What would it be like...?

"Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said: "It was necessary that God's message be spoken to you [the Jews] first. But since you reject it and consider yourself unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles! For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

I have made you
a light for the Gentiles
to bring salvation
to the ends of the earth."

When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the LORD, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. So the message of the LORD spread through the whole region."
- Acts 13:46-49

At this point in time Paul had been chosen by God to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (of non-Jewish descent). Throughout his travels he was accompanied by different select individuals who would minister with Him. At this particular point, Barnabas was with him and they were being antagonized by the Jewish people because they were preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Salvation of the Gentiles to a mixed group of people.

So now I put myself in the shoes of those Gentiles on that day that Paul was preaching:

"Today Paul and Barnabas shared with me and my friends regarding the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, of the Son of God who died so that my sins could too be forgiven as they have never been before. He shared that salvation has come to my people, and other people groups like mine, whom have never known the taste of eternal life. Today, the longing of my heart, the answer to that ever-lingering question has come to fruition. Jesus Christ is KING! He has overcome death. The Scriptures of old and the teaching of God's prophets were fulfilled in Him. I am thankful that God has given Paul a commissioning to preach to those without Jewish decent. In envy I have longed for what I believed they had as a Jew, a place with God forever. But now Paul has gone even as far to say that Jesus Christ is even causing the Jews to stumble in their beliefs, that they are arguing whether salvation still comes through the law. I think the law is good, but Paul has explained that the purpose of the law was to illustrate our need for salvation, being cleansed of sins. When he shared about his vision, he said "What God has made clean, you must not call common.". He was talking about US! God has made us clean! Today I am overwhelmed by the mercy and grace of God. I cannot wait to tell others about what Paul has shared; my friends and family have to know, people I don't know have to know, they must find out...!"

Verse 48: When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the LORD, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

What God planned came to fruition. The words of scripture are still continually coming to pass today, in my life and in yours.

Whose shoes are you wearing in this story?

• Do you find yourself to be like the Gentile, who has heard the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ?
• Are you the family or friend of this Gentile, who has yet to hear exactly what Paul was sharing with these groups of people?
• Are you like Paul, who has gained salvation through Christ and have now been sent to proclaim it to others?
• Are you like the Jewish people who were antagonizing Paul and Barnabas and who are stumbling over their beliefs because there is something they have yet to understand?

Finally, which part would you like to play in this story down the road?