Why were so many people including the priests becoming obedient to faith? John Claypool said people were drawn to Jesus as emptiness is drawn to fullness. In his prologue, the Apostle John tells us that Jesus, the Word made flesh, was full of grace and truth. So it is no surprise that his people were also full.
How full is your life? Our calendars are certainly full. But if we look at the emotional, physical, and spiritual gauges of our lives, we might notice that they are running on empty. Swindoll said, “How busy we are, and as a result, how empty we are.”
By contrast, Stephen was full. He was nominated to be among the seven as one who was full of the Spirit and wisdom. Now we learn he was full of grace and power. His fullness overflowed in wonders and signs. Wait. Stephen was not even an apostle. How did he perform miracles? Remember, our God is not limited by titles. God uses whom he chooses.
We might expect that everyone would be drawn to this God-intoxicated servant of Jesus. But opposition arose from a certain synagogue in Jerusalem. They decided to debate Stephen and prove he was wrong. This did not go well for them. God’s wisdom is finally irresistible and irrefutable.
Emptiness abounds in our world. But people who are full of God – full of wisdom, grace, truth, and power will offer an alternative to the ones who are weary of the pervasive emptiness. Paul, who saw Stephen die, would later write to the believers in Ephesus, “Be filled with the Spirit.” I suspect he remembered what that looked like in Stephen. That fullness drew Paul out of his emptiness into life. Nothing can replace the fullness of God. The lyrics of a song resonate with me today: “Of things I’ve had my fill, and yet I hunger still for more of You.”
