Acts 26:19-29

Second Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2009

Acts 26:19-29 (New International Version)

¹⁹"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. ²⁰First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. ²¹That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. ²²But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— ²³that the Christ^[a] would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."

²⁴At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."

²⁵"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."

²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"

²⁹Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."

What would you say was the longest court trial in the history of the world? The longest court trial on record in America took over three years. The longest court trial in Britain took 291 days as two social activists sued McDonald’s for causing starvation in third world countries. Arguably the longest court trial on record was that of the Apostle Paul. From the time he was first arrested in Jerusalem to his appeal heard in Rome five years went by. Part of Paul’s long legal battle is our sermon text for today when Paul appeared before a governor called Festus and a king called Agrippa. Several times throughout the proceedings Paul states that the real reason he was arrested is because he preached that Jesus rose from the dead.

In reality then, it was the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection that was on trial as Paul stood before one court after another. That’s the thought we want to consider. On this Sunday after Easter let us well note that until the end of time,

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION WILL ALWAYS BE ON TRIAL! Therefore

I. Let us never preach anything more,

II. Let us never expect anything less!

Paul’s legal troubles began while he was in Jerusalem dropping off the offering that had been gathered to help the needy believers there. While he was in the Temple praying the Jews tried to kill Paul. They accused him of violating the customs and traditions of the Jews because they thought he brought some Gentiles into the Temple area. The Roman soldiers stepped in to prevent a riot. At first, they beat him not realizing that Paul was also a Roman citizen and couldn’t be beaten or put in chains without a fair trial. That’s how Paul wound up in front the Roman governor, Festus and the Jewish king, Agrippa, the great-grandson of Herod. And how did Paul defend himself against the accusations of the Jews before these rulers? He first points out that he had been raised as a Pharisee, the strictest sect of the Jews, and that he had also been an enemy of Christ even putting Christians to death. But then, as he explained, everything changed for him when on the road to Damascus Christ appeared to him in a vision and called him to faith and chose him to proclaim the good news of salvation to both Jew and Gentile alike. It is at this point that our text begins. 19 “‘So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.4At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." 25"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable."

“Paul you are out of your mind!” That was reaction of Festus to Paul’s testimony about Jesus rising from the dead and, in many ways, this is the same response that he received from his fellow Jews. Why? By proclaiming the truth of the resurrection Paul was pointing to Jesus as the only Savior from sin. But we know that for the most part, the Jews didn’t believe they needed a Savior, why after all, they were the descendants of Abraham and they had the Old Testament Scriptures from Moses and the prophets! That’s why they wanted Paul silenced!

But what did Paul do when people reacted in such a way to the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection? He didn’t change the message. He didn’t try a different strategy or rethink his legal briefs. He didn’t do his gospel work under the cover of darkness nor did he use underhanded or illegal ways to get the message out. Paul simply kept preaching nothing more than the good news that Jesus died for the sins of the world, that he rose from the dead, and that salvation is found in him alone. Why? That message of the resurrection is consistent with the Old Testament Scriptures was the message Jesus had called him to preach!

What are we to learn from this? Two things; first of all, let’s note that what happened here was really in fulfillment of what God had prophesied through the psalmist about his people confessing the truth before kings. (Ps. 119:46.) What an amazing thing that Paul was able to preach before these two powerful men the very same thing we preach here at St. Paul Sunday after Sunday. May St. Paul always preach what St. Paul preached; nothing more. Secondly, may we also find comfort in knowing that even though Christ and his apostles were often unjustly condemned before earthly kings, those kings will one day stand before the judgment throne of the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

But there is more we can learn that isn’t always so easy to hear. Let me ask you this, “Do you think that the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection is ever on trial among us?” We know that the unbelieving world will always laugh at the teaching of God raising the dead, but what about us? Do we ever doubt it, debate it, or live contrary to it? Listen to these passages and answer that question for yourself. “And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again, (2 Cor. 5:15); “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life?” (Rm 6:1-4).

Do you get the point? Whenever we give into sin, whenever we live more like the children of the world rather than the redeemed of God, we are putting the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection on trial! What’s the world to think about Jesus if we live like he’s still in the grave? How will the world judge this message of Christ’s resurrection if we treat as though it’s just yesterday’s old news? Yes, there are times when we are guilty of silencing the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection by how we live.

So what should we do when the world says that we are out of our mind for preaching about the resurrection of the dead? What should we do when we are guilty of living more like Jesus is dead rather than alive? Keep doing what Paul did--keep preaching the resurrection and nothing more. In Christ’s resurrection we have assurance of our forgiveness and the power to put away sin!

II.

As Paul stood before governor Festus and King Agrippa, he proclaimed the truth about Jesus’ resurrection. There were those who laughed at Paul and accused him of being insane. We should never be surprised at that. There will always be those who are going to reject Jesus and his resurrection. Sadly, we’ve come to expect that. But we should also expect that God’s Word will have power to bring people to faith, even kings and princes. Paul expected no less. Listen to how the rest of the text goes: “’25I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’ 28Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ 29Paul replied, ‘Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’"

Paul knew from his own personal experience and from the many lives he had touched as a missionary that the message about Jesus has power to lead people to believe in Jesus. He expected no less. That’s why when Agrippa said to him, “Do you think you can persuade me to be a Christian in such a short time?” Paul said, “Short or long, I pray that not only you but all who are listening will become a Christian!”

Are you a Christian? Do you believe the prophets? Do you believe that Jesus died and rose for you? I believe that you do. What power God’s Word has to take people like us who are no better than the Jews of Paul’s day or these Gentile kings before whom Paul stood, and make believers out of us! The good news about his open tomb has opened our hearts to see Jesus as the One who died to take away our sin and rose for our justification. God’s Word has the power to do that for others too! It is for that very reason we keep preaching nothing more and why we should expect nothing less!

As I studied this text and worked on this sermon I couldn’t help thinking of my mother-in-law, Adela Spaude. When the top lung specialists and doctors at the UW hospital told her that her disease was terminal, the head doctor went on to ask her feelings about that news. In response she began to tell them all the whole plan of God’s salvation starting with Creation, Adam & Eve’s Fall into Sin, the promise of the Savior, Jesus’ birth, his death, and resurrection. And then she said, “I am not afraid to die because Jesus rose and I am going to live with him in heaven where there is no more sickness or death.” And then she said, ‘He’s your Savior too and by believing in him you too can have eternal life.” In many ways, Christ’s resurrection was on trial in the hospital room just like it was for Paul before King Agrippa. There was nothing more that needed to be said by my mother-in-law. Eternal life for her, eternal life offered to those doctors, eternal life for us! In Christ, we don’t have to expect anything less! Thank God for the glorious doctrine of Christ’s resurrection and thanks be to God for the privilege to share it!