THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 28:17-22

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WE read that in three days Paul called the leaders of the Jews together to speak to them. Here is the first lesson for us to learn from these verses. Paul was sent by Jesus to witness to him at Rome. Paul wastes no time in carrying out that commission. Paul did not know how long he would have to wait before his trial before Caesar. He could not waste time. Paul is immediately about his Father’s business.

Time is precious. Every day we are given is a gift from God to be used for him and his glory. We are servants of Christ just as Paul was. We must be about the business of our Lord, and waste no time in sharing the Gospel with others, and showing forth Christ’s love. Let us be challenged by Paul’s dedication, and his sense of the urgency of preaching the Gospel, and let us buy up every opportunity to witness for Christ. We may not be an Apostle, but we are those who have spiritually witnessed to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We have the word of life, for we know the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, if so be we believe on him as our Saviour. Let us waste no time in sharing this vital and glorious and life saving message in every way we are able.

Then as we listen to Paul we notice that he is entirely open with the Jews he calls to hear him. He tells them all the facts about his arrest and why he is in Rome. He does not seek to hide or deceive. It is important in our witness as Christians that we should be open with people. If we hide anything, whether concerning our lives, or even the whole truth of the Gospel, we are doing a disservice to them, for later if people feel they have been deceived in anyway, they may well turn away from the truth of Christ which we seek to proclaim and which they need desperately.

Verse 20 is the key verse of these verses before us. Here is the message and witness of Paul. He comes to these Jews concerning the hope of Israel.

What was the hope of Israel. The Jew all down history looked forward to one great event. It was the event which would alter all their history, and restore the fortunes and status of the nation of Israel. The hope of Israel was the coming of their Messiah. The fact was that through their history, the Jews had corrupted the promise concerning the coming of the ‘Seed of Abraham’. They had turned the coming of their Messiah into the coming of some great earthly king who would come simply to bring blessing to the nation of Israel, and to make them secure and powerful in the world. Their concept of their Messiah was seen almost entirely in earthly terms.

In fact the hope of Israel was something different. It was a spiritual and eternal hope. It was concerned with knowing God and becoming members of his everlasting kingdom. It was about eternal life, and life as God meant it to be when he created the world. It was concerned with being reconciled to God, and being brought into his love and favour. Even their concept of Israel as a people of God was all wrong. It never was concerned only with a nation, and never was just the people of one nation. Rather the Old and New Testament teach that the Israel of God are all those who have the faith of Abraham. All those who have the same faith in God and his promises in the Messiah, whether Jew or Gentile, are the Israel of God, and they are a spiritual race and people. They are people set apart by God to possess his eternal kingdom. Only those in the Jewish nation that believed as Abraham did, and received their Messiah, Jesus Christ, as Abraham did by faith, are the true Israel of God.

When Paul speaks here about the hope of Israel he is referring to Jesus Christ. He is referring to the glorious, powerful, perfect, complete work Jesus did in reconciling to God all who receive him. Paul is speaking of Christ, and how he worked the righteousness of God for us by his life and his death, and which he imputes to all who receive him, and who have repented of their sin.

The hope of Israel is our hope also. Christ is the only hope for this fallen and sin torn world. There is no deliverance from death outside of Christ, but through Christ eternal life is given to all who believe, and physical death becomes the gateway to real and perfect everlasting life. Christ is the only answer to the troubles in this life. It is only as we are renewed through faith in Christ, and spiritually born again, that we begin to appreciate the sin that dwells within us, which causes all the destruction in the world, and have the power to mortify and put away all our corrupt desires and run after what is good. It is only through Christ, and the life he gives, that we can see the nature of evil, and appreciate truly what is good, and desire that good and seek it.

Turn to Christ now and know this hope and receive life and reconciliation with God through him. If you know this hope and are living in this hope, be like Paul and witness to it in every way you can.