Day 288: Acts 25:13–22

Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him” (v. 22).

Acts 25 begins with the arrival of a new leader of the province. Festus replaced Felix, but Paul remained in prison. The Jewish leaders immediately appealed to the new governor to have Paul returned to Jerusalem for trial. Though two years had passed, and they were either very hungry or had abandoned their vow not to eat until Paul was dead, they still harbored such hatred of the apostle that they could think only of killing him. Rather than be returned to Jerusalem, Paul appealed to Caesar. Why he did remains a mystery.

After Festus heard Paul’s defense, he said in effect, “I would turn him loose, but since he appealed to Caesar, I send him to Rome as a prisoner.” We cannot judge from the words of Festus whether Paul might have been freed. What we do know is that the apostle is about to travel to Rome at last, but first he has one more chance to present the gospel.

King Agrippa and his wife Bernice came to Caesarea to pay respects to the new governor. Festus told them about Paul, and they decided to hear from the apostle. As Paul had done with Felix and Drusilla, he preached to the new trio. Festus’s response contains a fascinating statement. He “was at a loss how to investigate” Paul’s claims that a dead man named Jesus was alive (Acts 25:20).

I remember sharing with a loved one how I know Christ is alive. He said, “I believe in reincarnation,” and, “I believe a spiritual presence exists rather than a certain God.” He continued by repeating the words “I believe” over and over. Suddenly God gave me such a strange insight, and I was overwhelmed at the difference between my loved one and me. He believed the things he had been taught through New Age philosophy. I didn’t just believe. I knew. I gently said to him, “My God is not just Someone I believe in. He’s Someone I know. I’ve felt His presence. I’ve seen His activity. I’ve experienced His deliverance. I’ve been touched by His healing. I’ve witnessed answered prayer. I’ve ‘heard’ Him speak straight to me through His Word. Yes, I believe. But more than that, I know.”

My loved one said nothing more, but I knew he heard my heart. Dead prophets simply don’t save, guide, heal, deliver, answer prayers, or speak through an ancient text with the relevance of this morning’s newspaper.