Another king - Jesus

 

As I have said, on Sunday our Pastor gave a good word from Acts 17. I really like this chapter and as I was listening to him, I wandered through it, noting what I consider highlights. Tuesday: The synagogue first; Wednesday: The message; Today: Another king - Jesus

Acts 17 begins with Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica: Three sabbaths in a row he preached in the synagogue. What kind of response did he get? v 4 says

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

This looks to me like the church started off with quite a crowd! We also learn from Acts 17 that persecution began immediately:

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king -- Jesus.

What was the charge? These that have turned the world upside down have come here also. “These are trouble makers, rabble rousers, who’ve come to disturb the peace.” Interesting that the only people causing trouble and disturbing the peace are the protesters. Then they get serious and bring the political charge, these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king -- Jesus.

Another king! I’m telling you, the gospel is dangerous! the gospel is radical! We preach another king and another kingdom. And the powers that be feel it immediately, and feel threatened by the call to loyalty to another king. This explains the history of governments persecuting the Church and Christians. But there’s is a knee-jerk reaction based on a misunderstanding.

The gospel does not call us to take over anything. The kingdom makes us better and safer citizens of whatever country we live in. But the gospel does call for a change in fealty - “formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord”; now our highest authority and deepest loyalty is to another king -- Jesus, and we now live waiting for, longing for, expecting, anticipating, hastening the return of our king to establish his kingdom on the earth.

This explains why Paul places great emphasis on the second coming of Christ in his two epistles to the Thessalonians - every chapter in them has a reference to it. His preaching was heavy on the second coming.

The apostles preached and the early church believed Jesus was coming again and soon. I became a Christian in 1973, right in the middle of the Jesus Revolution. One of the emphases of the Jesus Revolution was, "Jesus is coming soon! Maranatha!" Maybe you remember this Andrae Crouch song:

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king (3x)

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

We’re going to see the king

Andrae Crouch © 1976 Crouch Music Corp, Bud-john Songs Inc

All this is kind of awkward these days - there have been “No Kings” protests in the US recently. Paul might have had difficulties with this group as well. Oh but you say, “No, these protests are political.” Precisely. I have spoken with some in the No Kings movement, and they have made it clear, they want NO kings.

The gospel is very political, just not Republican, Democrat, Libertarian political. But the gospel is about another kingdom and another king. Our King died for us that we might be forgiven our sins; He was raised from the dead that we might have everlasting life; our King is coming back to set up his kingdom of righteousness and peace on the earth. Have you transferred your fealty to King Jesus? Have you believed in Him and been born again? Are you looking for and ready for His return? Maranatha!

 

All hail, King Jesus

All hail, Emmanuel

King of kings, Lord of lords

Bright Morning Star

And throughout eternity

I'll sing your praises

And I’ll reign with you

Throughout eternity

All Hail King Jesus

Dave Moody © 1981 Dayspring Music, Inc.

 

The Message

 

As I said yesterday, on Sunday our Pastor gave a good word from Acts 17. I really like this chapter and as I was listening to him, I wandered through it, noting what I consider highlights. Yesterday: the synagogue first. Today: The Message

Following his usual practice, Paul went in, and for three Sabbaths he argued with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead. “And the Christ,” he said, “is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.” Acts 17 NCB

Paul went to the synagogue three Sabbaths in a row and preached the gospel. How could he do that? Did he jump up and interrupt the service? No. It seems they had quite an open policy. The Scripture readings and prayers were planned, but after these visitors were asked to or free to speak. Jesus was obviously a special guest and spoke often in the synagogues. He was also asked (at least once) to read the Scripture. In Acts 13:14-15 we see how it worked for Paul: But when they [Barnabas and Paul] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Men, brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

he argued with them from the Scriptures – What I like about this is it changed my thinking on how they preached the gospel. I always thought they did it like the pastor or evangelist, that is, they did all the speaking. And there are sermons like this in Acts. But I think the Greek word for “argued” (or reasoned) presents it more as a dialogue: he would say something, and they would ask questions; or point and counter point; it was probably a lively discussion. I really don’t think they just sat back and passively listened; they probably even interrupted him! But that’s OK, because now you know they’re listening, they’re engaging with you.

explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead –

“His method seems to have been this:

1st. He collected the scriptures that spoke of the Messiah.

2d. He applied these to Jesus Christ, showing that in him all these scriptures were fulfilled... He showed also that the Christ must suffer - that this was predicted, and was an essential mark of the true Messiah.¹

Preaching in the synagogue was different than preaching in the marketplace - there was a lot more Scripture quoting in the synagogue!

And the Christ, he said, is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you – I really like this phrase. A strictly literal translation would be, And this is the Christ -- Jesus whom I proclaim to you. There’s nothing wrong with, and this Jesus whom I preach is the Christ, I just like the force of keeping the original word order.

The point being, “he showed that all the things which were spoken of Christ in those Scriptures, were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth; and therefore he must be the Messiah.”²  Amen!

This is the gospel message: Messiah, the promised Savior, has come. He is Jesus of Nazareth, who, in fulfillment of the Scriptures, was crucified, died, and was buried; the third day he rose again from the dead. And why was he crucified? For our sins. Who gave himself a ransom for all. (1 Tim 2:6) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:14)

Amen! I believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, who died for me and rose again. And I have been redeemed by his blood.

 

¹ Adam Clarke

² John Gill

The synagogue first

 

Sunday our Pastor gave a good word from Acts 17. As I’m wont to do, I kinda wandered through the chapter (as I was listening to him!). I really like chapter 17 and thought I would share a few of the highlights I find in the chapter. Today: the synagogue first.

Acts 17:1-2 …they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them… According to Paul’s practice, when he visited a city, he went to the synagogue first. In Romans 1:16 he explains, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The New Testament is founded on and springs out of the Old Testament, which makes Israel an important part of the Gospel, the New Testament, and the Church. The word Jews occurs 71 times in the Book of Acts, 21 times in the first 16 chapters. They’re central to the story. Jesus said, salvation is of the Jews (John 4.22), which means, “The Messiah was to spring from the Jews - from them, the preaching of the Gospel, and the knowledge of the truth, were to go to all the nations of the world. It was to the Jews that the promises were made; and it was in their prophetic Scriptures that Jesus Christ was proclaimed and described.” (Adam Clarke) The Church is now majority Gentile, and it saddens me to think that we have forgotten our Jewish heritage and how indebted we are to Israel, and the law, and the prophets.

So, when did the practice of preaching the gospel to the Jews first end? In spreading out to the Gentiles, the Gospel has outpaced the synagogue. A Google search tells me there are 19 synagogues near me (one of them a Messianic synagogue!), all of them in Cincinnati and Dayton. In other words, we don’t encounter Jews very often. 

Also, I am persuaded the end of the book of Acts holds the key. When Paul was in jail in Rome, he called the chief of the Jews together and explained that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. They were interested, and when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed. (Acts 28:17-25) Because they proved to be stubborn and inflexible, like so many others in their nation, Paul announced to them, (28:28) Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it. I believe this signals the end of the practice of going to the synagogue first. Of course, the gospel invitation in Revelation 22:17 still stands:

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come

And let him that heareth say, Come

And let him that is athirst come

And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely