Act 13:26 | KingComments | STEP | After having presented their history to his audience, in which God’s grace has been shown again and again, Paul again calls for the emphatic attention of both groups that comprise his audience. He comes with the highest proof of God’s grace by telling them now that the “message of this salvation” has been sent “to us”. By talking about “us” he includes himself. The message of this salvation has come to them in a Person, the Lord Jesus. He has come, but those who live in Jerusalem and their religious leaders have not understood Who He really is. They have not recognized Him as Messiah. That has led them to condemn Him. In doing so they have fulfilled what was said by the prophets, whose voices they hear every Sabbath in the synagogue when they hear them read from their writings. The prophets have prophesied about this rejection. The fact that they have fulfilled the prophets through the rejection of Christ does not diminish their guilt. Paul says nothing about the life of the Lord Jesus but focuses on His sentence and death. Not only Israel is guilty of that death, but the nations are also guilty of it. Paul indicates the latter by mentioning Pilate as the person involved. God allowed them, the Jews, to accomplish anything they wanted about Him. They have accomplished what was written about Him, ignorant of it, yet fully responsible for it. “They” who took Him from the cross and laid him in a tomb are Joseph and Nicodemus. After Paul has described the people’s work, he says what God has done with Him. God has raised Him up. That resurrection is not a pretense, but reality. The fact of His resurrection has been observed by His disciples. He Who appeared to them is the same with Whom they had crossed the land from Galilee to Jerusalem. They can still consult these witnesses because they are still approachable in Israel. Paul does not mention his own testimony that he also saw the Lord. He had not been a witness of the Lord on earth, but of Him in glory. In his speech it is about the fact that He Who died, is the same One Who was raised up by God.

‏ Acts 13:26

What Happened to Christ

After having presented their history to his audience, in which God’s grace has been shown again and again, Paul again calls for the emphatic attention of both groups that comprise his audience. He comes with the highest proof of God’s grace by telling them now that the “message of this salvation” has been sent “to us”. By talking about “us” he includes himself.

The message of this salvation has come to them in a Person, the Lord Jesus. He has come, but those who live in Jerusalem and their religious leaders have not understood Who He really is. They have not recognized Him as Messiah. That has led them to condemn Him. In doing so they have fulfilled what was said by the prophets, whose voices they hear every Sabbath in the synagogue when they hear them read from their writings. The prophets have prophesied about this rejection. The fact that they have fulfilled the prophets through the rejection of Christ does not diminish their guilt.

Paul says nothing about the life of the Lord Jesus but focuses on His sentence and death. Not only Israel is guilty of that death, but the nations are also guilty of it. Paul indicates the latter by mentioning Pilate as the person involved. God allowed them, the Jews, to accomplish anything they wanted about Him. They have accomplished what was written about Him, ignorant of it, yet fully responsible for it. “They” who took Him from the cross and laid him in a tomb are Joseph and Nicodemus.

After Paul has described the people’s work, he says what God has done with Him. God has raised Him up. That resurrection is not a pretense, but reality. The fact of His resurrection has been observed by His disciples. He Who appeared to them is the same with Whom they had crossed the land from Galilee to Jerusalem. They can still consult these witnesses because they are still approachable in Israel. Paul does not mention his own testimony that he also saw the Lord. He had not been a witness of the Lord on earth, but of Him in glory. In his speech it is about the fact that He Who died, is the same One Who was raised up by God.