Some of the most memorable statements are those spoken immediately prior to a person’s death. Usually, there is nothing light or flippant about them. Without wishing to be morbid, I invite you to reflect on THE LAST WORDS of some remarkable individuals.

‘And they stoned STEPHEN as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep’, Acts chapter 7 verses 59-60.

These are the gracious words of Stephen, the first Christian martyr in the early church. His courage was truly remarkable in the face of his bitter enemies. Unlike them, he confidently declared that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah and accused them of crucifying Him. Even though the hostility against him grew, he remained loyal to God and ultimately it cost him his life. Nevertheless, he did not allow the unjust actions of others to make him vindictive, resentful or bitter at the close of his life. He reflected the example set by Jesus (see Luke chapter 23 verse 34) in his gracious LAST WORDS: ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin’, Acts chapter 7 verse 60. At this point, he ‘fell asleep’, verse 60. For the Christian, death is a peaceful sleep! The moment we close our eyes in death, we open them and discover, as Stephen did, that we are with the Lord Jesus in heaven!

It is deeply moving to see that, just prior to his death, Stephen gazed up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus stood up in honour of, and to receive, His faithful servant! We too can look forward to this same wonderful experience, if we trust Him as our Saviour. He is worth serving faithfully, as Stephen did.