Ok, “There were two Jews, a governor, and a king.” Now, that might sound like the opening line of a joke, but it’s not. Instead, it’s the title of our sermon today: “Two Jews, a Governor, and a King.”
In today’s passage, we’ll see a gathering with Governor Festus, King Agrippa, his sister Bernice (who was Jewish), and the Apostle Paul (who was also Jewish).
In this gathering, Paul will have an opportunity to further explain his innocence and further explain the gospel of Jesus Christ; two things that he had been doing a lot lately in the Book of Acts.
Before we dive into this passage, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Ok, let’s look at Acts, chapters 25 and 26, breaking it down into three sections.
First, we see . . .
I. No fuss from Festus.
You may think, “Who’s Festus? I thought the governor’s name was Felix.” Well, let’s see what’s going on. Look at your Bible with me.
Look at 25:1-12:
25:1 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, 3 asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. 4 Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”
6 When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove. 8 Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”
10 Paul replied, “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. 11 If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
There is no fuss from Festus. That is to say, Festus is not angry at Paul. He doesn’t think Paul necessarily broke any laws. He wants to move this process along.
Notice that Festus is trying to find the path of least resistance to take care of this situation. Not only does Festus not make a fuss, he doesn’t want anyone else to make a fuss.
We see in verses 3 and 4 that some Jews wanted Paul to be brought to Jerusalem (in order to try and kill him again). However, Festus decided to make it easier by visiting Paul in Caesarea since Festus would be back there soon anyhow.
Then, we see while Festus was with Paul in Caesarea, he checked with Paul to see if he was willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial.
If Paul didn’t mind, then the Jews would be happy also. See, no fuss?
However, Paul didn’t want to go to Jerusalem again. After all, that was the wrong direction. Paul is trying to make his way to Rome.
So, what does Paul do? He appeals to Caesar.
This is a win-win for Paul and Festus.
You see, Paul wanted to go to Rome, and as he got closer to Caesar, he got closer to Rome.
Also, Festus didn’t want a fuss, so he gets to send Paul to a higher authority than him.
So, we see no fuss from Festus.
Next, we see that . . .
II. Agrippa does not find it gripping.
Ok, let’s read this next section. Look at 25:13-26:31:
25:13 Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. 14 Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned. 16 I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges. 17 So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. 19 Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. 20 Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.
23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. 25 I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”
26:1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors, 7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. 8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12 “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place—23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”
25 But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment. 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”
29 “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”
30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31 and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
Ok, we’re going to see two truths here. (1) Agrippa does not find the evidence gripping that Paul is guilty, and (2) Agrippa is not convinced by the truth of the gospel. He doesn’t find it gripping.
We learn here that Festus was in a tough spot because he was preparing to send Paul to the emperor, yet he didn’t know exactly which law Paul broke.
So, Festus came up with an idea.
Agrippa, the King of Judah, and his sister Bernice would be passing through Caesarea.
As with Festus, Agrippa was also under the rule of the emperor.
As with Festus, Agrippa was also accustomed to legal issues.
So, perhaps Agrippa could help Festus think through this tricky situation.
However, as has been noted, as with Festus, Agrippa was also not convinced that Paul had done anything wrong.
In fact, notice what Agrippa said in 26:11. He says, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
So, Agrippa found no convincing or gripping evidence that Paul was guilty.
We learn also, though, that Agrippa found no convincing or gripping evidence that the gospel of Jesus Christ was true.
Paul was preaching his heart out, then pleading with Agrippa to believe, but here is what Agrippa said (look at verse 28 of chapter 26): “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”
You see, brothers and sisters, as much as Paul was pleading his heart out, sometimes the blind spiritual eyes don’t see, and the deaf spiritual ears don’t hear. Only God can truly open us up to receive the truth of the gospel.
So, Agrippa does not find it gripping.
Finally, we see that . . .
III. It will cease with Caesar.
Festus found no guilt in Paul. Agrippa found no guilt in Paul.
In fact, we see that Agrippa said in the concluding verse of our passage today, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
However, the situation would not end here with Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice. The situation would not cease with them.
Paul had appealed to Caesar, so as far as they were concerned, it would end with Caesar. It would cease with Caesar.
Remember, Paul felt that God was leading him to Rome. He was determined to go to Rome. Well, where did Caesar reside? Of course, in Rome.
Well, we’ll have to see what happens next time.
For now, let us discover this bottom line:
Bottom Line: Paul sought to make the truth known.
First of all, Paul sought to make the truth known in terms of the truthfulness of the actual information that was being shared.
Listen, church: There’s a lot of non-truths being shared in our world, right?
Our culture is full of misinformation, half-truths, gossip, slander, and outright lies.
Followers of Jesus out to be people of the truth.
We ought not to want to be like those in this passage who were spreading lies. We ought to aspire to be like Paul, who stood on his integrity and the truth, even in the face of intense pressure.
So, first, let us be people of the truth, just generally speaking.
Also, like Paul, we ought to be people who are unashamed of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember, Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
We see in this passage that Paul was willing to stand on the truth that Jesus saves sinners.
Festus said to Paul in Acts 26:24, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”
However, as Paul replied, he was not out of his mind. Rather, he was passionate about the truth.
Paul was so passionate about the gospel that he boldly said to Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus in verse 29, “I wish before God . . . that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”
What conviction and devotion to the truth of the gospel.
What about you? Are you passionate about the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Are you willing to look foolish in front of others? Are you willing to be imprisoned? Are you willing to stand on and proclaim the truth that Jesus saves sinners?
Challenge yourself this week in these two ways:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Seek to be a person of truth.
Pray for boldness. Seek to understand the truth of God more. Seek to own it as your own more.
Also, seek to be known as someone who stands for the truth.
In a culture of lies, seek to be someone who is of the truth.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Seek to share truth.
Don’t keep the truth to yourself; share it with others.
Be so committed to sharing the truth that you’re willing to be in chains as Paul was.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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