What is the significance of the stoning of Stephen in Israel's history?
The stoning of Stephen marked the crescendo point of Israel's rejection of Christ, not her acceptance. At this pinnacle of national rejection, Saul appears on the scene as God's next figure, showing Israel had fully rejected the Messiah and would not have Him rule over them.
Les explains that the stoning of Stephen is a pivotal moment in Acts because the book has been consistently Jewish—Peter, Peter, Peter, now Stephen—but at this point Israel reaches the crescendo of her rejection. They were not ready for Christ to return and did not want Him to come; they were content with their own religion. They cried with a loud voice, stopped their ears, ran upon him, cast him out of the city, and stoned him. Les notes that under Roman government, a Jew would never have gotten away with stoning a Gentile, but because this was a Jewish religious situation, Rome let the Jews handle their own system and permitted them to kill their own in the name of their religion. As witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul, Israel's rejection reaches its pinnacle—'we will not have this man to rule over us'—and at that point God introduces Saul to the scene.
What did the stoning of Stephen represent in Israel's response to Christ?
The stoning of Stephen represented Israel's crescendo point of rejection of Christ, not acceptance. It was the nation's pinnacle declaration that they would not have this man rule over them. Because Rome let the Jews handle their own religious system, this Jewish execution marked the climax of Israel's refusal.
What did Israel's stoning of Stephen show about her response to Christ?
Israel's stoning of Stephen showed she had reached the crescendo point of her rejection of Christ, not acceptance. It demonstrated the nation's refusal to have Him rule over them. They stopped their ears and ran upon him, showing they did not want Christ to return or come to them.