JESUS, WHO IS ALIVE
ACTS 25:19
ACTS 25:19 NKJ
19 but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
OBSERVATION:
Festus, a Roman governor, was trying to make sense of why the Jews wanted Paul dead. Even after Paul had been kept under house arrest for a couple of years, the Jews had not let the issue rest. They were even consenting to a group of men willing to ambush Paul and kill him. By the way, this would not have been shedding innocent blood.
So, the Jewish rulers came and presented their case but could not prove anything. But one thing Festus took away from this confrontation was the fact that Paul affirmed Jesus to be alive. The Jews said he had died, but Paul had a different story.
A big part of Paul's message was that God had raised Jesus from the dead. This was the critical point that all of our Christian faith rests upon. Jesus was dead, but He has been raised from the dead, never to die again.
No other world religion offers this confidence. These other religions may offer their own philosophies and standards of living. But none can put forward a leader who has died and been raised from the dead.
What was merely a side note to the Roman ruler Festus is the pivot point of Christianity and the hope of all mankind.
APPLICATION:
We must never lose sight of the fact that our "religion" is based on a miracle. Based on Jesus being raised from the dead.
When people want to group all religions together, declaring there are many paths to God and what makes our beliefs different. We can boldly answer that our beliefs are based on a risen Savior and that faith sets us apart.
The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead to make us right in His sight is so much more powerful than any other religion. World religions focus on man's efforts to be right. Christianity rests on God's grace and His power to save all who simply believe.
The simplicity of Christianity is beautiful. Some have said this Jesus died. But we affirm that He is alive. And thus, so are we!
PRAYER:
Jesus, You are Lord and alive forevermore. My hope and trust are in You.