Acts 13:26-33 (ESV)

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 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. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 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. But God raised him from the dead, 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. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 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.’”

It’s no surprise that this speech produced a hungry audience, anxious to hear more on the next Sabbath. It just tingles with excitement. But what’s so exciting? What’s the good news?

Modern readers tend to read right past it without noticing that it doesn’t say what they expect it to say. Before you go any further, reread just the last verse above with an eye for what’s the good news.

It’s that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled. Paul’s point isn’t, “We’re saved!” It’s, “The prophesies have been fulfilled!”

Think how electrifying this must have been to the first century Jewish mind. These people first heard about messianic prophesies when they were teething. They’ve been waiting for them to be fulfilled their whole life. Their ancestors died waiting. The Roman oppression is unpleasant, but it actually fits the prophesies. The Messiah could show up at any moment.

Think how you’d feel if the evening news included Christ’s return. Sure, there would be conflicting reports. Yes, there’d be a range of interpretations of exactly what the Bible predicts. Uncertainty would be high, but your curiosity would be off the charts. Imagine trying to turn off the TV and go to bed.

There are two keys here: the message was appropriate for the audience, and the message was appropriate for the speaker. Paul knows how these people feel; it’s how he feels. Despite the elaborate nature of his message, he’s just speaking from the heart.

He’s as excited as they are.

This was an unusual situation, where Paul was able to connect with a large crowd. If we get into a similar situation, it’s more likely to be a small group or even one-on-one.

But we’re no less able than Paul was. The key to connecting isn’t the clever points you make; it’s how you feel about them. You can’t fake that.

Ask God to surprise you with a chance to share the gospel from the heart – not some pre-planned lesson, but a chance encounter where, like what happened here, you get asked to give a word of encouragement.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies