We have the privilege now of turning to the Word of God. We are making our way through the book of Acts. We have come to chapter 25 and we'll be considering the entirety of chapter 25 almost at the end of here, end of acts here. And before we read, let us go to the Lord again in prayer, asking for the Lord's blessing on His Word.
Let's pray, Our Heavenly Father, we come to you now in prayer because we recognize that, apart from your Spirit's work in our hearts, in our lives right now, we are here in vain.
Lord, we need you to open up our eyes to behold that which is spiritual, to behold that which is eternal, to behold the Lord Jesus Christ, as he is and as he is presented freely in the gospels here and in your word, Lord, I Pray that again, by the power of your spirit.
Allow our deaf ears to hear of him crucified for us.
Soften our hardened hearts to receive the gospel. To not only justify your people as we read, but now more and more sanctify us. Make us more like Christ, make us more and more ready for heaven, putting off the old not looking to this world, not building our kingdoms here, but looking to Christ, Lord, we thank You that Your word is powerful. It does not return to void. It is sharper than any two edged sword, and so Lord, I do pray that you will cut our hearts, that as a master surgeon, you will have your way with us, that we will walk away from here changed because we have met with the true and living God.
Lord, be merciful now to your people, comfort your people in Christ. And it's in Christ's name we pray, amen.
People of God, hear God's word for us this morning from Acts chapter 25 and I'll read the entirety of the chapter now.
Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea, and the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him asking a favor against Paul, that he summoned him to Jerusalem because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way, Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. So said he let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him. After he stayed among them, not more than eight or 10 days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought when he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.
Paul argued in his defense, neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I committed any offense But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me. But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's tribunal where I ought to be tried, to the Jews, I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well, if then I am a wrongdoer and have committed any thing of which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death, but if there is nothing to the charges against me, no one can Give me up to them, I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with his counsel, answered to Caesar. You have appealed to Caesar. You shall go now, when some days had passed, Agrippa, the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus, and as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying there's a man left prisoner by Felix. And when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and an opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge against him. So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day, took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought when the accusation, when the accuser stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evil.
I supposed rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who was dead, but Paul asserts to be alive, being at a loss. How to investigate these questions. I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there, regarding them, but when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear the man myself tomorrow. He said, You will hear him. So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with a great pomp and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city, then, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in, and Festus said, King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer, but I found that he had done nothing deserving death, and as he himself appeared to appeal to the Emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my Lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we have examined him, I may have something to write for it seems to me unreasonable in sending a prisoner not to indicate the charges against him.
He who has ears, let him hear the Word of God. Please be seated.
Do we all have a built in sense of justice, and you see this sometimes in small things, you just need to give one of your kids one more scoop of ice cream than the others, and then all of a sudden you have a courtroom in your kitchen, and the prosecution is pointing the finger at you, declaring that you are unfair and unjust.
That is not right.
Now, we instinctively, I think in many ways, know when things aren't right, the same instinct goes when things are higher, when there are higher stakes as well, when an innocent person is treated as if they are guilty, when the truth is ignored, when decisions are made for convenience or political advancement rather than justice. There's something within us that says this isn't the way it's supposed to be.
This isn't right, and that's what we find in this chapter. In Chapter 25 Paul has been sitting in prison for two years since the last chapter, and it's not because he's in prison because he's guilty.
It's not because evidence has been proven against him. It's because a governor wanted to please the masses and keep the peace. Justice had failed under governor Felix, but now in our text, in chapter 25 a new governor arrives. His name is Festus, and you might get your hopes up finally, get that corrupt Felix out of there, and you get a more noble, more honorable man like Festus, things will be made right, right? Because we all know that when you have a change of administration, everything is automatically better, right? We put our hope in princes and justices and presidents and everything just always works out. Well, isn't that right? No, that's wrong, obviously, and we see that happening here as well.
The case is reopened. Same accusations are lodged against Paul, causing riots. He hates the Jewish law, and he's desecrated the temple. Same lack of evidence, same injustices continue now under Festus.
And what do we do?
What do we do when Justice fails, when the system doesn't work like it's supposed to work, when the truth is ignored and the innocent suffer.
I think if we're honest, when things don't go the way we think they should go, we don't just question the judicial or political systems. We begin to question God Himself.
Is he still in control?
Is God still reigning? Is he still good?
We find ourselves not just wanting justice now, we want control. God, would you just please run the world in such a way that is on my timeline and and run it in a way that makes sense to me?
Right now.
Well, Acts 25 as we will see, reminds us that even when earthly justice fails, God has not he is not absent from his people. Jesus reigns, and he is accomplishing His purposes, which is ultimately the salvation of his people, and he does it well.
So here in our text, it begins with this arrival of Festus. He replaces Felix. Felix served as a governor in the region of Judea for two years. Felix was awful. He didn't do a good job.
He was very unfair, and he actually just didn't do a good job of keeping the peace. And so the Emperor replaces Felix with Festus after two years, and that's what happens, and Festus is actually more notable of a person in history. Festus is actually to be more honorable, a little bit more upright, no doubt, not perfectly, we'll certainly see, but at least better than Felix. And now, immediately, Festus arrives, and he goes to visit the kind of the capital area of Jerusalem, because he's now governing Judea. So he goes to Jerusalem, and immediately, when he goes to visit Jerusalem, there's a political problem that he's walking into after two years, the Jews haven't forgot about Paul in prison. They are not only not haven't forgotten about Paul. They have grown in their bitterness of Paul, and their hatred of him has simply increased with the new governor in town, they try to employ the same old scheme that they tried to employ back in chapter 23 let's get Paul moved somewhere so when he is being transferred, we can set up an ambush and kill kill the man. And you remember back in chapter 23 that was the plan, but Paul's nephew overheard the plan and reported that to the guards, and they sent 200 soldiers to transport Paul. But now it's been two years, and they think, let's try it again.
Festus, though he refuses their requests and tells them, You need to come to Caesarea, because that's where Paul's in prison right now. I'm not going to move him. You all though, can come to where he is, and I'll hear your case for you can bring your charges there. So in verse seven, they present many and serious charges, we are told which they could not prove, no evidence, no witnesses, no case.
Paul responds in verse eight, I have done nothing wrong against the law the Jews or the temple or Caesar, and that should be the end of the chapter, right?
That should be the end of it.
Case closed. There's no evidence against the man. He doesn't had done anything wrong. Case closed. That should be it, but verse nine, But Festus wishing to do the Jews a favor.
There it is.
There it is truth losing to the pressure, the fear of man prevailing over the fear of God.
There it is, right there in that verse, you see it happening, Justice bending to politics.
It's upsetting, isn't it?
This isn't right.
That's wrong. Festus, what are you doing? And you think about that, this is an innocent man, and you're causing him to suffer. You think, what should happen to Festus? What should be the consequences to his injustice towards Paul? But I also want us to not so much point our finger only at Festus here at this moment, but to now also start to think about ourselves and to point our finger inward and ask ourselves even ask yourself, have I ever bent the truth to preserve my own comfort.
Have I ever avoided being obedient to God because it kept my life easier?
Have I ever feared people more than I have feared God and doing what is right?
So what we see here is that the problem is not so much out there, but it is in here. It is in our hearts, in here that we prefer more comfort and the smiles of man rather than the smiling face of our Heavenly Father.
Uh.
Now Festus, he asked, Paul, do you wish to go to Jerusalem and there be tried to these charges before, before me. Now, Paul's not going to get a fair hearing, certainly not in Jerusalem. They're going to kill him there, but hoping Paul would somehow consent to appease the Jewish leaders who requested the the transfer. But Paul knows that there's certain death there. And so in verse 12, he says, I appeal to Caesar. And then Festus says, well, to Caesar, you have appealed to Caesar. You shall go. At least Festus is going to get him out of his jurisdiction, maybe get Paul out of his hair and not be a problem anymore. So in some ways, he's happy to grant that request. But Paul's concern here is not really about avoiding death. It isn't simply I don't want to go to Jerusalem because I know I'll die there.
I'll go to Caesar because I think I have better chances there, because the current Caesar, the current emperor of Rome, is a man by the name of Nero, and that might be a familiar name too, because Nero is someone who was renowned for absolutely hating Christians, Nero would cover Christians in tar and set them on fire and place them in his garden so he could walk around at night. He despised Christianity. He despised Christ. He is cruel. He is brutal. Nero isn't a better option for Paul to find justice. There is no more justice with Nero, and things will actually likely get worse for Paul by going to Rome. However, this is exactly where God is taking him to go.
God's plan is, in fact folding out perfectly. And Jesus in fact, told Paul this back in chapter 23 where Jesus told Paul, take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.
So what we even see is in the injustice, Paul is still actually being carried perfectly along by God's sovereign plan.
This is also kind of reminded me of the story of Joseph. Remember Joseph? Back in Genesis? Joseph was a real person, real feelings, real emotions, and who also was falsely accused and thrown in the prison and Genesis 41 verse one, it says after two whole years. It's a little line, but we quickly read over that Joseph is sitting in prison for many years.
Two whole years of just waiting, two whole years of things not making any sense whatsoever to Joseph, and yet what looked like delay, where is God? Was actually design where Joseph will later say, You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
See, justice does fail here in this world, but God does not.
When we see or even, sadly, even experience injustice in our lives. We're tempted to think it's just out of control down here. God doesn't care anymore, but it's not out of control, and he does care. God is still reigning. He is still ruling, and he is still with his people.
God's plan for Paul to go to Rome is exactly the plan God has for Paul.
Now the scene shifts a little bit. In verse 13, King Agrippa arrives. This is Herod. Agrippa, the second son of Herod, the grippa, the first, you guessed it, who killed the Apostle James? That is his father did. Who killed the Apostle James and tried to do the same thing to Peter? Now, Agrippa and the Herod's, they were somewhat valuable to Nero in the sense that they were seen as Jewish experts of the land.
So often they the the emperors and Caesars, they would get counsel from the Herods because they wanted to make sure that there was peace and not upheaval in Jerusalem. So Herod Agrippa, the second is brought in. Herod arrives with Bernice, who is his sister, but they actually have this incestuous relationship together. Later, Bernice actually is the mistress of Emperor Titus, who is the one who ends up sacking Jerusalem later, in 70 ad Festus.
Discusses the case with Agrippa, because he admittedly says, I don't know how to handle this case. These are theological charges. If I send Paul to Rome and the Emperor sees that there's no case here. Well now, then the possibility is it could backfire. The Emperor is going to get upset at me, you're wasting my time, and that could be off with my head. Agrippa helped me. I want to get rid of Paul, but I don't know what to say. Help me figure this out.
That's what's happening here.
Thus this explains the case to Agrippa. And notice how he summarizes the case in verse 19, he said certain points of dispute about him, about their own religion, and about a certain Jesus, who is dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive?
The real issue again, and I think we've mentioned this now for at least three, maybe four weeks, the real issue is not political.
The real issue is not civil laws. The real issue at stake is the resurrection.
Is Jesus dead, or is Jesus alive? Is Jesus risen? Indeed?
Because if Jesus is dead, it is pointless.
If Jesus is dead, then Paul and even so are we are to be pitied for believing a liar or a lunatic. That is, that would be Jesus. But if Jesus is ALIVE, He is Lord.
And if he is alive, it validates every claim that Jesus made, to be the Son of God, to be the Messiah. If Jesus is alive, it also means that his very death is sufficient to pardon and pay for all of our sins by faith, be righteous in the sight of God, that if Jesus is alive, it means that all of our fears and all of our lives and all of our disobedience have been washed away and pardoned by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If Jesus is alive also, every authority under heaven and on earth is under him, Festus, Agrippa, even Nero, have to submit to King Jesus.
How is King Jesus advancing his kingdom? How is King Jesus advancing the gospel?
When we read the New Testament and we read this chapter Christians, he is not advancing his kingdom and the Gospel by us wearing the crown, he's not advancing his kingdom through cultural reforms or even through Christian nationalism.
He's doing it through suffering.
He's doing it through chains.
He's doing it through suffering.
He's doing it through tears.
He's doing it through his people who he has called to take up their cross daily and follow Me.
Remember believers. We are not yet home. We are taking up our cross. We are dying to self, but living to Christ, and one day we will have the crown, but not here, not yet.
Paul will even write to the church in Philippi in prison and say, what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. So it has become known through the whole Imperial Guard that my imprisonment is for Christ.
Even if we look back in Acts chapter eight, we see those who were scattered. You remember why they were scattered back in Acts chapter eight, because Stephen died, he was put to death, Deacon Stephen and the church is being greatly persecuted.
And Paul himself is the one persecuting the church, not only taking men but women and children, putting them in prison, and the church is scattered that the gospel might go not only to Jerusalem, but now to the whole world, and eventually even meet a little city named Tampa. You see how God is working through suffering, even when we might not see it at first or recognize it at first.
What we see here in this text, too, is that Paul's chains are not a setback in God's plan.
The injustice that Paul is experiencing is not a setback, but the very means God is using to advance his kingdom, to advance the gospel.
Not only in the world, but also in our own lives. And that's difficult.
That's very difficult, but also recognizing that one day all rights or all wrongs will be made right that's also recognizing that right now for us, the most important thing in our lives is not our liberty.
The most important thing in our lives is not our comfort. The most important thing in our lives is not even having our family around. The most important thing is Christ.
Paul says everything is rubbish compared to knowing Christ, and if it means I know Christ more by suffering, then Lord, so be it. If it means that the world knows Christ more through suffering, then Lord, so be it.
Let your will be done. Do you remember the the first question in the Heidelberg Catechism, it says, What is your only comfort in life and in death? Do you remember it says my my only comfort in life and in death is I be relatively comfortable and I have enough money for retirement that I have my family around me, and I've used my life to contribute to the world.
Is that what it says, it says, My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but I belong, body and soul in life and in death to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ, who has fully paid for all of my sins with his precious blood.
He that delivered me from the tyranny of the devil, he also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven. In fact, all things must work together for my salvation, because I belong to him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him that's our prayer Lord. Help us to not grow bitter in this life.
Help us not to grow anxious in this life, to not be afraid in this life, but make us faithful.
