The Saturday after the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on October 19, 2024 by under
Scripture: Acts 13:26-41 (NKJV)
13:26 “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:
‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’
34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:
‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’
35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm:
‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’
36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 ‘Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’”
Devotion
This account is an exact fulfillment of what Jesus warned about in the parable of the wedding feast. God sent His servant, St. Paul, to Antioch in Pisidia. There, Paul went first to the Jews and preached the Gospel at their worship service in the synagogue (vs. 14-41). In Paul’s sermon, he pointed out that they, the sons of Abraham, had been promised a Savior through the voices of the prophets. Therefore Paul came to announce the fulfillment of that promise by the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But just like Jews in Jerusalem and those invited first in the parable of the wedding feast, the Jews of Pisidian Antioch rejected the invitation to the forgiveness of sins. They did not believe God’s marvelous work of salvation which was declared to them. Out of envy they even mistreated Paul and Barnabas (vs. 45-50). Therefore Paul and Barnabas announced, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” These Gentiles believed Paul’s preaching and begged Paul to preach the Gospel to them again (vs. 42-43, 48).
Praise be to Christ, for He has sent His preachers out into the highways to invite us also to the feast of salvation which He has prepared. Let us eagerly hear this good news again and again, like the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch.
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, Merciful Lord, to Thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve Thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
