Sunday Dec 3 2006

The Storyline
First Meeting with the Jewish Leaders- Clearing His Name (vs. 17-22)
Paul’s defense & purpose for the meeting (17-20)
The Jewish leaders respond (21-22)
a. They haven’t heard about Paul’s charges
b. They wanted to know more about the “sect”

Second Meeting with the Jewish Leaders– Presenting the Gospel (23-28)
Paul uses the Old Testament to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah (23)
Some are convinced while others refuse to believe (24)
Paul addresses the “heart” of the matter (25-28)

C. Luke gives his closing remarks (29-31)

Driving It Home
The response of the Roman Jewish leaders to Paul’s presentation of the Gospel tells us a lot about people’s response today. Simply put, their response reveals that . . .

The Good News of Jesus Christ appeals to the mind but is received by the heart.

1. From their own book (the Old Testament) Paul gave “convincing” evidence for Jesus being the Messiah.
a. Paul probably used such passages as Psalm 22, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and many others.
Note: There are 300+ prophecies that Jesus fulfilled that support Jesus’ claim of Messiah.
There is no chance that a person could intentionally fulfill all the prophecies.

2. The Gospel ultimately revealed the condition of their heart.
Paul says that their hearts were “calloused”
- KJV: “waxed grossly”, refers to a thick layer of fat that causes hardening and eventual death.
How does one’s heart become hard? See Deut. 32:15-18
Results of a “callous heart?” (see vs. 26-27)
-We hear but we don’t understand
-We see but we do not perceive

3. The Holy Spirit, by means of the Gospel, heals our spiritual heart disease.

Paul understood that our calling as believers is, like Isaiah before us, to give our hearts over to God and to point the way for others so they too can do the same. (see Isaiah 6:1-10)