Bible Study

Divide Daniel 3:17–18 between two children to read aloud.

¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The three Hebrew men were clear and bold in their reply to the king. They would not bow, whether God saved them or not! They knew God could save them; but if God chose not to, they were willing to give their lives to God. In our story, we saw how the three men did not back down and were actually thrown into the furnace. Miraculously, God did save them!

It is easier to say that we will stand for God no matter what comes our way, but it is more difficult to follow through with those words when the heat or pressure is turned up. 

In the book of Matthew, Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times. Peter boldly replied that he would not deny Jesus even if it meant he had to die with Him! Now, what we often don’t remember is that all the other disciples vowed the same—not just Peter! But after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples deserted Jesus and fled in fear! See Matthew 26:35,56.

We cannot make a stand for God in our own strength. The three Hebrew men were strengthened by their faith and trust in God, not in themselves. Let’s look at two people, Jesus and Stephen, who trusted God and obediently gave their lives in service to Him.

Divide up the verses between the children and have them read the passages aloud. Lead a discussion with the questions below.  

1. Stephen

Acts 6:8–12,15:

⁸ Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.⁹ But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia.¹⁰ None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. ¹¹ So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.”¹² This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. ¹⁵ At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

• In verses 8 and 10, was Stephen timid and shy about doing God’s work? No, he was bold, full of God’s power, performed signs and miracles, full of wisdom and spoke God’s Word boldly.
• Did Stephen do anything wrong, causing his arrest? No, he was lied about and falsely accused.
• In verse 15, why do you think Stephen’s face was shining like an angel’s? Hint, look at verses 8 and 10.Full of God’s Spirit, wisdom and grace.
• Do you think Stephen was full of fear standing before the council? No, full of God’s power, boldness and Spirit.

 Acts 7:1,54–60:

¹ Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?” ⁵⁴ The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ⁵⁶ And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” ⁵⁷ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him⁵⁸ and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Stephen was brought before the Jewish leaders and they asked him to defend himself against their accusations, which were all false. Stephen took this opportunity to preach about Jesus, not to try to save himself!  

• In verse 1, what could Stephen have possibly done to save himself? Lied to protect himself, backed off the truth, promised not to preach, not preached at them.
• In verse 54, how is this similar to the story of the three Hebrew men? The king was furious and enraged.
• In verses 55–56, was Stephen affected or shaken by their rage? Why or why not? No, he was full of God’s Spirit, he focused on God and Jesus, not on the Jewish leaders or the situation.
• How can we apply that to situations we may find ourselves in? Focus on God and be strong in God’s Spirit. Not focus on the situation.
• In verses 57–58, did God save Stephen from the leaders? No, He chose not to in His plan for Stephen’s life.
• In verse 58, do you know who this man named Saul became? The Apostle Paul after his conversion by Jesus.
• In verse 60, how does Stephen remind you of Jesus on the cross? Prayed for those who persecuted and killed him.

2. Jesus

Matthew 26:36–39:

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and He said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and He became anguished and distressed.³⁸ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” ³⁹ He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”

• What was Jesus praying about here? His persecution and death on the cross.
• In verse 37, what did Jesus desire from His disciples?Prayer and support.
• In verses 37–38, how did Jesus feel?Anguished, distressed, soul crushed with grief to point of death.
• What does verse 39 tell us about His struggle in His humanity and flesh while trying to do God’s will? He felt pain, He desired not to go through it if possible - if it could be done any other way. It was real, it was not easy by any means.
• What did Jesus want to do even more than to save Himself from suffering? God’s will, to be obedient to God’s plan.

Philippians 2:8:

He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

• Did God choose to spare Jesus from suffering on the cross? No.
• What is similar and what is different in the conclusion of the story of Jesus and the three Hebrew men? They all faced sure death, and remained obedient in the face of death. They trusted God and His will. God rescued and saved the three men; God did not spare Jesus from death so that He would save us from our sins.

Jesus trusted God and obediently gave His life as part of God’s plan of salvation for all. It wasn’t an easy thing for Jesus to give up His life; His prayers in the garden show us that.      

Both Stephen and Jesus were wrongfully accused and lied about so they would be arrested. Both men could have defended themselves and backed away from their bold preaching, but they chose to remain true to God even when facing death. Both men prayed for their accusers and those who ended their lives on Earth.

Let’s pray: Thank You, God, for those who have been willing to give their lives for Your work! It is always the right choice to remain obedient to You, no matter what. We pray for all those Christians who are suffering right now because they are being persecuted for their faith. Give them the boldness and courage to continue to stand up for You. Help us to trust You completely with our lives in worship and service to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.