If you like beautiful old buildings, Athens, which is in the country of Greece, is a good place to visit. But you won’t find skyscrapers designed by architects and engineers, and don’t look for elevators or fancy offices for world-wide businesses. What you will find are beautiful, old stone buildings, built more than two thousand years ago. You’ll see beautiful marble pillars supporting the roofs. Weather and storms over the centuries have battered them, but they still stand, along with marble statues that are still standing too.
The Apostle Paul visited Athens nearly two thousand years ago, but he probably didn’t notice the stone buildings and marble pillars. He was looking for precious souls for whom the Lord Jesus Christ had died on Calvary’s cross. The buildings are still there today, but where are the people who were living then? And where will you be when you are gone from the earth?
Paul went to the marketplace every day, but not to buy anything. His purpose in the marketplace was to spread the good news that Christ Jesus is not dead. He is risen from the dead and offering salvation to the people of Athens and to you right now too. Is that more important to you than a beautiful building? It was to Paul.
He saw lots of strange idols in that city. The whole world is full of idols today, things that are ready to take your time and money in exchange for a few good times. But Paul wasn’t at all interested in those things. Instead, he had a message filling his heart with joy that he wanted to share with the people of Athens. He was anxious to tell them that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, died on Calvary’s cross and is now alive in heaven.
There were very intelligent people, called philosophers, in Athens who never heard such things before. They said: What’s this about the resurrection? We want to hear what this man Paul has to say! So they planned a hearing on Mars’ Hill, just outside the city where there were seats for a big crowd to listen and without the noise of the city interfering. So they asked Paul, What is this strange belief you are talking about?
Paul was glad to tell them about the Saviour who came to save sinners. He began by saying to the crowd, I can see that you are very religious. You have many objects that you worship, including an altar “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:2323For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23)). I’m here to tell you about the God whom you don’t know.
Is God unknown to you too? He is the same God who gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Our God is a giving God. He gives to all men life and all things, but our life here on earth is not forever. Will you trust Him and His beloved Son Jesus who died for you and is alive today in heaven?
Among all those philosophers and other listeners that day, there were three kinds of answers to the question that we have just asked you:
First, there were mockers who said, This is foolishness!
Second, there were postponers who said, We will hear you some other day.
Third, there were a few who said, Yes, I believe in Jesus who was raised from the dead! Tell us more!
The only correct answer to the question is the third one. Is your answer the correct one?
You may read this story for yourself in Acts 17.
ML-04/06/2014