Acts 26:19-23

God wants us either hot or cold…not complacent!

It took a miracle to open Saul’s eyes to the truth of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God used Paul’s passion as a tool for the spreading of the Scriptures to the Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

After all, our salvation rests on Christ's death for our sins and on His resurrection for our victory (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Anyone who believes in Christ for His salvation is part of the Church, His bride. As we stay true to Him, we discover Jesus is always our only reason to boast. Like Paul, when we talk about ourselves and our experiences, we can be less concerned with how others see us because our priority is to help them to see more of Christ. 

Declare the truth about God's goodness, wisdom and power over your situation: "Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted'" (Job 42:1-2). First5 

Acts 26:19-23

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” The New King James Version

Repentance indicates a complete change in thinking. In Romans 12:2, Paul speaks of the “renewing of your mind.” We do what we think is best, what makes sense to us. Paul was killing Christians because he thought it was the correct course of action. Christ’s revelation changed his thoughts, but his preaching of the Good News was visible proof that he had repented of his former ways. Genuine repentance is evidenced by changed behavior. The NKJV Study Bible 

Paul is being persecuted for following Jesus’ command to spread the gospel. This ministry, particularly to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), has caused many of his fellow Jews to oppose him. Paul proclaims that both Gentiles and Jews receive forgiveness of sins and can be part of the people of God. Throughout Acts, the good news about Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of promises made by God in the old testament Scriptures. 

Paul could be referencing a variety of old testament passages. Paul has explained this message in his earlier speeches in Acts and used a variety of passages to do so. Jesus was not raised from the dead temporarily, as other people were. He was the first who absolutely conquered death and was the guarantee that others would as well. Faithlife Study Bible

Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. 

We are made holy, and saved by faith in Christ; by which we rely upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, and give up ourselves to him as the Lord our Ruler; by this we receive the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. 

The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and they were in a rage at Paul’s preaching the fulfilling of the Old Testament predictions. Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead; the Head or principal One. Also, it was foretold by the prophets, that the Gentiles should be brought to the knowledge of God by the Messiah; and what in this could the Jews justly be displeased at? Thus the true convert can give a reason of his hope, and a good account of the change manifest in him. Yet for going about and calling on men thus to repent and to be converted, vast numbers have been blamed and persecuted. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Acts 9:20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 9:28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.

Acts 9:29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Mark 6:33–34

Jesus has compassion on those who call on His name. Holy Spirit will take the teachings of Jesus and  His empathy for mankind and manifest them for our good. 

God cares  for us! 

He understands that in this life we are mere men but in Him and through Holy Spirit is the power to accomplish what we cannot. He gives us peace!

Sowing the seeds of God’s love in those He has placed in our life draws them to the truth of God’s word.

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Mark 6:33–34

33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. The New King James Version

The Gospels record several times that when Jesus saw a need He was moved with compassion. That compassion led to action. The NKJV Study Bible

Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Numbers 27:17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

1 Kings 22:17 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

2 Chronicles 18:16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

Zechariah 10:2 

For the idols speak delusion;

The diviners envision lies,

And tell false dreams;

They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wend their way like sheep;

They are in trouble because there is no shepherd

Mark 16:19–20

Faith is believing what we did not see but know to be true. That Jesus was born, was crucified and was raised by the power of Holy Spirit and that He lives now at the right hand of the Father.

Without the resurrection of  Jesus our faith would be vain.

John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God loves humility. Could that be the reason he offers so many tips on cultivating it? May I (ahem) humbly articulate a few? Do you want to be humble? Assess yourself honestly. Don’t take success too seriously. Celebrate the significance of others. Don’t demand your own parking place. Never announce your success before it occurs. Speak humbly. And one last thought: live at the foot of the cross.

Paul said in Galatians 6:14, “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Max Lucado

Mark 16:19–20

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. The New King James Version

Those who read Mark and come to recognize Jesus as the Messiah can carry on His mission by bearing witness to His true character, showing love toward God and neighbor, proclaiming forgiveness in Jesus’ name, and awaiting His return. Faithlife Study Bible

After the demise of Judas the disciples were known for a while as the eleven. Jesus upbraided these disciples for not believing the accounts of eyewitnesses, but He pronounced a blessing on “those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). 

He who does not believe will be condemned. Those who believe in Christ will be saved. 

The final sign that Jesus was the Son of God is that He was received up into heaven to be seated at the right hand (the position of authority and power) of God.

