BECAUSE OF MY HOPE

Acts 26:1-32

Key Verse 26:6

And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today.

The previous two Sundays we heard messages about the resurrection. We heard a message about the day God raised Jesus from the dead. Last week in Ezekiel 37, we saw God’s power and promise to raise the dead that he showed Ezekiel. A valley of dry, hopeless bones, were brought to life and became a vast army of God. We will continue on this subject today, focusing on verse 6, to see the difference that the hope of resurrection makes in the life of a Christian through the life testimony of the Apostle Paul.

Today’s passage is Paul’s testimony about the hope of resurrection that God has promised in Jesus Christ. His testimony reveals Jesus’ vision for all people to have the sure hope of resurrection and life in his name through faith in him. 

1. Paul’s Hope (1-8)

In this passage Paul is on trial. Who is Paul? This is the Apostle Paul. We’ve just read his life testimony in the passage. Growing up he looked like a noble and great and godly man. But he became a very terrible and violent man and an enemy of God. After meeting the Risen Jesus, he became a full time, tent-making missionary and he pioneered most of the non-Jewish churches in the known world at that time. This trial takes place at the end of his 3^rd missionary journey. 

Why was he on trial? Look at verse 1. “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’ So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense…”

This was now Paul’s fifth time to stand on trial and give his defense. A little more than two years prior he had been arrested by the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem and then handed over to the Roman authorities, because only the Roman authorities could give the death penalty. In each case, Paul was not proven guilty of any charges, but could have been set free. But instead the authorities played politics and kept passing Paul around. Paul used this as an opportunity to appeal to Caesar’s court and secure a way to Rome, because Jesus told him that he must testify there as well. Now Paul stood before King Agrippa because they didn’t know what to write for his charges. Paul utilized each trial to testify to Jesus and his hope in the resurrection. 

Paul felt fortunate to stand before King Agrippa this time. Agrippa was known to be a type of Bible scholar. Paul here admits that he knew Agrippa was “well acquainted with all of the Jewish customs and controversies” (2). In fact, he was so familiar with Jewish customs that Rome had appointed him in charge of the Temple in Jerusalem; he had the authority to appoint high priests and control the treasury. 

Paul began by sharing about his background, in verses 4-5, which must have been very impressive to Agrippa. Let’s look at verses 4-5. “4The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.” Since Paul was a child, he lived to be a Pharisee. In one of his earlier defenses, he states that his father was also a Pharisee (Acts 23:6). 

“According to the strictest sect.” The Pharisees didn’t allow for loose interpretations or deviations in the law and the practice of the law. He knew all 613 laws. He memorized the Scriptures from boyhood, including the first five books of the Bible. James Hopeman is famous for having memorized John’s gospel. But Paul had memorized much of the Old Testament while he was a young man. He was not just knowledgeable, but famous in keeping the laws with great zeal as well. He was famous for being the “strictest of the strictest.” He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. It meant that Paul really knew the Scriptures and did not have a reputation of deviating from them. He was the epitome of what it meant to be Jewish. And all other Jews could testify to this, for he says repeatedly, “They all know,” and “They know [the way I have lived]…”. 

In one sense, Paul was appealing to Agrippa and getting his earnest attention. Paul was the kind of person Agrippa was curious to listen to and talk to. He is also showing something very important about his hope. To Paul, it was the very reason why he was on trial that day. 

Look at verses 6-7. “6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me.”

To Paul, he was not on trial because of others jealousy, rivalry, ignorance, or malice. He was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t defend against false accusations. He was on trial because of his hope in what God has promised. 

What was his hope? It was something very specific. Look at verse 8: “Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?” His hope was in the resurrection of the dead. And this hope was from God, which his background shows. The Jewish people were serving God in hopes of his promise even in that day. He didn’t need to spell it out because Agrippa was already familiar with it. But in the previous chapters he names this hope clearly in his defenses: “6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead’” (23:6; 24:21). 

This hope is sure because it is based on God’s promise. There are lots of hopes out there today that people live for. There is Obama hope. One actor put his career on hiatus to work for Obama. There are a lot of deceptive and subtle promises out there that give people a false hope which they labor and live by. Political hopes. Financial hopes. Self-help. Romantic hopes. Why do the majority of college students go to college in the first place and then labor intensively for 4, 5, or maybe 6 years? It is because they believe they can have a better life, do something meaningful and be happy. All of these things promise happiness and so produce a hope in people. But there's no guarantee whatsoever that romance will bring that happiness, etc. And even if it does bring that happiness, it lasts only for a short time (that could mean 2 days, 2 weeks, or even your lifetime). But there is no hope at death. All hope vanishes at a funeral. But God has given us a living hope. It is the hope of resurrection in Jesus Christ. It is a hope that does not spoil, perish, or fade. And no one can take it away from us. Because of this hope, Paul was willing to be in chains. He was willing to stand trial in court before governors, kings, angry mobs, and religious leaders. Because of his hope, he left the life of a Pharisee to be a servant of Jesus as a missionary and Bible teacher. Because of his hope he struggled everyday to live by faith in Jesus and live a holy and pure life. This hope changed Paul’s life. To see this hope fulfilled in his life was more important than all the worldly freedom, honors, riches, and happiness. 

