Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

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7, verse 60.

In falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord do not hold this sin against them.

And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

This completes the stoning of Stephen, the moment when the first Christian martyr that we know of in the Book of acts the follower of Christ,

Stephen who was stoned for proclaiming Christ.

And what are his last words?

They're exactly what Jesus' words were on the cross.

What did Jesus say? Father forgive them for they do not know what they do.

Jesus is looking at this people who have crucified him

and he says, Father, forgive them.

That's the whole point of the cross, right?

Jesus is dying for sinners who have rebelled against him. For sinners who deserve

judgment he is dying for their forgiveness.

So that was what he just did on the cross, what she just said on the cross, so now here's Stephen.

Rocks are being pelted at him until he dies like rocks, stones, thrown at him.

So what does he do?

He falls to his knees and he cries out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this

sin against them. Oh, the Spirit of Christ in Stephen is so evident here.

As he faces death at the hands of his persecutors,

he is praying for them and for their forgiveness.

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