Acts 25 - A Certain Jesus
The world is a circus, but one central truth changes everything.
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Acts 25 (ESV)
1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him,
3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—
because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.
4 Festus replied
that Paul was being kept at Caesarea
and that he himself intended to go there shortly.
5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me,
and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea.
And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.
7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem
stood around him,
bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.
8 Paul argued in his defense,
“Neither
against the law of the Jews,
nor against the temple,
nor against Caesar
have I committed any offense.”
9 But Festus,
wishing to do the Jews a favor,
said to Paul,
“Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?”
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried.
To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well.
11 If then
I am a wrongdoer
and have committed anything for which I deserve to die,
I do not seek to escape death.
But if there is nothing to their charges against me,
no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered,
“To Caesar you have appealed;
to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying,
“There is a man left prisoner by Felix,
15 and when I was at Jerusalem,
the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him,
asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone
before the accused met the accusers face to face
and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
17 So when they came together here,
I made no delay,
but on the next day
took my seat on the tribunal
and ordered the man to be brought.
18 When the accusers stood up,
they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.
19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him
about their own religion
and about a certain Jesus,
who was dead,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions,
I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them.
21 But
when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor,
I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus,
“I would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city.
Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24 And Festus said,
“King Agrippa and all who are present with us,
you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me,
both in Jerusalem and here,
shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death.
And as he himself appealed to the emperor,
I decided to go ahead and send him.
26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him.
Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,
so that,
after we have examined him,
I may have something to write.
27 For it seems to me unreasonable,
in sending a prisoner,
not to indicate the charges against him.”
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Acts 25 Summary
This chapter can seem like just a repeat of earlier chapters: Paul is being kicked around the various levels of Roman bureaucracy because nobody really knows how to deal with him. On one hand, Paul is exercising his right as a Roman citizen and is being protected from the unruly mobs that want him dead. On the other hand, Paul is being used as a political pawn which self conscious governors use to try to win the support of the Jewish religious leaders.
King Agrippa shows up with his wife / sister Bernice. You read that right... Bernice will go on to become the mistress of two Roman emperors (Vespasian & Titus). If you've seen the Hunger Games movies, think of the gaudiness of the Capitol city people, and you'll have a good idea of what Agrippa and Bernice were like (They came into the hearing "with great pomp (v23)." The actual Greek word is phantasia.)
Festus sees a chance to pin Paul's appeal to Caesar on Agrippa rather than himself, so he props Paul up before them. What a circus.
Dig Deeper
Festus clearly identified the claim that sets Christianity apart from every other religion and worldview in v19:
[the Jews] had certain points of dispute with Paul
about their own religion
and about a certain Jesus,
who was dead,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Christianity stands for all sorts of good and godly things, but don't ever forget it's central claim: Jesus Christ was killed to pay for your sin, and was raised from the dead three days later having achieved victory over death.
If this isn't true, Christianity is not worth believing.
But since it is true, this fact changes everything.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our sovereign Father, who uses even the highest level of governments to do His will;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that this simple fact that a man named Jesus was dead but is now alive will be the central tenant driving everything you do.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
