The Scandal Of The Resurrection

THE SCANDAL OF THE RESURRECTION

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves.

“When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.”

“I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said.

And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!”

So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.

“But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!”

In this passage, we again see striking parallels to Jesus’ arrest and trials. Paul was brought before Herod Agrippa II, the grandson of Herod Antipas, before whom Jesus appeared. And Festus and Agrippa seemed just as befuddled by the charges against Paul as their predecessors were by the charges against Jesus. At the heart of the charges against Paul, as Festus understood them, was the objection certain Jewish leaders had to Paul’s assertion that Jesus was alive—whether the Resurrection had actually happened. The idea was then—as it is now—a powerful and controversial one. The Roman leaders must have been curious. Consider the masses of people who don’t attend church all year but find their way there on Easter Sunday. Something draws them. Could someone really have been raised from the dead? And what does it mean if he was?

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• Take a moment to reflect on the Resurrection. Read Luke 24:1-12 or John 20:1-18 to refresh your memory. What would it have been like to be present to see the resurrected Jesus? What emotions do you think would have been triggered in you?
• Reflect on what impact the Resurrection has on the way you live. How does it influence your decisions?

Father, thank you that the Resurrection is true, that Jesus is alive, and that in him, eternal life is available to me. This is hard to comprehend, but I pray that you would help me understand the true weight of it. When I am sad or feel discouraged, I want to remember the Resurrection. When I feel alone, I want to remember that Jesus said he would always be with those who follow him. Give me an eternal perspective as I make decisions today, and help me get out of myself to serve others. Amen.