Dead Or Alive? 

When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 

Acts 25:18-19 

Paul passed through various hearings on his path to Rome. One hearing was with the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. Another was with a Roman governor named Felix. After that Festus, Felix’s successor, heard him. Festus arranged for King Agrippa, to hear him as well. As Festus described Paul’s case to Agrippa, he used the words in our text. The key issue he emphasized was that Paul insisted Jesus is alive. This is important, because of all the things Festus could have said, he landed on the subject of the resurrection. Thus, the resurrection of Christ arises as the critical subject. It was the subject which Paul had raised in the council of the Jewish leaders, which had divided them. The Pharisees believed in resurrection. The Sadducees did not. Paul emphasized that the issue at stake was Christ’s resurrection. In his hearing before Felix, he had declared, ‘I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.’ Obviously, Festus realized the importance of it by the words he uses in our text. Thus, all through the ministry Paul had in spreading the gospel to unusual places, he continued to proclaim that Christ had risen from the dead. We are convinced of the truth Paul spoke. We believe Christ rose from the dead. As He has promised, there will also be the resurrection for us. We are one with Paul and Christ regarding the resurrection. Because He lives, we shall live also.  

Our Glorious Master and our God, 
we rejoice that You have risen from the dead. 
We praise You that we have the opportunity to proclaim 
You as the Living Savior. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning