A sermon
Acts 13:13-41 (selected verses)
13 Then Paul and his companions…came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.’ 16 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:
‘You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness….23 Of this man’s [King David] posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised; 24 before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his work, he said, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.”
26 ‘My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. 28 Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had carried out everything that was written about 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 came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors….
38 Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; 39 by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:
41 “Look, you scoffers!
Be amazed and perish, for in your days I am doing a work,
a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.”’
Some things to notice – It was “Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2, 7) who went to Cyprus; now as they are leaving Cyprus it is “Paul and his companions”. Barnabas has moved from mentor to second fiddle, and Saul’s name has now changed. Also, some geography, they have gone north from Cyprus and on landing on the coast have gone inland in what we would call present-day Turkey. Until they came to the relatively unimportant town of Pisidian Antioch. It was not strategic town, it was not influential, it was very working class. It could be asked why this community to be the place where the mission starts in earnest. The answer would be God chooses the unimportant, the insignificant, the overlooked – to use for God’s glory and honour.
This reporting on a sermon by Paul (Acts 13) is one of the longest in Acts; also, notable because it is in working class Greek (not the Greek of the university or the elites). Paul had learned to communicate in the style and vocabulary of his listeners. The gospel message does not change, but the way it is communicated fits the context.
The sermon focusses on the forgiveness of sins, on dealing with the guilt and shame that comes from our having hurt other people with our words, actions, and attitudes. As well, we have disappointed God, our maker, who we desire to follow with our lives. That guilt and shame are removed in the death of Jesus, and we begin anew to follow God who made us and who makes it possible for us to live in whole relationship with God and with one another. The forgiveness offered to us in Jesus gives us the ability to forgive others and to forgive ourselves.
Such forgiveness remakes the world, it is something the world has never witnessed before. Further having been forgiven, we are able to forgive. The bitterness and hurt over what has been done to us are washed away in the knowledge that the forgiveness brought to us in Jesus Christ can heal the world.
PRAYER:
God of grace and mercy, we rejoice that forgiveness is offered to us in your Son, Jesus Christ. Show us how to hold on to you and your forgiveness, that we might not only receive it, but might live it in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.