Jesus, the Christ

Acts 17:2-3 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.
 
OUR impression is Paul, Silas and Timothy were teaching at the synagogue for three Sabbaths. But we learn from Philippians 4:15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Again and again means the evangelists were in Thessalonica for some time. The new, small church in Philippi was supporting the three evangelists with regular offerings as they taught Jesus is the Christ.
   We must stop to consider what it meant for the Jews to hear, “Jesus is the Christ!” everywhere the apostles preached. This was an extremely radical departure from what the Jews had learned in their synagogue for generations. The faithful Jews understood the law pointed to a supreme Christ, who would come in glory and power to overthrow all opposition. He would be enthroned in Jerusalem. All nations would bow to his authority.
   That will happen one day when Jesus returns. But in the meantime, the Jews could not accept a man from Nazareth (Few knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem.) who was crucified, dead and buried could possibly be the prophesied Christ – the Messiah of conquest and physical salvation.
   Still, in God’s grace as is always true, vs. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. But to the majority of the Jews, hostile opposition was the only correct response to Paul’s teaching:
 
Acts 17:5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 
 
Did you read how the Jews organized a riot? This method is still true for many who use violence to promote their cause. They did not care who they attacked. Jason owned the house where the evangelists lodged. He quickly became the mob’s scapegoat.
 
Acts 17:6 But when they did not find Paul, Silas and Timothy, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
 
In the same way the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking Roman law, the Jews accused the gospel teachers with large exaggerations and lies.
 
Acts 17:8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
 
In each place Paul and Silas had ministered, there was a time God opened the gospel to be taught and people to confess, “Jesus is the Christ.” Then evil drove the Truth away. Be alert in your individual faith and in your church. Do not let people who reject the gospel separate you from Jesus.