figures and objects.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Stephen is the central figure, on his knees. Around him are 5 un-named Jewish leaders, throwing stones at him. behind are 4 men who are the official witnesses (see Acts 7:58) of the event. The man on the right, dressed in dark green outer robes is Saul/Paul.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This scene is set in the Hinnom valley, to the West of the walls of Jerusalem, which are visible in the background. There is also a gate through which people are coming and going, and various pathways leading to, and from it.

We can see men grabbing stones and violently hurling them at Stephen, who has ripped, blood-stained clothing and bruises forming on his body.

Here’s the scene without the figures in the foreground.

Background of Acts 07 – Stephen stoned – Scene 05 – Stephen killed

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Background of Acts 07 – Stephen stoned – Scene 05 – Stephen killed

Dr. Luke’s description of the trial and stoning of Stephen’s pictures a violent mob of Jewish leaders taking the law into their own hands. We read that the leaders covered their ears, shouting loudly, rushed at Stephen, (see Acts 7:57) and then dragging Stephen out of Jerusalem, which all sounds like a sudden, impassioned, violent attack.

It is interesting to note that these events took place in Judea, which at the time, was under Roman occupation. The Jewish leaders, including the Sanhedrin, had the authority to judge and punish people according to Jewish law, but they did not have the power to carry out capital punishment (i.e. the death penalty). For the Jewish people, executing anyone was illegal under Roman law, we know this because, at Jesus’ own trail, the Jewish leaders say to Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor) “But we have no right to execute anyone”. (John 18:31). Therefore, we know that what the Jewish leaders did, in stoning Stephen, was an illegal act… but that would have been of little comfort to Stephen! Nevertheless, stoning to death was the punishment appointed in the case of blasphemy (see Leviticus 24:16), which the Sanhedrin had determined Stephen was guilty of.

Verse 60 tells us that Stephen fell to his knees, but rather than shouting accusations at his adversaries, he chose to pray two important things; 1) “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” which is similar to Christ’s final words (see Luke 23:46) and 2) “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” surprisingly, Stephen was concerned about the spiritual welfare of his killers. Clearly Stephen had learned from his Master some important lessons about how to live and how to die.
Apparently, at a stoning, the executed person was supposed to confess his sin and pray, “May my death atone for all my sins.” Stephen confessed not his own sin but that of his false accusers.

Stephen has been called the first martyr, although John the Baptist might also be considered for that title.

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Bible Doctrine Notes
7:59-60 PRAYER, Jesus’ Example (5.51C3)
Interestingly, when Stephen was being killed, he prayed the same prayers Jesus Himself prayed on the cross, during His execution, although in reverse order (see Luke 23:34,46). By following Jesus’ example believers can face their physical death in good conscience and with great confidence, knowing He has gone before us back to His Father in Heaven.

7:60 LAST THINGS, Believers’ Death (4.62A)
On several occasions Jesus referred to a believers’ physical death as “going to sleep” (see Mark 5:39; John 11:11). This was not “soul sleep”, nor unconscious existence after physical death and before resurrection, for Jesus’ other teachings about death disallow these concepts (see notes on Luke 16:19-26; 23-43). Rather the concern was to teach us that physical death is nothing to be feared , rather like going to sleep every night. At death, believer’s are given peace and rest from the labours and pains of life. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Saul/Paul followed Jesus in the use of the same idea regarding a believer’s death as “falling asleep”.