Acts 13:15-33
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the
synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of
encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So
Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel and you
who fear God, listen. 17 The
God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during
their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty
years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land
of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he
gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then
they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the
tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And
when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he
testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my
heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of
this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
24 Before his
coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of
Israel. 25 And as
John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am
not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am
not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear
God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their
rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the
prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they
found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had
carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and
laid him in a tomb. 30 But
God raised him from the dead, 31 and
for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to
Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God
promised to the fathers, 33 this
he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written
in the second Psalm,
“ ‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten
you.’
This seems like a strange way to preach the Christmas story, oh wait he does get to the cross doesn't he? St Paul encourages his fellow Jews and the God fearing, by taking them through the major points of Israel's history. He ten leads them to the Son of David and the Savior, whom those in Jerusalem did not recognize. They kill him and he is raised from the dead.
God has done many miraculous or magical things since he created this world. No great mystery is there than the coming of the Christ. God sends his messenger who will not only fulfill the words of the Law and the prophets read today, but he will die for the people of Israel.
Jesus Christ does not even stay dead. But again a miraculous or magical event takes place. God raises his only begotten Son, and brings you and me to life. He has fulfilled every promise he ever gave to his people. You are saved, because Christ died and is alive.
God has done many miraculous or magical things since he created this world. No great mystery is there than the coming of the Christ. God sends his messenger who will not only fulfill the words of the Law and the prophets read today, but he will die for the people of Israel.
Jesus Christ does not even stay dead. But again a miraculous or magical event takes place. God raises his only begotten Son, and brings you and me to life. He has fulfilled every promise he ever gave to his people. You are saved, because Christ died and is alive.
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