September 19, 2023 | Be On Mission
Festus Presents Paul to Agrippa
Scripture: Acts 25:23-27(NIV)
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
Devotional
Festus, the newly appointed ruler over Judea, was getting pressure from the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem and Caesarea to have Paul put to death. He didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. After all, Paul had been in prison for two years under the predecessor of Festus. What possible damage could the religious fanatic be causing while under guard. He said it himself, “I found he had done nothing deserving of death.”
However, Paul had appealed to the Emperor, so Festus planned to send him to Rome. Let him be Caesar’s problem. But Festus had a dilemma. He summed it up in his own words: “I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.” So he brought in King Agrippa for a kangaroo court. He was hoping that Agrippa could muster up some charges that would sound reasonable when Festus shipped Paul off to Rome.
It is fascinating the lengths people went to in order to try to stop the expansion of the Christian faith. Beginning with Jesus and just a dozen disciples, Christianity now has well over two billion adherents, nearly a third of the world’s population. Still, the fastest growing religious population today in the United States is the “nones,” which includes people who are secular, nonreligious, or atheist. They make up about thirty percent of America at present, up from nearly zero percent in the 1950’s.
With over two thirds of the world not yet following Christ, we need some more people like Paul who are willing to stick out their necks to advance the gospel. With three in ten Americans believing in nothing, we need more people to “Be on Mission” and spread the faith where they live, work, learn and play. The good news of Jesus was meant to be passed person to person, generation to generation, nation to nation.
Again, pray for the spread of the Christian faith today. Pray that God can use you to share the faith among those where you live, work, learn and play. Pray that the gospel takes root in your city and region. Ask the Lord to make the good news of the faith spread throughout the land of your entire nation. Finally, pray that the message of Jesus would cover the entire globe.
Poem
Imagine Paul
Imagine Paul
Whose name means “small”
Bound front of all
A-listening
Imagine court
With every sort
Conviction short
A-pomping
Imagine God
With Justice’s rod
Whom Paul has shod
A-gospeling
Imagine scene
With foes all mean
Apostle clean
Attentioning
