When Stephen finished his defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7, including how they had rejected Jesus, God’s Messiah; the whole Council turned on him. But we see in verses 55-56 that the circumstances have changed nothing for Stephen:
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
In Mark 14:62, we read that Jesus made that very claim – also before the high priest – that He would be seen at the right hand of power in heaven. And it had the same result now as then – the charge of blasphemy with the penalty of death. This was the third Sanhedrin trial recorded in Acts. The first one in Chapter 4 resulted only in a warning to the followers of Jesus. The second in Chapter 5 elicited a flogging along with a warning. By now the Jewish authorities were feeling that things were getting away from them – so their response was more decisive. Stephen was stoned to death outside the city.
But this man of God not only testified of Christ during his life; he testified of Christ in his death. Verse 59 explains that he cried out to the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit, which was about to be separated from his body. With his final breath, he also cried to the Lord – following His example on the cross – saying “do not hold this sin against them.” It says that he did this “with a great voice.” He did not want the Lord to miss it. I doubt his accusers missed it either. He died the same way he lived – with grace and power. It is a convicting example to me of the passage from Sunday in Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do in word or deed (in life and in death), do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Everything – in His name and for His glory!