Friday 08 May 2009

Background

Today we are reading the second part of an address that Paulgave to early Christian followers at the synagogue in Antioch (inmodern-day Turkey). He had already established Jesus' position in along succession of leaders of God's people, and here he goes on toestablish what the advertising industry calls the USP - the uniqueselling point - of the Jesus story.

Even though Paul himself came from a Jewish background, and he wasspeaking to people in a synagogue, he identifies the people ofJerusalem and their leaders - a thinly veiled reference to theJewish hierarchy - as responsible for failing to recognise Jesusand sending him to his death. But he nevertheless notes that whathappened to Jesus actually fitted in with what had been writtencenturies earlier in the Old Testament. This sense of the Jesusstory fulfilling the ancient prophecies was an important part ofthe evidence that he was indeed God's son.

And then comes that USP - according to Paul: Jesus stood out overand above all the significant men of God who had preceded him whenhe rose from the dead three days after his execution. And Paulrounds off his proof of who Jesus really was by referring to Psalm2 (Psalm 2:7),another fulfilment of ancient writing.

To Ponder

If you had been around during Jesus' lifetime,what might you have recognised about him as being special?

In what sense is the story of Jesus rising fromthe dead important to you?

Do you think that the Jewish authorities were toblame for Jesus' death? Or was it more important that many OldTestament writings were fulfilled by what they did?