Stephen preached to people about Jesus and God. Some of the Jews got so angry about this that they told lies about Stephen and had him taken before the Jewish court (Sanhedrin). Stephen bravely preached a sermon about how people like them had rejected God before. And now they had rejected Jesus, the one God wanted Israel to follow as their leader and king. Some of the Jews became so angry at Stephen that they threw stones at him until he died. Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian faith.
From this time forward, followers of Jesus were treated very badly, and many left Jerusalem to live in other places. Everywhere they went, Christians told about Jesus.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Outline:
Tips for teaching children:
Tips for teaching adults:
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: The Stoning of Stephen
Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org