The obedience of Christ’s disciples who went out and preached everywhere challenges us to engage in that same endeavor. We can be confident that as the Lord was working with them, He will also work with us. The NKJV Study Bible

After the Lord had spoken he went up into heaven. Sitting is a posture of rest, he had finished his work; and a posture of rule, he took possession of his kingdom. He sat at the right hand of God, which denotes his sovereign dignity and universal power. Whatever God does concerning us, gives to us, or accepts from us, it is by his Son. Now he is glorified with the glory he had before the world. 

The apostles went forth, and preached every where, far and near. Though the doctrine they preached was spiritual and heavenly, and directly contrary to the spirit and temper of the world; though it met with much opposition, and was wholly destitute of all worldly supports and advantages; yet in a few years the sound went forth unto the ends of the earth. 

The effects of the gospel, when faithfully preached, and truly believed, in changing the tempers and characters of mankind, form a constant proof, a miraculous proof, that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, of all who believe. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Acts 5:16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 28:5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm

Mark 7:6-9

The traditions made by man will not save anyone.

The Commands of God  to love Him above any person, place or object and to place the needs of others above our own…does!

All of the Commandments are fulfilled in  Jesus.

Think of the grace, giving and generosity of our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus. God gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him could have eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus is the embodiment of grace, choosing to leave the throne room of heaven and experience the depths of the poverty of humanity "so that [we] by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). First5

Mark 7:6-9

6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. The New King James Version

Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, which is part of an oracle condemning the people of Jerusalem, and by extension God’s people in general, for failing to follow God’s commandments. Jesus is accusing the Pharisees of favoring their own traditions over the law of Moses—which is ironic, since they claimed to be leading interpreters and practitioners of Mosaic law. Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus did not directly answer the question but instead addressed two more significant issues: (1) the superiority of God’s law over man-made tradition and (2) the difference between ceremonial and true moral defilement. 

Jesus enters into the argument by calling His adversaries hypocrites. The term originally referred to actors who wore masks on stage as they played different characters. Thus the Pharisees were not genuinely religious; they were merely playing a part for all to see.

In earlier times the Hebrews held the written law of God, the Torah, in such esteem that they would not write down their reflections on it, lest they should tempt later generations to consider their words as important as God’s law. But as time went on, written commentaries on the law, collected in the Talmud, assumed greater authority than the Torah itself. The NKJV Study Bible

One great design of Christ’s coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God’s making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Isaiah 29:13 

Therefore the LORD said:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths

And honor Me with their lips,

But have removed their hearts far from Me,

And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Mark 7:13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

John 2:18–25

Jesus came to this world that through His birth, death and resurrection the world could be saved.

We have been offered the greatest gift that we could receive from God in Jesus. The gift of  eternity spent with Him. We only need to accept the gift offered to us!

God does not need us, we need Him to be complete. Jesus died for our sins so that we could stand before our Holy God. He loves us that much!

Godly grief results in repentance, turning from our own way to follow God's way, and repentance leads to salvation. In the original Greek, the word for "salvation," soterion, denoted deliverance from the bondage of one's past sinful behaviors. 

Luke 15:10: "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." First5 

John 2:18–25

18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. 23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. The New King James Version

As they had with John the Baptist, the religious leaders want Jesus to justify His actions. 

The Greek text uses the word pisteuō here. John uses a wordplay here, describing how “many believed” (pisteuō in Greek) in Jesus in, but Jesus does not trust or believe (pisteuō) them in return. 

Jesus is divinely appointed, so the glory of other people is not His concern—He receives His glory from God the Father.  Faithlife Study Bible

The Jews apparently refers to the religious authorities of Israel, who also understood that Jesus was representing Himself as the Messiah; therefore, they asked for a sign. Jesus was not talking about the physical building; He was referring to His body. Jesus was speaking of His death. I will raise it up, note that Jesus did not say, “I will build it again.” He was referring to His resurrection, three days after His death. 

The sign Jesus gave the Jews was the sign of His death and resurrection. 

The disciples understood that Jesus was the Messiah, but they did not understand that He was speaking of the resurrection of His body until it actually happened. 

These individuals trusted Jesus, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them. Jesus fully understood the depth of trust of those who were following Him; some would stay, but many would fall away. The NKJV Study Bible

Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions, affections, designs, so as we do not know any man, not even ourselves. He knows his crafty enemies, and all their secret projects; his false friends, and their true characters. He knows who are truly his, knows their uprightness, and knows their weaknesses. We know what is done by men; Christ knows what is in them, he tries the heart. Beware of a dead faith, or a formal profession: carnal, empty professors are not to be trusted, and however men impose on others or themselves, they cannot impose on the heart-searching God. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Matthew 26:61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

Matthew 27:40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Mark 14:58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”

Mark 15:29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,