Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem. Then on the Sabbath they went to the Jewish meeting place and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, "Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it."
Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said: People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, and for about forty years he took care of them in the desert. He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. All this happened in about 450 years. Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, "David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.
God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is Jesus. But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, "Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals." Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets that they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said. They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. But God raised him from death! Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.
God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,"You are my son because today I have become your Father." God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,;"I will make to you the same holy promise.
And in another psalm it says, "God will never let the body of his Holy One decay." When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay. My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. Make sure that what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,"Look, you people who make fun of God! Be amazed and disappear. I will do something today that you won't believe, even if someone tells you about it!"
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them. The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord. When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said. But Paul and Barnabas bravely said: We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. The Lord has given us this command"I have placed you here as a light for the Gentiles. You are to take the saving power of God to people everywhere on earth."
This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord. The message about the Lord spread all over that region. But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of that part of the country. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium. But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jealousy is an ugly thing...it turns good into bad.
All of this started out fine. In fact, it was the Jewish elders who actually asked Paul to come and speak. By all accounts they were pretty sanguine with the message...until Paul became a Rock Star. He was received well enough to be asked back the following week. When he showed up, the entire city was there. "When the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with jealousy."
Not jealous for their tradition...jealous of Paul's popularity. In other words...we don't care what you say as you don't get any attention.
So, Paul and Barnabas were kicked out of town. But, not before everybody that God had chosen...believed. It's hard to stand up against those kinds of results.
Paul went away happy. I'm reminded that pettiness and jealousy virtually never hurt the object of scorn as much as it hurts the perpetrator. Who are we jealous of today? I'll bet if we're honest, we don't even have a biblical reason.
So...why bother. Its a waste of energy and only makes us look foolish.
Live boldly out there today...
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