Acts 17:1-15

Intro -

Acts 17:1–15 NASB95

Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them. The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.

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The Gospel –

Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), he had to suffer and rise from the dead.

We are so used to hearing and reading this Gospel that it can be hard for us to understand why it would be so offensive.

Paul writing to the church in Corinth further explains the offense of the Gospel.

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Signs and Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:21–24 NASB95

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Greeks sought wisdom –

To the Greek world wisdom was

An achievement that deserved applause

Mastery over Life problems and indeed Life itself.

The cross reverses this principle of wisdom

It’s power does not lie in the force of mastery but in a coming to-nothing which awaits God’s transformational power.

The cross calls us to stop trying to master our faults, rather die to them, admit defeat, and cry out to God to transform us.

Romans 6:1–6 NASB95

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

Romans 6:21–23 NASB95

Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is the wisdom of God – His life, his character, his nature is true wisdom

It is the wisdom of Jesus on which the bedrock of all creation was created.

John 1:1–5 NASB95

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:14 NASB95

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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Signs, Signs, Everyone Wants Signs

Jews had the wisdom of the Scriptures therefore, they sought signs of God’s approval or blessing

Wealth was considered a sign of God’s approval

Victory over an enemy was seen as a sign of God’s approval

Therefore, they were looking for a sign of power, wealth, and victory in the Messiah

Matthew 12:38 NASB95

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

Matthew 16:1 NASB95

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

John 2:18–22 NASB95

The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Yet, God confronts them with the cross.

The death of a criminal

Killed by an occupying force

Hung on a cross in full shame for the world to see.

No earthly kingdom could save them from their real enemy – slavery to sin

No earthly powers could deliver them from this slavery

It was foolish to look for a sign of human power, wealth, and victory.

In Jesus God desired to set the world to right.

To destroy our slavery to sin by paying the penalty for our sin

Reconciling us to God as Father

And filling us with His Spirit so we can be transformed even now in this life, from one degree of holiness to another, as we submit to the Spirit of God.

In Jesus God chose to show us what real power is.

It is Love – A love that is willing to sacrifice our own good for the sake of others, even enemies.

In Jesus God chose to show us real wisdom. The willingness to admit we cannot master our life problems and to fall before God seeking His wisdom to set us free and to teach us by His Spirit to live in this world rightly.

Conclusion:

We each are confronted by the Gospel.

And we each must decide how we will respond to the Gospel of Jesus.

Will we like the Jews of Thess be offended when the Gospel confronts our expectations and the comfort of our failed systems?

Or will we like the Bereans eagerly desire Hope and freedom, willing to examine the Gospel seeking truth?

The Gospel confronts us – it confronts our independence and our desire to fix ourselves.

The Gospel confronts our desire to perform and earn God’s love and favor.

The Gospel confronts our own wisdom – showing us that salvation came through a man willing to die, to lay His life down for others.

The Gospel confronts our need for a sign – declaring the greatest sign of God’s favor is not wealth, power, or even miracles – no, it is unmerited love willing to lay down His life for us.

The Gospel confronts our self-centered ideology with a love that clothes the naked, feeds the hungry, gives water to the thirsty and visits those in prison.