Acts 25: Paul Preached the Power of the Resurrection

Acts 25: Paul Preached the Power of the Resurrection In Acts 25, Paul is brought before the new Roman governor Festus. King Agrippa comes for a polite welcoming visit. Festus asks for King Agrippa's advice concerning Paul. It's only a single sentence, perhaps Festus, the new governor of Caesarea, hardly felt it worth mentioning, but he was processing his thoughts and asking for King Agrippa's advice on Paul's case. While it might have seemed insignificant to Festus, it was and continues to be a foundational truth that every believer embraces. Let me show you what Festus said to King Agrippa about Paul's accusers. Acts 25:18 But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Oh, Festus, if you only knew the power of that truth! JESUS IS ALIVE. You saw the problem correctly, the religious leaders didn't want what Paul believed and preached, the resurrection of Jesus, to be true. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, angels or an afterlife, while the Pharisees believed in the resurrection, angels and an afterlife. They didn't get along with each very well, but both the Pharisees and Sadducees agreed on one thing, they wanted to kill Jesus. BUT, when they succeeded at killing him, they couldn't keep Him dead.   Listen to what Peter says about Jesus' resurrection in Acts 2:24 But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip. Keeping Jesus dead was impossible! The Resurrection is God's way of saying: "Yes. Everything Jesus said is true." It's like God was stamping Jesus' life and words with a divine AMEN. Because of the deep-rooted belief of the Sadducees concerning the resurrection, their teachings influenced some believers. Paul addressed the need for solid biblical teaching on the resurrection, which he covered at length, in his first letter to the Corinthians. He made it abundantly clear that the resurrection was not a whispered rumor, instead Jesus was seen by over 500 people after his resurrection. Paul preached the resurrection as a foundational truth. 1 Corinthians 15: 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is your faith. The tomb was empty! It's more than an Easter story. It's true! The reality of the resurrection changes everything. Because the tomb is empty, anything is possible! Because Jesus is alive, we have a new covenant. Hebrews 12:24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. If the cross is the signing of the covenant, the Resurrection is God's signature of approval. The Resurrection says: • The sacrifice was accepted • The covenant is valid • Jesus is the eternal, living Mediator of the New Covenant Hebrews 13: 20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, • His blood established the covenant • His Resurrection activates and sustains it The cross established the covenant, but the Resurrection guarantees it. The "new covenant" means: • forgiveness of sins • a new heart • God's Spirit living within us • a restored relationship with God • access to God without barriers Because Jesus is alive, sin is defeated. <p cl