the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Acts 11:19-30; ; Acts 12:1-6
The door of grace, closed to the Jews as the people of God because of the death of Stephen, is now open to the Gentiles. A great number of Greeks turn to the Lord (vv. 20, 21). The Lord Jesus had foreseen this fruit of His work when some such Greeks had desired to see Him (John 12:20). A prosperous assembly is then formed at Antioch where, for a year, Barnabas and Saul exercise their ministry. On seeing the life of these believers, the townspeople give them the name of their Lord: for the first time they are called Christians. This is an honour . . . and a responsibility to bear the very name of Christ. Of the multitude of baptised people who claim the beautiful title of Christians, how many are truly Christians?
The brotherly love of these believers at Antioch expresses itself in gifts for "the brethren which dwelt in Judaea" who are about to suffer again (vv. 27-30). For Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1) is the worthy successor of his uncle, Herod Antipas (Luke 13:31-32; Luke 23:11 . . .) and of his grandfather Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1-23). Cruelty and the desire to please (cf. v. 3; Mark 6:26) incite him to kill James, the brother of John, and then to put Peter in prison.
