Today I read from chapter 7 of Genesis, Ezra, Matthew and Acts.
In Matthew 7, Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount. It's easy, sitting 2000 years on the other side of this recorded sermon, to read it with knowledge of what has happened since. Verse 28 led me to imagine it as though I was hearing it live - from a 30ish year old man that had been performing miracles and speaking with authority. "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." What did he say that would have been so authoritatitve?
I try to imagine sitting in the audience hearing him say: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Imagine leaning over to the guy next to you and whispering: Did he just say that he will be the one judging us in heaven? Him?
In Acts 7, Stephen is stoned to death for accusing them of persecuting prophets, and betraying and murdering Christ. As he said these things to them, they became enraged. Meanwhile, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
The fact that he saw Jesus standing is interesting to me. Elsewhere in the bible, Jesus is said to be seated at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1, Mark 16:19). Stephen saw him standing.
We aren't told why Jesus was standing. I wonder why he was.
