Jesus Affirmed to Be Alive

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. more...: Or, as some copies read, no more then eight or ten dayes And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. I doubted...: Or, I was doubtful how to inquire heereof But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. hearing...: Or, judgement Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. - Acts 25:1-27

    The Jews were not at all happy about the way Felix had handled Paul. So, shortly after Festus took the governor's seat at Cresarea, they tried to get him to bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial, or so they intimated. Actually, they intended to assassinate him along the way (25:1-12). The respected religious leaders of the day were so savage in their hatred towards Paul, the gospel he preached and the God he represented, that in the name of God they were determined to murder him (cf. John 16:2). But Paul, being a Roman citizen, took advantage of his legal rights. Refusing to be tried by a lower court at Jerusalem he said, 'I appeal unto Caesar' (25:11). Festus had no choice under Roman law. He said, 'Unto Caesar shalt thou go' (25:12).

    When Agrippa, who was reputed to be a specialist in Jewish matters, came to Cresarea, Festus welcomed the opportunity to discuss Paul's case with him (25:13-21). Agrippa expressed a desire to hear Paul for himself (25:32). Arrangements were made. Agrippa and his sister Bernice came to 'the place of hearing' in great pomp (25:23). And Festus displayed the customary flattery and false adulation of one politician to another (25:24-27). The fact of the matter was that Festus was fearful of sending Paul to Rome with no legitimate charges against him (25:19,27). By involving Agrippa in the matter he had something to fall back on, were his actions questioned by his superiors at Rome.

    What distinguished Paul from his enemies

    Two things were apparent to Festus. Remember, he was a pagan politician. He had no regard for Paul, or for the Jews. He did not even know what the controversy was about. Yet he quickly perceived two things that distinguished Paul from his enemies.

    First, the Jews, the religious sceptics, the unbelieving followers of religion, raised 'certain questions', but Paul made bold affirmations (25:18-19). That is ever the case. Those who oppose the gospel and take offence at the preaching of the cross of Christ assert nothing, but question everything. Where they cannot prove evil, they hope to cast a shadow of doubt by raising questions. In doctrinal matters, their questions are almost always foolish carpings about meaningless things. It is pointless and futile to answer such questions. We are repeatedly warned not to do so (1 Tim. 1:4; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:23; Titus 3:9). We do not need to defend the truth, but simply declare it. That was Paul's method. He boldly, dogmatically affirmed the truth as God revealed it.

    Believing men and women are God's witnesses (Isa. 44:8; Acts 1:8). A witness is one who simply tells what he knows. He cares nothing for the questions, speculations, or objections of others. So we simply affirm certain, definite, revealed facts, facts plainly laid down in the Word of God and experienced in our own hearts. Here we stand, oblivious to the science, wisdom and reason of educated fools. The basis of our faith is the Word of God alone (Isa. 8:20; 2 Tim. 3:16). The Jews were full of questions. But Paul affirmed that Jesus, who was dead, is alive. He made no attempt to answer their questions or prove his doctrine. He simply affirmed that it was so upon the basis of Holy Scripture and his own experience. He had seen, spoken to, heard from, and felt the power of, the risen, exalted, living Christ. He affirmed what he knew to be the truth. That is what we must do as God's witnesses in this world today.

    Secondly, Festus observed that the Jews were concerned about their own religion—'their own superstition'—but Paul was concerned with a living person (25:19). Paul's religion was not a religion of books and creeds. His religion was a person. He found all his treasure in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew, trusted, loved, worshipped, served, walked with and preached a person. Christ is more than the author and finisher of our faith. He is the sum and substance of it. We glory not in our creed or denomination, but in the Lord Jesus Christ himself (1 Cor. 1:30-31; Gal. 6:14; Phil. 3:3). Christianity is a living union with a living person. It is Christ in you and you in Christ.

    Paul preached Christ

    Preaching, according to the pattern and precept of the New Testament, is the declaration and description of the Lord Jesus Christ. The thing that so greatly disturbed the Jews was not that Paul did any of the things they accused him of doing. They knew he was innocent of their charges. But he went everywhere preaching that Christ, whom they had crucified, was alive. This was such an obvious thing that Festus himself declared it (25:19). Paul spoke so much of the risen, exalted, reigning, saving Christ that even this pagan magistrate knew that his message was 'Jesus Christ, and him crucified' (1 Cor. 2:2).

    In those early days of Christianity, God's preachers, as often as they could get anyone to listen, preached Christ to men. Indeed, to this day, God's preachers go everywhere preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. Any sermon that is not full of Christ, does not point sinners to Christ and cause men to think upon him, or that does not send men away with Christ on their minds, ought never to have been preached (1 Cor. 2:2; 9:16). A Christless sermon is a useless sermon! 'Jesus Christ and him crucified' is the message of Holy Scripture (Luke 24:27,44-45), the only hope of perishing sinners (John 12:32) and the believer's motive, inspiration and guide in all things (2 Cor. 8:9; 1 Peter 2:21-24).

    Paul laid great stress upon and particularly emphasized Christ's death upon the cross as the sinner's substitute. He preached, as Festus said, 'one Jesus, which was dead'. That which was thought to be the most obnoxious, offensive and ridiculous point of his theology was the very thing which Paul preached most (1Cor. 1:17-23). That which the Jews most despised and the Gentiles most ridiculed, Paul most constantly affirmed (Gal. 6:14). He preached life by Christ's death, salvation by the crucified substitute, blood atonement and justification by the penal death of Christ in the place of God's elect as their all-sufficient and effectual Redeemer (Rom. 3:24-26). Because of his faithful dogmatism in preaching Christ to men, Paul was hounded to death by lost religious men who, being ignorant of God's righteousness in Christ, went about to establish their own righteousness (24:5; Rom. 10:1-4). And you may be assured of this fact: that man who faithfully preaches the gospel of Christ as Paul did, and the congregation which hears and follows him, will have to bear the scandalous reproach and bitter wrath of lost religious people today. The offence of the cross has not ceased (Gal. 5:11).

    In preaching the gospel, Paul affirmed that Jesus Christ, who died at Calvary, is alive! He had seen the risen Saviour, heard his voice and experienced the transforming power of his grace. Every believer has affirmed this fact in his or her own soul. Jesus is alive! He lives to claim heaven for his redeemed ones (Ps. 68:18-19); to bestow his Spirit upon God's elect in regenerating grace (Zech. 12:9-10;Gal. 3:13-14); to prepare heaven for the homecoming of his saints (John 14:1-3);to make intercession for his people (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2); to rule all things on behalf of chosen, redeemed sinners (John 17:2); and to come again in power and great glory to consummate his great work of saving his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).