Acts 17:1-3 :

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Luke shares some insight with us about the pattern that Paul used when he went into a city to preach about Jesus the Messiah. We read here that he would find a Jewish synagogue, if one existed in the city, and preach there first. We know from Paul’s letters that were later added to the Bible, that he believed in going to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and He will continue to call out to them until that day He returns to rule in Jerusalem.

Notice that Paul uses the Bible, “explaining and demonstrating” the fact that the Messiah wasn’t just going to come into Jerusalem and take over, but that He had to suffer, die and resurrect first. This is still a problem among practicing Jews today. They refuse to allow their Messiah to come and die first even though it was predicted by the prophets and by the signs and wonders of the resurrected Messiah Himself. This has been a very costly error for them, but their failure to recognize the times was still part of God’s overall plan. As a result of their error you and I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Church, which is mostly filled with Gentiles who would otherwise been destroyed without hope. God knew and intended for the Gentiles to hear and receive the message of the Messiah too.