Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Thursday,
In recent years one of the major global issues challenging Europe and America in particular has been MIGRATION. Wave after wave of human beings fleeing war or government corruption or religious persecution or famine or starvation or even slavery. They flee on foot or in little boats, or by whatever means possible. In many cases they are running for their lives and the future hopes of their children. We’ve all seen the news images and heard the reports of the chaos when millions of people migrate into unprepared cities and countries.
But did you know something like that was happening only months after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension? WHAT caused it and WHO were they who fled? They were followers of Jesus, mostly Messianic Jews, and they fled Jerusalem after the execution of Stephen, when a great persecution broke out against them, led by Saul the angry Pharisee. (Acts 8:1-4)
In the past few days, we’ve traced the flight of Philip to Samaria, Azotus and eventually Caesarea. (Acts 8:5-40) We’ve also followed that violent Saul the Pharisee to Damascus and then ultimately to his hometown Tarsus. (Acts 9:1-30) And we’ve traced the apostle Peter’s journey to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea. (Acts 10) In all those places we’ve looked closely at what the Holy Spirit of God was doing as Jews, Samaritans and even God worshiping Gentiles, were drawn to Jesus as their Messiah and Savior! Thousands of lives were being transformed.
Acts 11 takes us north to the city of Syrian Antioch, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Syrian Antioch was one of the most significant cities in the entire Roman empire in the first century, both in size and strategic location. When the persecution broke out in Jerusalem, evidently many people fled going in all directions. Acts 11:19 gives us this glimpse: “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed, traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the message of Jesus only among Jews.”
Phoenicia was a large area north of Israel. It is primarily coastal Lebanon of our day. Cyprus is, of course, the island in the Mediterranean Sea which still today bears that name. But Syrian Antioch, 300 miles north, is where the Holy Spirit focuses our attention in the developing story of what happened after Jesus ascended back to heaven.
Did you notice those who fled Jerusalem sought refuge in places where many Jews lived and we presume would take them in. So, it would be natural that those who fled the persecution would share the exciting story of what God was doing in Jerusalem with those Jews who had received them. But the way Luke writes it, I conclude the fleeing Messianic Jews were RESTRICTING their sharing of the Jesus story ONLY to their fellow Jews.
And then Dr. Luke added this clarifying statement: “Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.” Pause. Remember it was Philip whom the Holy Spirit sent to Samaria; and Peter whom the Holy Spirit sent to Joppa and then Caesarea. But here in Antioch it is neither the apostles nor the ‘selected seven’, but rather courageous Jesus following, ordinary men from Cyrene, which, by the way, is modern day Libya, North Africa, and men from the island of Cyprus, whom the Holy Spirit selected and empowered to take the Gospel of Jesus to Greek Gentiles way up in Syrian Antioch!
The journey from North Africa (Cyrene) would have been more than 600 miles! While we don’t know WHY they came to Antioch, we know some of them were courageous enough to cross the cultural barriers and share the story of Jesus with Gentiles! Dr. Luke reports something radical happened: “The Lord’s hand was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 11:20,21)
Do we understand the significance of this my friends? How do you feel when you hear reports of what God is doing among people VERY different from you who live far away from you? Do you doubt the legitimacy of the reports you hear? Do you expect God will always work, in every place, in the same, predictable ways?
With the exception of Cornelius and his Gentile household in Caesarea, (Acts 10:44.45) almost all those who had heard and responded to the story of Jesus, from the time of His resurrection until Acts 11, had been Jews or Samaritan Jews. But Syrian Antioch was a very international city, and Jews were by far the minority in that mixed population center now growing rapidly with a large influx of migrating Messianic Jews, fleeing Jerusalem persecution.
Do you see God doing two radically new things in Syrian Antioch?
* First, God was using ordinary people, some from far away, to share the Gospel of Jesus.
* Second, they seemed excited to share Jesus with Gentiles!
As you look at the moral/spiritual condition of your city, is God doing anything new or unusual in 2026? If you live in a place of significant migration, is Jesus doing anything in the middle of the migration in your town? Do you know people are most open to considering the Gospel when they are relocating to new places, making new friends?
Could it be God has strategically placed you in such a place of rapid population growth? Are you welcoming new friends to your community, are YOU one of those special people to whom God is giving the opportunity to both build a friendship and draw migrating people to Jesus? As you get to know these new people in your town, where are they coming from? Why are they choosing your town as their new home?
Do you know one of the things they most quickly need is new, kind, compassionate, helpful, trustworthy friends? Oh, my friends, would you consider you may be living in or near a modern-day Syrian Antioch and God may want to use YOU as He did these courageous few from Cyrene and Cyprus?
Please ponder the strategicness of that as you consider the “lessons learned” notes below, and as you worship with the song I’ve selected for today. And I’ll be waiting for you here, in changing Antioch, tomorrow!
Today’s Scripture: Acts 11:19-21.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.