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Hope III
Scriptures to Read:
Acts 26:24-26
Acts 26:27-29
Acts 26:30-32
Isaiah 52:13-53:3
Isaiah 53:4-13
Psalm 16:8-11
Genesis 3:13-15
Isaiah 9:6-7
The passage before us is Acts 26:1-23. We do not know if everything said in this interview was recorded. Paul has now come to a place of invitation. His word is: "...I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – the Messiah would suffer and as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to His own people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23, NIV). Paul is here again testifying to the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
At this point, let me put into my own words what I think happened. Of course compare this with Scriptures, I do not want to lead you away from them. At this point Governor Festus leaped to his feet and shouted, "Paul you are crazy. All the studying you have done has driven you mad." I believe Festus has fallen under conviction and needs to stop Paul from pushing him any farther. Wiersbe proposes if Festus really believed Paul was crazy, he would have treated him, as a Roman citizen, with gentleness and concern and it is only because he has come under conviction that he accuses Paul of insanity.
Paul gently responds to Festus that he is not crazy and returns his attention back to King Agrippa. His response is that what he is saying is true and reasonable. No one should really doubt God can raise the dead. Paul knows King Agrippa is familiar with these things and speaks freely to him. He knows this because they occurred in the public eye for years, even though they happened 30-plus years before. Paul directly asks the king: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?" Then he answers for the king, "I know you do."
With this Paul is directly saying the prophets have clearly spelled out what should happen to the Messiah and if you believe what they said, you can understand now that these things have happened, they prove Jesus is the Messiah. The king has now also likely come under conviction. He does not respond as Festus did but his response is: "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" I believe with a heart full of love and compassion, Paul responds, "Short time or long, I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am except for these chains." Paul wants them to each and all have the hope he has, have the joy he has, experience the forgiveness he has received.
The Paul whose heart was once filled with bitterness and hatred has completely changed and now his heart is filled with love and compassionate concern. Paul is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and cannot only forgive but earnestly desire the salvation of his enemies. The secret of what Paul preached and taught is in the healing and releasing power of the Gospel. No one can begin the Christian life without accepting the unqualified grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Growing in that grace produces dynamic esteem for Christ, for all He taught, for all He loved, and for all His burning desire to fulfill the Plan of God. His hope is designed to be contagious.
It is the hope God wants to give, not only to the Jews as His chosen people, but to all He has chosen. That will include all mankind. Jesus did not die just for Jews. He died for all. The small chorus says it well, "... red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the children (people) of the world." When the king stands up, it is the end of the interview. Agrippa and Festus agree Paul is not worthy of death. Had he not appealed to Caesar, he could now be freed. They did not talk about it but I hope the seeds of Paul's testimony bore fruit in them.
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