Saturday 25 April 2026
- Bible Book:
- Acts
While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died. (vs 59-60)
Background
Today – 25 April – is celebrated by Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Churches as the Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist. Mark’s Gospel is widely believed to be the first of the four gospels to have been written. It is interesting in the light of today’s passage to see that Mark reports in 13:11 of his gospel that Jesus said: "When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.”
Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council sitting as the supreme court) recounted in the earlier verses of this chapter, is a fine example of this. Stephen is recognised as the first Christian martyr. His feast day is Boxing Day (26 December). His final words, shown above, echo the words of Jesus on the cross. His witness, even as he was being killed obviously had an impact on the young Saul who was watching. Later, Saul would be converted to Christianity and, as Paul, would be a major figure in the development and spread of Christianity, and would eventually be martyred himself.
The statement adapted from the Early Church father, Tertullian, that “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” can lead us to think of the Age of the Martyrs as dating up to the conversion of Constantine. However, it is estimated that as many as 160,000 a year die for their Christian faith, with more martyrs in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries put together. The ten modern martyrs represented in statues on the front of Westminster Abbey in London are drawn from every continent and from many Christian denominations. Among them are victims of Nazism, communism and religious prejudice in the 20th century.
Charities supporting persecuted Christians provide aid such as Bibles, leadership training, and relief, and they also raise awareness and lobby governments. Major UK organisations include Open Doors, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN UK) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). They all work to support believers facing hardship and danger globally through prayer, donations and advocacy.
To Ponder
- Have you or has someone close to you experienced being given the words you needed in a difficult situation?
- How easy have you found it to forgive someone who has hurt you?
- How aware are you of the present-day persecution of Christians and the charities that support them?
Prayer
Loving God, show us what we can do to help those who are being persecuted for their faith. Give us the courage to speak up if we witness any discrimination against people of faith. Amen.
Bible notes author: Philip Sudworth
Philip is a local preacher in the Wigan Circuit. Having retired from a career in the education service, he’s kept busy with voluntary work. He has had articles on faith published in seven countries. Grandchildren have given him renewed insights into awe and wonder, love and trust. Frequent questions remind him that anyone who thinks he has all the answers hasn’t yet found half the questions.