4/18/10 Acts 26
My Hope
Again Paul gives his defense this time in the auditorium at Caesarea before a great number of prominent and leading men of the city. His primary defense will be to King Agrippa who was of Jewish royalty and an expert in Jewish customs and questions. Paul regards himself a fortunate for the opportunity to stand before King Agrippa and give a defense of the accusations that have been presented by the Jews. Paul understands that he has an opportunity to finally give a defense to someone who as a background and an adequate knowledge of Jewish culture and religious life.
Paul asks that King Agrippa be patient with him as he begins his defense. Paul begins by recounting his younger days where he grew up and his religious affiliation. His religious upbringing was of the strictest group of the Pharisees, who believed contrary to the Sadducees, in the resurrection of the dead. Paul states now how he is on trial for the very thing that he believed as a Pharisee. Paul refers to the belief in the resurrection of the dead as “my hope.” Paul believes that the promise of God to the Jewish patriarchs and the twelve tribes is the resurrection of the dead. Paul tells King Agrippa that this is what he is standing trial for and asks is this so incredible if a large group of Jews believe God raises the dead, then why am I any different?
Paul then goes on to describe his conversion experience on the way to Damascus and then his mission of telling people in Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea, and even the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God. Paul says that he is standing on trial because of fulfilling his heavenly assignment and was nearly put to death by the Jews. Now because of God’s help and protection he stands before this great assembly telling them exactly was proclaimed by the Prophets and Moses; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. This is Paul’s hope and assignment for which he is on trial.
What is your hope today? Is your hope, or confident expectation, upon Jesus the Christ being raised from the dead? Apart from trusting in him and believing in him you have no hope.
(1 Co 15:20) 20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
(Col 1:18)18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
If Jesus has not been raised from the dead then we have no hope of life eternal and should just live our lives completely centered upon ourselves because this life is all we have. But Jesus has been raised from the dead and we should live our lives where Jesus has the first place in everything. He is alive today and therefore we the promise and hope that we also can live forever with Him. In order to receive eternal life Jesus says that we must repent and turn from our sins and confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God did raise Jesus from the dead (Rom 10:9-10).
Prayer: Father You have raised Jesus from the dead after he suffered for the sins of mankind. He willingly and obediently when to the cross to take my place and was forsaken by you the penalty I deserved for my sins. Oh, how I praise you. Oh, how I thank you. You word is sure and your promises are faithful and my hope rests completely upon Jesus. He satisfied your holy requirement and overcame death and although I cannot, I trust Jesus to do for me what I cannot do for myself and based on your word and promises within, I am confident of life eternal solely based on Jesus person and work, in His name. Amen.
Life with Christ is an endless hope; without Him a hopeless end.—Unknown
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
in ev’ry high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found,
dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand—
all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.