The Jews always looked forward to God's Saviour. Although they idealised their national heroes, the Scripture is quite honest about their failings. Under David's reign the kingdom was the most extensive and wealthy so they saw him as the model of God's Saviour to come. Paul, teaching in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, followed their logic to introduce Jesus. Jesus was a direct descendent of David, born in David's city of Bethlehem. But He was much more than a copy of David; Jesus was the real Saviour of whom David was just an imperfect model.

Paul's audience would have been familiar with the prophetic words in Malachi 4:5, 'See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.' So Paul declared that John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy, (as Jesus had said in Matthew 11:14), preparing the way for the Saviour (Matthew 3:1-3). John's work was to call people to repent. He did not want people to follow him but Jesus (John 3:30) … they were to follow Him as sinners who needed to be saved, and not as righteous people who wanted a little personal improvement (Mark 2:17).

It had been over 2000 years since God's promise to Abraham to bless Jews and Gentiles though one of his descendants (Genesis 12:2-3). With such a delay, there was no expectancy that God would reveal His Saviour in their lifetime. But He did. Paul's message was that all the illustrations of salvation through patriarchs, kings and prophets had found their fulfilment in Jesus. The message of salvation could now be fully appreciated. They did not have to wander through life hoping that God might do something in a future generation. Jesus has come. He died and rose so that salvation is now open to all who will repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). It was a great message for Paul, and for us, to deliver.

When you tell the gospel to your friends, you are releasing a powerful truth (Romans 1:16), which communicates with people who are tired of rebelling. They do not have to wait any longer for an answer to their inner pain. Christ's ability to deal with our sin is liberating; His love in reconciling us to God is ennobling; and His death and resurrection assure us that He has already done everything necessary for us to be saved. But we need to repent; to admit that it was for our sins He died and respond to His call to come to Him for forgiveness and welcome Him (www.crosscheck.org.uk). This is a message for today (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you know it, tell it. When you do, some will be saved. Don’t delay any longer.