The
Word Fulfilled
It was quite a message and it had quite
an impact upon its hearers. Paul and his
companions were standing in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. After the reading of the law and prophets, it
was customary to ask visiting guest if they had a word for the people. Paul took the lead and began the rich story
of the rich history of the people God had called and chosen, Israel. All was going well right up through King
David and then Paul, in Acts 13:23, took what many in the synagogue might have
considered a sharp turn. He leapt from
David to Jesus and he told the people that God brought to Israel the Savior
Jesus, as He had promised. Both the law
and the prophets pointed to a Messiah, coming out from the line of David. Paul told the hearers that this Messiah was,
and is, Jesus – and that God brought Jesus to Israel.
Then in verse 27 we read another
startling statement: Israel failed to
recognize Jesus as the Messiah and in Israel’s condemnation came the
fulfillment of the word of the prophets that had been read in the Temple and
the synagogue every Sabbath. They had
heard, but not understood. They had
seen, but not believed. Scripture had
declared a Messiah would come to save His people. Scripture had predicted Israel would not
accept the Messiah, but reject Him.
Scripture had pointed forward to that rejection allowing the light to
shine forth upon the Gentiles.
The people called Israel were, and are,
part of God’s foreordained plan to reach the Gentiles. God worked through Israel to announce the
good news that salvation had come to everyone.
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