Why did so many of the Jews of Paul’s time refuse to believe that Jesus was their Messiah? Now, to be sure, many of them did in fact come to faith. When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia (in the place we now call Turkey), he went into the synagogue and explained from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus was in fact the One the prophets had said would come to save His people. This message was so attractive that many of their listeners followed Paul and Barnabas as Acts 13:43 says. And as verse 44 says, the good news spread so quickly that the whole city showed up at the synagogue the next week to hear more.

So, why did other Jewish people reject the claims of Christ? Verse 45 says a big part of the reason was jealousy. The religious leaders simply resented that fact that this wandering rabbi could draw such a crowd when their own message of legalism hadn’t been nearly so attractive. Moreover, and more seriously, they just couldn’t bring themselves to realize what Paul pointed out in verse 47 – that God’s grace had always been for the whole world, not just for the Jewish people. Because they wanted to keep God for themselves, they ended up not recognizing Him when He came to them in Jesus Christ.

But the ancient Jews weren’t the only ones who are jealous and suspicious. As American culture increasingly fragments, Christian and non-Christian people are increasingly separated not just by their faith, but by their family structures and the way they dress and the kind of music they listen to. And so it’s easy for younger people to be put off by traditional forms of worship that seem inauthentic and insincere to them. Just so, it’s hard for older folks to worship in the midst of loud percussion and endless repetition of lyrics. Like the Ancient Jews, it’s easy for us to remain in our holy huddles, looking down on the people around us as crude and icky – and then wondering why they don’t feel welcome among us.

That’s one of the things that set Paul and Barnabas apart – they had been raised as pious Jews to follow all the Law of Moses, but they were willing to hang out with men who weren’t circumcised and women who had bacon on their breath. And because they didn’t let style become more important than substance, many of those whom the Jews considered to be so crude and icky rejoiced and glorified the word of God. Because Paul and Barnabas realized the gospel was for the whole world, the word of the Lord spread throughout their whole region.

But as we have seen over and over again throughout the book of Acts, it was God Who was ultimately responsible for the great revival that took place. Notice that verse 48 says “as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” At the end of the day, no matter how earnest our efforts at cross-cultural ministry might be, God is the One Who opens the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. God is the One Who softens hard hearts, and who helps people overcome their jealousy and suspicion, so that they can respond to His grace with faith.

So yes, let’s put aside our prejudices and reach out to everyone with the good news. But let’s also be in earnest prayer that God would let them see the love and hear the truth of Christ that we share.

Acts 13:42-49 (NASB)

42 And as Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.
43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 “For thus the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.