JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.
Families Abiding in Jesus together
With shorter reading assignments and kid-specific focus areas, Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents disciple their kids and engage with Scripture in the best ways for their age.
This month's memory verse
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
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And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,
17When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.
18The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23“Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. 24Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.
25“As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
Paul Is Arrested
26So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.
Sometimes, we find ourselves in places or around people who do not welcome Jesus or his ways. Sometimes we may even be misunderstood because we believe in Jesus. Does God want us to be fearful for those reasons? No way!
Paul finally made it to Jerusalem after a long journey, but he knew difficulty was ahead. When he arrived, the believers welcomed him. Paul met the elders and told them all that God had done through the Gentiles.
But there was a problem. As you read today’s passage, you may notice that many Jewish believers heard Paul was teaching Jews to turn away from the Jewish law. James and the elders knew this could cause confusion, so they asked Paul to participate in a Jewish purification ceremony. To the Jewish people, this ceremony would have shown them that Paul believed in the one true God and was set apart to serve him.
But notice Paul’s actions here. Paul did what they asked. He did not do this because he needed to follow the Jewish law to be saved. Instead, he gave up his own ways out of love and respect for other believers.
Read Acts 21:17-26 together as a family.
As you read, look for the answers to these questions:
God, thank you for the opportunities that we get to love others in many ways that glorify your name. Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see those opportunities to share Jesus with others, not only by our words but also with our actions. Teach us to be salt and light in this world! Amen.