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Acts 13:26-41
“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.’34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,
“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
41 “‘Look, you scoffers,
be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
I’m proud to say that I haven’t gotten pulled into the dark hole of Youtube videos for at least a week. I have been known to waste too much time looking at 1 minute short videos. That means I’ve spent more than 1 minute doing that. One minute is wasteful enough! But I do occasionally get pulled in by the “…wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…” near the middle of the video. So I do. And most often I’m disappointed. Not worth the wait.
Worse than that, however, would be to fail to wait for God’s deliverance. Or to miss his answer. Or to ignore his word. That’s exactly what Paul says the religious leaders of his day did. They heard the words of the prophets. They read from God’s word every Sabbath. And “because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets,” they treated Jesus as a threat. And they killed him.
Talk about getting it wrong! This was God’s plan, but they didn’t have to be on the wrong side of it all working out. Their choice to ignore Jesus, misunderstand his message, and disavow the truth God was revealing through him, led to terrible eternal consequences. They killed the Son of God. There’s no easy way to say it. There’s no euphemism for their act.
And even though all this was prophesied of Jesus, it does not avail as an excuse for their behavior. Paul says that they carried out all that was written of him. This was the plan from the foundations of the world. The Messiah would come at his own great expense. From a mortal wound to his heel (Genesis 3:15) to being “stricken, smitten, and afflicted,” and sacrificing his life “as an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53) the Savior was destined to suffer and to die. It had to be. It’s just that his own people didn’t have to be the agents of this travesty of justice. Sad.
They are without excuse; both those who put Jesus to death and those who know right and wrong and fail to do right or choose to do wrong. In fact, there is never an excuse for sin. We cannot wriggle out of accountability by any means.
Paul tells them and us, “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Peter will write in his letter: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
Jesus’ suffering, death, burial, and resurrection was gonna happen. It was done so we could be saved. And by that God is glorified.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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