And the rest.

Acts 10

And the rest…..

One of the staples of television viewing of my childhood was “Gilligan’s Isle”. There were only a few seasons of the show. We were watching the reruns. We saw an episode every day. After the fist season of shows in black and white, two things changed. First the show switched to color, meaning it was filmed in color film instead of black and white. The other thing that changed was the theme song. The opening theme song in the first season mentions 5 of the seven cast always by name, but the professor and Maryanne were only mentioned in passing “…and the rest.” Bob Denver was the star of the show, he played Gilligan, he didn’t like that there wasn’t equal billing for the the cast so he requested that the theme song be change add in “🎶the Professor and Maryanne, here on Gilligan’s Isle”. Inclusivity. Invite all in.

In the beginning part of the book Acts Christianity is just a sect of Judaism. And then something miraculous happened.

Here is where we come in.

Up to this point in the story Christianity was as a sect of Judaism. God had other plans. God had bigger plans. God had plans that would eventually include me, not exclude me.

“34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

Jesus had said that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, the city, Judea, the area, Samaria, the area next door, and the utter most parts of the world, and the rest. I think that they were thinking geographically. That they would travel and tell their story to the Jews in the utter most parts of the world but God wasn’t talking about land masses. He didn’t come to save the land masses. He didn’t come to just save Jewish people. Jesus came to save the masses. Masses of people. Jesus came to save the masses that are messes. I am one one. I am one of the mass that is a mess. I am a sinner. I’ve done things. but more than that, I still, even after accepting Jesus as my savior want to stray away. My heart is self centered and bent on wanting what it wants. Jesus knew all that and he died for me.

Because of Cornelius and his family, and Peters obedience I can be welcomed into the family of God without becoming a Jew first. I don’t know all of the details but The process was not easy and would leave a convert always on the outside.

Bob Denver wanted equal billing for all of the characters on Gilligans Isle. Again I don’t know all the details but after the first season we get to sing, “the professor and Maryanne,”. Because God so loved the world, the masses of people not the masses of land, he gave his only Son that whosoever would believe in Him, would not perish but have everlasting life. God cares about each one of us individually. In John 3:16 it states “

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 – ESV

“The world” is a pretty broad term but “whoever” brings it down to each individual. God loves you my reader. Will you accept his gift of love and forgiveness today? If you already have received his gift, will you share the gift of forgiveness today? Will you Tell someone that God loves them and that Jesus died for them?

Thank you.

Good news for ALL of us. In Gods song of salvation our names can be included.