The One Year New Testament

December 19

Acts 22:17-30

Acts 22:17-30

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

Reflection

Jesus had warned his disciples that his kingdom would bring division and suffering (Luke 12:51–53)—something that Paul was becoming increasingly familiar with. The gospel Paul proclaims sometimes results in riots: it challenges the livelihood of some (Acts 19), it stirs up fears of lawlessness in others (ch. 21), and here the Jews of Jerusalem are offended that God is concerned with the Gentiles (non-Jews). As soon as Paul mentions God commissioning him to go to the Gentiles, the Jews are infuriated and want to execute him.

This is the scandal of the gospel. The Jews treasured their status as God’s people, and found it difficult to accept that God was including those from outside their race (see Rom. 11:17–24). But God’s grace extends beyond our comfort zone and reaches out to those we assume are beyond his influence— even to those whom we despise. This often means that the gospel’s progress will require discomfort, and even suffering. Enduring such suffering for the sake of the gospel requires a deep personal awareness of God’s grace to us so that we can show that same gracious love to those who are lost.

Revelation 14:14-20

Revelation 14:14-20

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Reflection

There are few scenes in the Bible that portray the magnitude of our offense against God as graphically as this. In these verses we are confronted with a picture of the horrifying wrath of God that will be poured out on sinners for their defiant rebellion against the Almighty (Rev. 14:19–20). All sin deserves death (Rom. 6:23), and the blood that flows here is simply the justice due to sinful humanity.

Those who are in Christ by faith should remember that this is the very wrath we deserve, and that it was already poured out on Christ for our sake. Because of God’s unfathomable love, we have escaped judgment for our sins —though Jesus did not. In the end, every sin must be paid for in blood— either our own or Christ’s (cf. Heb. 9:22).

Psalm 51:7-8

Psalm 51:7-8

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Thoughts For Prayer

The judgment of God reveals that sin is a dead serious issue. Confess any lighthearted attitudes you have toward sin in your life, and ask God to help you develop a habit of turning from it quickly and humbly.

Missions Prayer Requests More

  • March 29, 2024

    Supported Workers: Parkside Heights Church

    Country: United States of America

    Please pray that many people from the surrounding community and colleges would come to the Good Friday and Easter services at Parkside Heights and hear the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Several college students and others from their church family will be traveling for spring break and/or Easter. Pray for their safe travels and for meaningful conversations with family and friends.

    Thailand (Asia). Population: 71,801,279 Believers: 0.5%. Thailand means “Land of the Free” because it successfully retained its freedom when surrounding countries were colonized by Western powers. Yet the land is held captive in a complex web of Buddhism, traditional culture, spirit appeasement, and even occult practices, with a social cohesiveness out of which few have dared to come. For many Thai, their nationality and religious identity are inextricably linked. Pray for a spiritual breakthrough so that, in the Lord Jesus, the Thai may be free indeed. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org