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8. JESUS THE MESSIAH

Act 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you
feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

Men (Gentiles) and brethren (Jews), children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among
you feareth God, to you is the word (logos) of this salvation sent.

Paul is addressing both Jews and Gentiles, and those among them who are already believers in
the Lord Jesus. The Old Testament was not written exclusively to Jews, but to all nationalities
to inform them that Jesus is the only way to salvation in any time period.

9. PAUL’S WARNING

Act 13:27 For they that dwell At Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor
yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in
condemning him.

Paul warns the people not to follow the examples of the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem who
rejected the true Messiah. Not only were they unable to discern the Lord Jesus, they were

unable to discern the voice of their own prophets from the Old Testament. Each prophet
foretold of the coming of Jesus and confirmed that he would be the Messiah, the only means of
salvation for both Jew and Gentile.

There was no excuse for not knowing Jesus was the Messiah. The Old Testament prophets
were read each sabbath day in the synagogues around the country. Yet the very Scriptures
they read each week foretold they would kill the Messiah. The scriptures were fulfilled when
they crucified Jesus. Their rejection of Jesus was as much a fulfillment of scriptures as the
acceptance of Him by the Jews who received Him as Lord and Savior.

Act 13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he
should be slain.

The trials held against Jesus were illegal because of the times in which they were held and

because they had no legal evidence against Jesus.

Act 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the
tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

God foretold what the Jewish religious leaders would do to Jesus. Once they had done all they
could do to Him, God did what only He could do. God raised Jesus from the dead!