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I. THE PARTIES CONCERNED. Why was the first offer of Christ made to the Jews?

1. Because they were the only Church of God for that time. And God hath so much respect for the Church, that they shall have the refusal and the morning-market of the gospel.

2. They were the children of the covenant (ver. 25). God follows a covenant people with more offers of grace than others.

3. Christ came of them after the flesh, and was of their seed (Romans 9:5), to teach us to seek the salvation of our kindred first.

4. That He might magnify His grace and faithfulness, not only in the matter of the gospel, but even in the first offer of it (Romans 15:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:14, 15).

5. This was necessary too for the confirmation of the gospel. Christ did not steal into the world privately, but He would have His law set up where, if there were any falsehood in it, it might easily be disproved; and because the main of the Jewish doctrine was adopted into the Christian, and was confirmed by the prophecies of the Old Testament, they were the only competent judges to whose cognisance these things should be first offered.

6. That the ruin of that nation might be a fit document and proof of God's severity against the contemners of the new gospel (Acts 13:45-47).

7. That the first ministers might be a pattern of obedience, to preach where God would have them, to preach in the very face and teeth of opposition.

II. THE BENEFIT OFFERED: wherein is set forth the great love of God unto the people to whom the gospel comes.

1. In designing such a glorious person as Jesus Christ: "having raised up His Son Jesus."

2. In that He gave notice, and did especially direct and send Him to them: "hath sent His Son."

3. Why He came among them in His Word: it was "to bless them."

III. THE BLESSING INTERPRETED. They expected a pompous Messiah, that should make them an opulent and potent nation. But Christ came to convert souls unto God.

IV. WHAT IT IS TO BE TURNED FROM SIN. Take these considerations:

1. Man fallen, lay under the power and guilt of sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). So man was both unholy and guilty.

2. Christ came to free us from both these.

(1)  The guilt (Ephesians 1:7);

(2)  and the power (Titus 3:5).

3. To be turned from sin implies our whole conversion. Though one part only be mentioned, the term "from which," yet the term "to which" is implied (chap. Acts 26:18).

4. That remission of sins is included in our conversion to God (ver. 19, chap. Acts 5:31).

V. IT IS A BLESSED THING TO BE MADE PARTAKERS OF THIS BENEFIT. Blessedness imports two things —

1. An immunity from, or a removal of, the great evil, and that is sin.

(1)  The great cause of offence between God and us is taken out of the way (Isaiah 59:2).

(2)  We are freed from the great blemish of our natures (Romans 3:23).

(3)  We are freed from the great burden of sin.

(4)  Being turned from our sins, we are freed from the great bane of our persons and all our happiness (Psalm 32:1, 2; Romans 8:1).

2. The enjoyment of positive good. It is a blessed thing to be turned from our sins because —

(1)  This is the matter of our serenity, comfort, and peace here (Isaiah 32:17).

(2)  It is the pledge of our eternal felicity hereafter; for heaven is the perfection of holiness, or the full fruition of God in glory (Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 1:13, 14).

(T. Manton.)

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KJV: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

WEB: God, having raised up his servant, Jesus, sent him to you first, to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from your wickedness."