Acts 7:9-16
Teaching Notes
As we continue through Acts 7, Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin and presses deeper into the heart of his message. He moves from Abraham to Joseph—another key figure in Israel’s history, and another powerful picture of God’s redemptive plan. Joseph’s story isn’t just familiar; it’s deeply prophetic. Though rejected by his brothers, falsely accused, and sold into slavery, Joseph is raised up by God to a place of power—positioned to save lives in a time of great famine. Stephen isn’t just recounting facts; he’s holding up a mirror. What Joseph’s brothers did in jealousy and blindness, Israel’s religious leaders are now doing again.
The parallels are striking. Just as Joseph is rejected by his own and later revealed to them in glory, so Jesus is rejected by His own people in His first coming, but will one day be revealed in glory at His second. Stephen wants them to see that God's plan doesn’t always unfold the way we expect—and when we fight against His plan, we end up opposing the very One sent to save us. Yet in every betrayal, God is still working. In every rejection, He’s still redeeming. Joseph’s rise wasn’t accidental—it was divinely orchestrated. And so was Jesus’s.
Stephen’s message is both an indictment and an invitation. He’s calling out the religious leaders not simply for their past, but for their present—resisting the Spirit, rejecting the Messiah, and repeating the failures of their forefathers. But he’s also reminding them that grace is still available. Just like Joseph extends mercy to his brothers, Jesus stands ready to reconcile and redeem—even those who nailed Him to a cross. That’s the beauty of the gospel.
For us today, Stephen’s boldness is both challenging and comforting. We’re reminded that following Jesus doesn’t mean avoiding opposition—it means being faithful in the face of it. It means trusting God’s bigger plan, even when it looks like rejection or hardship. And it means being willing to be a witness, not just when it’s easy, but when it’s costly. Like Stephen, may we be filled with the Spirit, anchored in truth, and eager to see others reconciled to God. Because at the end of the day, our faithfulness might be the very thing God uses to open blind eyes and change hardened hearts.
