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Now that Festus had taken over the governorship of Caesarea, Agrippa, King of Northern Israel, and his sister Bernice showed up to welcome him to Caesarea. They were both the great-grandchildren of Herod the Great who ruled over Israel during Jesus’ life. Although there were numerous rumors that Agrippa and Bernice were in an incestuous relationship, Agrippa had a reputation for being very pious in religious matters and an expert in Jewish issues. Therefore, Festus takes the opportunity to enlist Agrippa’s help in figuring out Paul’s case.
There is thick irony in the fact that a couple who was involved I such morally degenerate behavior sits in judgment on Paul, who was morally innocent in this case, but isn’t that so often the way it is! There is also irony in the fact that Festus, an unbelieving Roman outsider, is the one who actually presents the gospel of Jesus Christ to Agrippa and Bernice, when he explains Paul’s case to them. This clearly shows God’s evangelistic sense of humor.
As Festus recounted Paul’s story, he shows that he had a clear understanding of why Paul was on trial. It wasn’t for the reasons he supposed, but it was because of Paul’s insistence on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection was central to Paul’s message, and it was the central reason he was on trial. In this passage Luke highlights the proclamation of the resurrection and two common reactions too it. Let’s take a look at these aspects of the resurrection!
Proclamation of the Resurrection (19)
Up until this point in the story there has been a lot of confusion over why Paul was on trial. The Jews had accused him of desecrating the Temple and disturbing the peace in Jerusalem and all over the world. As Paul stood trial before the Sanhedrin, Felix, and Festus, he vehemently denied these charges and insisted that he was on trial because of his belief in Jesus’ resurrection, which wasn’t a crime at all. In verse 19, Festus makes it abundantly clear that Paul was innocent of the charges and that in fact he was on trial because of differences in religious beliefs and a dispute about a certain Jesus, who was dead but who Paul claimed was alive.
This verse shows that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was always central to Paul’s proclamation of the gospel. For Paul, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, there is no hope of new or eternal life. When Paul encountered the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus years earlier, it completely transformed his life. From this point on Paul took every opportunity he could to tell people about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Just as it was for Paul almost 2,000 years ago, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our hope as Christians. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we have no hope of eternal life: death would be the final end. But if he was resurrected from the dead, then not only do we have this hope for ourselves, but we should feel compelled to share it with others. If we really believed there was a way to overcome death, wouldn’t we want others to know about it?
John of Damascus, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, was a monk, theologian, and hymn-writer who lived during the first half of the eighth century. He composed a beautiful hymn underscoring the importance of all of God’s people proclaiming the resurrection.
The day of resurrection?
Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness,
The Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From this world to the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over
With hymns of victory.
Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin;
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein;
Let all things seen and unseen
Their notes in gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord hath risen,
Our Joy that hath no end.
Do we really believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Do we really have the hope of eternal life? Are we willing to share this with our family and friends? The proclamation of the resurrection was central for Paul’s life and ministry! How about us?
Now when we proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should expect at least two different reactions to the resurrection: persecution or curiosity. We see both of these reactions in our text, and they are both still very real today. Let’s look at persecution first!
Reactions to the Resurrection: Persecution (13-18)
As Festus explained Paul’s case to Agrippa, he conveyed that the Jews wanted Paul to be charged and condemned to death. They had already brutally assaulted him, falsely accused him, and plotted to murder him on a number of occasions. Why were they so hostile toward Paul? They persecuted him because of his belief in resurrection. He insisted that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.
These Jews wanted Paul dead and they didn’t care how it happened. They kept going back and forth between murdering him on their own and manipulating the Romans into executing him. So far, their efforts were frustrated. The Romans wouldn’t totally cave into their pressure and they couldn’t get their hands on him. Even though they had not succeeded in killing him, the Jews reacted to Paul’s message of resurrection with persecution.
Now very few people in America today would try to murder someone because they believe that Jesus rose from the dead, but don’t be surprised if many people react with milder forms of persecution. When you tell someone that you really believe that Jesus rose from the dead, they might laugh at you. If you tell someone that you really believe that the Bible is true, they might argue with you. If you tell someone that you are a Christian, they might sneer and walk away from you. If you tell someone that you love Jesus, there is a good chance that they will make fun of you. If you tell someone that you can’t do anything with them on Sunday morning because you want to go to church, they will probably get mad at you.
During Easter Week 1996, an amazing thing happened in the secular press. All three major news magazines—Time, Newsweek, and U.S. and World Report—depicted Jesus on the front cover. The occasion was not just a Christian holiday that comes around every year. In 1996, the Christian celebration of resurrection followed hard on the heels of criticism leveled against the historicity of that central biblical event. Kenneth Woodward’s article in Newsweek (April 8, 1996) entitled “Rethinking the Resurrection” detailed the problem along with quotes from modern critics: In their relentless search for the historical Jesus, various Biblical scholars argue that the Gospel stories of the empty tomb and Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances are fictions devised long after his death to justify claims of his divinity. To hear them tell it, the Resurrection is an embarrassment to the modern mind. They laugh and make fun of anyone who would actually believe that Jesus rose from the dead! (Gangel 385)
We must realize that many people all over the world have reacted to the resurrection of Jesus Christ with persecution for two-thousand years. This is nothing new: Paul faced it! The other apostles faced it! And we still see it today. Despite the persecution that you may face, will you still believe in the resurrection? Will you continue to proclaim it?
Reactions to the Resurrection: Curiosity (22)
Before the prospect of persecution totally discourages you from proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus, let me tell you about another possible reaction to the resurrection. As Agrippa listened to Festus’ story about Paul, he became curious about this man and his message of resurrection from the dead. He was happy to oblige Festus’ request and expressed a desire to meet Paul and hear him for himself. No doubt Agrippa had heard about Jesus of Nazareth and he took the opportunity to learn more about him from Christianity’s chief representative.
Just as in this text, some people react to the resurrection with persecution, while others react with curiosity. I think a lot of Americans today are like King Agrippa—they have heard a little bit about Jesus and the resurrection from other people but they have never reckoned with Christianity. They have never really looked into it for themselves. I believe that there are a lot of curious people out there just waiting for someone to come along, sit down with them, and explain who Jesus really is and what he has really done for us.
Maybe you have come to church this morning because you are curious about Jesus and the Christian faith. If so, you have come to the right place! We are glad you are here. I, or a number of other people here, would be happy to sit down with you and answer your questions and satisfy your curiosity.
Others may have already had your curiosity satisfied and like Paul, it is now our duty to proclaim the resurrection and satisfy the curiosity of other people. You never know when God might give you an opportunity to satisfy someone’s hungry soul with the Bread of Life that has come down from heaven. When you meet someone who is curious, will you be ready?
Yes, when we proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there will always be some kind of reaction. Whether it is persecution or curiosity, we need to be prepared.