Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Acts 13:32-41 (NIV)
Read by: Tim Craig
Forgiveness. It’s something that doesn’t really come easy to us. I can’t think of a day since our younger daughter has been old enough to talk that we didn’t have to intervene in some sort of scuffle between our girls. Most of the time they play pretty well together, but at some point one of them does something that hurts the other’s feelings, body or pride. The anger of young children is just really honest. So, after we work out what happened and who did what, and after everyone has a chance to calm down, we talk about forgiveness. And it’s hard. But if we’re honest, it’s just as hard or harder for us as we grow up. And generally the hurts are deeper and more significant the older we get.
Today’s passage continues Paul’s speech in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch. Jesus must be the Messiah, says Paul, because unlike David, Jesus’ body did not see decay. But the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection is something the Jewish people didn’t see coming. Somehow through the death and resurrection of Jesus there is just this wide open offer of forgiveness. A freedom from guilt and a freedom from sin that has never before been on the table without a lot of sacrifices and rituals under the law.
Listen now as Paul opens up this new idea to those listening. Imagine how it might sound to them, in their context, and ask yourself what it means to you.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What stood out to you in the passage?
2. For the Jews, this was amazing news. Paul warns them not to dismiss it but to welcome it, even if it seems hard to believe. What about the Gospel feels hard for you to believe?
3. When we talk about forgiveness, there are a lot of dynamics at play. There are those we hope will forgive us… There are those we really have a hard time offering forgiveness to… But there’s also this very real, open invitation—that everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and set free from sin. How does that reality sink in when you think about yourself? How does it feel when you think about those who need your forgiveness? Bring those thoughts and feelings to the LORD today.
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Bible Project: Acts 13-28 Overview >>
InterVarsity Press Selections: Acts >>
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