December 5
Bible Reading: Acts 28:17-28
Acts 28:28, “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
The Apostle Paul loved his Jewish brethren. His heart’s desire and prayer was for their salvation (Romans 10:1). Their rejection of Christ caused him “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” (Romans 9:2). For that reason, it had been his practice on his missionary journeys to first visit the local synagogue, but when the Jews rejected his message, they turned their focus to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
It was henceforth the Jews who antagonized Paul. And, despite an attempt by church leaders to mediate their concerns, their hatred for Paul only escalated (Acts 21:17-36). Their pursuit of Paul led to murderous plots, unfair trials, and a lengthy imprisonment. That then led to the ill-fated voyage. Despite all that, Paul made it to Rome, where he once again reached out to the Jews.
Paul gathered together the local leaders of the Jews. From morning to evening, he expounded from Scriptures, trying to convince them about Jesus (Acts 28:23). “Some were convinced but others disbelieved” (Acts 28:24). Paul then explained how their rejection fulfilled that spoken by the prophet Isaiah (Acts 28:26-28). They were rejecting Christ because they were hard of heart and hearing. Stephen was stoned for saying much the same (Acts 7:51), but in this case, Paul’s hearers simply departed.
Theologically, Paul understood what was happening, for he had written about it: “A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). But, as with the prophets of old, that did not stop him from declaring the truth. On the other side of the coin is the opening of a door for the salvation of the Gentiles, and the spread of the gospel to the remotest parts of the earth. And you’ve personally benefitted from that. We are warned to not be prideful (Romans 11:17-25), but to focus instead on the kindness and mercy of God that has worked to graft us to God. By His grace, God opened your eyes and ears to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-6), and that is an incredible blessing!
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”—Matthew 13:16
THE LOVE OF GOD
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song. [Refrain]
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky. [Refrain]
LookingtoJesus 