Week of February 22

“I argue that the Jesus of the Gospels is essentially a myth,” wrote Alvar Ellegård, a Swedish author on religion and science.[1] There have been those, like Ellegård, who for well over a century have claimed that there was some sort of Christ myth that grew among Jesus’ earthly followers. There were no real miracles, there was no resurrection, and there was certainly nothing divine about Jesus of Nazareth. This interpretation of the “historical Jesus” is really nothing new. In fact, this is why the gospels are so appealing to me! They offer us the reason why the good news about Jesus is so effective and will help us to be both assured of our faith and winsome in our witness.

The gospels state openly the very doubts that contemporary scholars often raise. Many of the Jewish leaders doubted. The Romans certainly did not believe that Jesus was divine. Even fellow Jews doubted that Jesus was anything more than a good teacher. We see traces of the same view about Jesus in the words Luke records in verse 22. News of of the Christianity “sect” had reached all the way to Rome by the time Paul arrived (cf. “sect”: our word, “heresy”)! Nevertheless, let’s seek to understand what it really was that hindered the Roman Jews from believing in Jesus Christ.

Politics. Sometimes people distance themselves from the Good News because it is politically expedient. The Jewish leaders that came to meet with Paul soon after his arrival did not want to get involved. They indicated that they had not received any letters from the authorities in Jerusalem. They had not heard anything—officially or unofficially—against him from any Jew who had traveled there from Judea (28:21). Even so, Christianity had been known in Rome for some time (see 2:10). History records that the Jews in that city around the late 40s AD had been so divided over Christianity that the Emperor Claudius had banished them to stop the riots there (see 18:2). It seems possible that the Jews, who had only been allowed to return to the city in 54 AD, did not want to risk expulsion again (61 AD)! Even so, the Gospel continued to advance because politics cannot stop it.

Disinterest. The Jews in Rome (and many people today) were dispassionate about what they heard. They simply thought they did not need it. The Good News was not spiritually appealing to them. They wanted to have as little as possible to do with Paul and Christianity. There have been moments in my life where I shared the Gospel with someone, and they determined not to receive it. It was as though I was offering that person a glass of ice water on a frosty winter day. They refused to listen, so the Gospel continued to advance to others who were interested to hear.

Spiritual disbelief. Paul had arranged a meeting with the Jews, and they returned to his quarters on the appointed day. He spent the entire day not only proclaiming the Gospel, but seeking to persuade his listeners to receive it into their hearts (cf. 13:17-41). This day must have been filled with impassioned debate. Some were convinced, but others “would not believe” (28:24).

There were two main points of disbelief, according to Luke. First, Paul had tried to prove the stubbornness of Israel from the Scriptures on the ground that Isaiah had foretold of the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah (see Isaiah 6:9-10). Isaiah addresses three organs of perception—the eyes, ears, and heart. He described people who merely take in sensory perceptions, but do not appropriate them (NAC). Secondly, Paul insisted that their hard hearts had led God to offer His grace to the Gentiles, where it would find a positive response. The pattern of taking the Gospel to the Jew first then to the Gentiles had been followed from Jerusalem all the way to Rome (Romans 1:16; Acts 13:46-52). Any God-fearing, orthodox Jew would cringe when the name Gentile was mentioned. They rejected utterly the thought of such a thing as a partnership with pagans. All the miracles in the world would never convince them to join hearts and lives with any outsider. So, they too would not listen, yet despite them, the Gospel advanced to the whole world.

A hospice chaplain shared the story of a man who had shown no interest in Christ throughout his entire family life. He was nearing death, so two of his children invited a chaplain to visit him. They were concerned with his soul! He was offended when the chaplain entered the room, but the tension was eliminated when the two men agreed to simply become friends. In time, it was discovered that the reason the dying man had rejected faith was because at age 19 he had brought a black man to visit his white congregation’s church service. The pastor and his own family had told him how offensive it was to do such a thing! Do you see the problem? It was not the black man who caused any harm, but the dark hearts of Christians in that church who wounded this man for a lifetime. So, he rejected the Gospel, based upon the false application of its truth. The truth is that God loves the entire world and has demonstrated it by sending His Son to die for our sins (John 3:16-17). This Gospel about a risen Savior still changes the world.

Here is the spiritual point. The Gospel became real to that man when the black chaplain, all those years later, befriended him. One thing is certain: the dying man had tried to stop the Gospel at his heart, but its advance could not be stopped. It will never cease until the end of the age! Why is this so? It is so because it is the power of God for salvation unto everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). The Gospel is “God at work.” Believe, then live this truth in your life today.

1. How would God characterize your life? As doubting His word? As rejecting His truth? Invite Him to become real to your life today. Trust me, He will answer that prayer!

2. This begs a question for the church today. What is it that we are doing to “market” the Gospel that “muddies” the message? The Good News is designed to advance (cf. Romans 1:16; “power”), so we simply need not hinder it. Equip believers in the Gospel basics—speak and live the Christ-life.  

3. For Families: We can use Isaiah’s three ways of responding to God to help our children share their faith. The “eyes, ears, and heart” must be involved when people make the decision to give their lives to Jesus and follow Him. Some people will not. Some people do not. And some people have been already seeking to know Him.

One at a time, provide your kids with bandanas to keep them from seeing, and ear plugs to keep them from hearing. Now ask them to stand in front of you. Speak softly to them about how much you love them and ask them to give you a hug. If they do not respond, tap them on the shoulder and say the same thing again. Make sure you tell them how much you love them.

Now remove the blindfold and the ear plugs and stand them in front of you again, and repeat what you said. Ask them for a big hug! When all of your kids have experienced what it feels like to not see or hear or be able to express their heart, share with them about folks who need to know about Christ. Only God can open their eyes to see Him, and open their ears to hear His Good News Gospel. Only God can change hearts of stone into hearts that want to love Him back. Your kids can pray for their friends, teachers, and neighbors, and introduce them to Jesus.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock

1. Ellegård, Jesus: One Hundred Years Before Christ.