Scripture: Acts 17:1-4
Acts 17
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
The journey from Philippi to Thessalonica was about 100 miles with Amphipolis and Apollonia at approximately 30-mile intervals Evidently there were no Jewish synagogues in the two towns where Paul did not stop. A synagogue provided an excellent point of contact for the gospel. Thessalonica was one of the wealthiest and influential citied in Macedonia. Paul spent the next three weeks visiting their synagogue, and communicating the gospel to them.
There are three words that I want to draw your attention to in the next verses.
2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ."
For three Saturdays…
Reasoned
Explained
Demonstrated
that Christ had to suffer
Reasoned
“to say thoroughly, to discuss, to
revolve in mind, to converse,
to reason with”
Explained
“to open thoroughly, to open up
completely, to open the eyes and
the mind to understanding”
Demonstrated
“to place alongside, presenting, instructing, training, committing, set before”
Let me put those thoughts into the sentences we read:
They said thoroughly, discussed, reasoned with them, opened their eyes, their minds, and their understanding by instructing, training, and presenting the truth that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ."
Everyone in the Jewish synagogue believed that the Messiah was going to come.
The coming of the Messiah was going to be spectacular. Look at Daniel 7
Daniel 7
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”
God was going to set Him up
Psalms 2:6 "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."
His kingdom will never end.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
He will be the righteous king.
Isaiah 32:1
Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.
Suddenly the Messiah will come on the scene.
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord , whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Who knew that the Messiah would not show up as a grown man, but as a baby who would grow into a young man, and eventually He would be revealed to Israel and then be rejected!
Paul came to explain the truth of the Messiah to those in the synagogue.
Isaiah 52
13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
He would be beaten so severely that He we unrecognizable.
Listen to the next chapter of Isaiah:
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
These were the aspects of the Messiah that Paul had to explain to the Jews who were looking for the king riding on a white horse!
This was a mystery that not only didn’t the Jewish people understand, but the prophet who wrote these things didn’t comprehend the things they were writing about, but even the angels tried to understand it.
1 Peter 1
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things which angels desire to look into.
Acts 17
2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ."
Look at that last sentence
"This Jesus whom I preach
to you is the Christ."
The word “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah” which meant “Anointed One”.
Believing that Jesus is the Messiah results in us being born of God, or born again.
1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
We heard Martha confess that Jesus was the Messiah.
John 11
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ.
John 6
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
We have come to believe…
Now we know…
Andrew was one of the first to have the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah.
John 1
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).
Listen to Paul’s statement one more time:
"This Jesus whom I preach
to you is the Christ."
Let’s end with verse 4 today
4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
Let’s look at verse 4 closely
Some of them were persuaded
Some of the Jews attending the synagogue for these three weeks are convinced and believed.
A great multitude of the devout Greeks
Notice that there was a multitude of the devout Greeks that believed.
Not a few of the leading women
In a society that didn’t appreciate women, Luke makes sure that these believing women were mentioned here.
joined Paul and Silas
"This Jesus whom I preach
to you is the Christ."