Jesus, Our Priest

Acts 6:1–15; 7:54–60

The story of Stephen, the first Christian to die for his faith, helps us understand how early Christians lived. They took care of the poor and believed in Jesus as their High Priest. They didn’t think they needed a physical temple or priests anymore. This belief helped Christianity spread and changed society. It also makes us think about what it means to be a priest in any religion.

1. A priest went into God

Many people think we need a spiritual go-between to connect with God. Some believe we’ve outgrown this idea, but we still change our behavior in important places. The story also talks about how people long to be accepted, what it feels like to be left out, and how some groups only include certain people. All of this highlights how important it is to feel close to God and how it helps us be brave.

2. A priest went into God for others

Christians believe we have to be perfect to get into heaven and that Jesus made us perfect by what he did. This is different from other religions that say we have to make ourselves perfect. Christianity helps us deal with our pride and sadness by showing us the need for perfect rules and giving us a Savior who meets these rules, just like Pascal said. Early Christians changed their world by valuing everyone, helping the poor, and being brave even when they were treated badly. They saw Jesus as someone who understood their pain, stood up for them, prayed for them, and wasn’t afraid to do the right thing.