Let us love Christ. Let us see the beauty and glory of Christ to know that he has purchased me, that I belong to Him, His precious blood has been spilt for me, and that not a hair will fall from my head apart from your will. And it is here now because of Paul, because of prison and chains, Paul is has the ability to stand before kings and rulers to present the gospel Agrippa. He hears from Festus about Paul, and he says, I would like to hear the man myself. And Festus replies, you'll hear him tomorrow. So Agrippa isn't just giving the advice. He wants to actually judge the case, and that's actually what we'll see in chapter 26 chapter 25 is a little bit of a preview setting the stage for chapter 26 and guess what? You'll get to hear another trial next week of Paul in chapter 26 verse 23 we have this interesting contrast of Agrippa and Bernice. They enter the into the audience Paul to hear Paul, and they enter with this pomp and circumstance. They enter with wealth and military power on display. Important people are with them, but behind them, behind the appearance. They are.
They are corrupt. They are, they're incestuous. They are filled with lust. There's worldliness. They look impressive. They are spiritually bankrupt. And that is the world. And then enters Paul alone, no pomp, no circumstance, apparently looks powerless, just a man in chains. Yet this man is filled with the Holy Spirit.
This man has the very grace of God poured out upon him.
He is the very ambassador of the King of kings and the Lord of lords who reigns and who is sitting, seating on an Eternal Throne. And that's also a picture of us weak. They are nothing but boasting and the power of our King.
Verse 25 Festus admits he has done nothing deserving death, no case, no reason for Paul to be here. Justice again has clearly and publicly failed again. This should sound familiar, an innocent man declared innocent, and yet still condemned to die because leaders feared people more than truth, Pilate said, of Jesus, I find no fault in him, yet Pilate still handed Jesus over to die, and yet, as you know.
It was not a failure of God's plan. When injustice happened, the greatest injustice happened.
It was the center of God's plan.
Because through that greatest injustice ever committed, our salvation was accomplished.
Jesus, the innocent one, stands in our place the guilty.
Romans, five says, But God demonstrates His own love for us in this why we were yet sinners.
Christ died for us.
Have you trusted in Jesus, who was condemned in your place, who atoned for your sins? He is coming again, and he will judge with perfect justice the living and the dead. If you're not in Christ, you will not stand, and your only hope of life and not allowing the hammer of justice to fall down upon you is to find yourself resting in Christ by faith. You know, Acts 25 here it ends, and it really doesn't resolve nice or neat for us in any way.
There's no verdict, even given you have to wait for next week.
You could read ahead, you could there's no release. There's no justice here. He should have been let go. Paul's still in chains. So again, what do we do in these moments?
Do we trust in the risen and reigning Jesus who loves us with such great love, even when his plans do not make sense to us?
Why keep Paul in prison here? I mean, couldn't Paul have been very effective if he was released and started other churches, or even went down further into Africa. I mean, here you have one of the greatest preachers of all time, and God has him locked in a prison. It doesn't make sense.
Why another trial? Why another sermon about another trial next week? Why haven't we heard this enough?
Why Nero?
You see, God is indeed powerfully preserving and governing all things, working out his purposes in history, often doing his greatest work in places we would not choose to go on our own, in ways we would want to avoid at every cost.
And he's saving people that we would not save.
That's that's us praise the Lord that he works in ways that we would not choose or we would not have pit we are the result of it. Who is save a people for Himself.
Justice might fail in this world, and it certainly does, but your life take comfort is not ultimately in the hands of broken and fading systems of this world.
Your life is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those are the best hands to be found there.
He is not confused. He is not absent, and neither is he late.
Jesus is reigning. Jesus is with his people, and he is writing a better ending to our story that we can currently see or imagine.
And it probably won't be until heaven, where we can look back and see that makes sense.
We thank God that he's in control and reigning Lord help us. Grant us faith to rest in Christ and to trust him. Let's pray our Heavenly Father. We thank You that You are God and that we are not Lord. We do confess so often. We want to be God. We want to have control. We want to understand your ways.
Lord, we sometimes have to take comfort in recognizing who you are, that you are the creator, even as your answers to job were questions, back of job? Were you there when, when the world was created? Did you give the horse its power?
And Lord, we know that injustice is wrong. Lord, you've made us in your image to know that there is injustice in the world, and we hate it, and it is not right.
It shouldn't be and Lord, and it will be in just a little bit longer, we don't know when there will be perfect justice and everything that is wrong will be made right.
And Lord, we not only pray for justice, but we also plead for mercy. We pray not only for mercy in our own hearts.
In our own lives, but for our enemies, even as Jesus would on the cross, say, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do, Lord, we ask that you will forgive our enemies, even in injustice, would we thank you that Jesus has loved us why we were yet sinners and died for us.
Pour out Your mercy upon your people, and it's in Jesus's name we pray amen.