But how did this hope get Paul into prison? Today we're not put on trial because of our hope in the resurrection of the dead. Such a thing sounds really intense and possibly scary. But I do believe that in our day we face more intense trials and that on a more regular basis than what the Apostle Paul faced. We are constantly called to trial to give an answer for who we are and what we believe in--that is, for our hope in Jesus. These trials may appear more subtly, such as being questioned by a classmate or coworker. Peer pressure is strong. It's more intimidating than standing before a judge and jury. Are we ready to give the testimony of the hope God has promised? Do we give the testimony of Jesus' vision for this world? Is our hope in Christ guiding our lives and bearing fruit through our lives, so that we can say, "I am here today because of my hope in what God has promised. I live as a servant of Jesus because of my hope in what God has promised. I live by faith in Jesus and struggle to live a holy and pure life because of my hope in what God has promised. I willingly participate in the sufferings of Christ because of my hope in what God has promised." 

Paul gave a solid beginning to his defense. If you wanted to put Paul on trial for his hope, then you would have to put all the Jewish people as well as the Scriptures, and even God himself on trial. 

2. Jesus’ Revelation (9-18)

If Paul is right, then why did the Jews put Paul on trial? In verses 9-11, Paul shares also that he too did what they are doing. Let’s look at verses 9-11. “9I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.” Paul was not only a Jew of Jews, but he graduated to be a chief persecutor as well. He had opposed Jesus’ name more than the current Jews. In verse 9 he says that he was “convinced he ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus,” and became obsessed and probably possessed. 

But something happened that made him change his ways. Let’s look at verses 12-15. “12On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.”

The Lord Jesus appeared to Paul. Paul was so bad and so good at persecuting that Jesus himself stepped in to stop Paul personally. 

Let’s look at what Jesus said to Paul. First, he said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Jesus knew Paul by name. He was called Saul at that time. Saul thought he was persecuting people, but he was really persecuting the Lord. Jesus identifies believers with himself. What is done to them is done to him. What a shock for Paul. Paul thought that he was serving God with great zeal and full knowledge and conviction. But when he met the Lord, he didn’t even know who the Lord was. In fact, he was persecuting the Lord himself. 

Second, Jesus said, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad is a tool to prod cattle. Today we use electric prodding tools. Paul was like a rebellious ox kicking against the goads. He was violently going against God’s leading.

Third, Jesus revealed himself as the Lord. Paul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The Lord revealed himself as Jesus and said again, “whom you are persecuting.” Jesus didn’t treat Paul the way Paul had treated Jesus. Jesus showed Paul such grace and revealed himself as the Lord. This was a truly amazing revelation from Jesus. It meant that Jesus is alive! Paul thought that Jesus was dead, but Jesus is alive! It meant that the hope Paul knew God had promised his people, the hope of resurrection, is fulfilled in Jesus who is the promised Christ and Savior. The very one whom Paul was persecuting is the one the hope of God is fulfilled in. 

Paul had been way off, but now Jesus, purely in his grace, was setting him in the right direction. Let’s look at verses 16-18. “16Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

Jesus appeared to Paul to appoint him as his servant and witness of the Risen Jesus. He promised to rescue Paul from his own people and from the Gentiles. Jesus was sending him on a mission to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus. In this commission, Jesus shares his vision for all people. Jesus sees that their eyes are closed, that they are in darkness and under the power of Satan. 

This week the acting CFO of Freddie Mac committed suicide. Despite having a nice family and lots of money and success, the financial stress of the economy and the stress of being closely observed at work was too much for him. Under the power of the devil he took his own life. And the number of murder-suicides is increasing each month as the economy tightens. 

In Paul’s day it was the same. Although King Agrippa knew so much about the Scriptures, he didn’t turn to God by faith. He lived for political power and recognition. His father was the Herod who killed the Apostle James, the first martyr. His great-grandfather was the Herod who killed the babies of Bethlehem when Jesus was 2 years old. Jesus appointed Paul to stand before people like Agrippa and testify to them. And that is what Paul is doing. Rather than trying to save himself, he is trying to save Agrippa with his testimony. And Jesus continues to appoint and send out his servants to testify to the hope of life found in him. Jesus’ vision is that all people would have opened eyes, be in the light and under the power of God, set free from darkness and Satan. We should not be deceived into thinking we or other people are “okay” because of their outward disposition. It’s a common response for rejecting Bible study at the campus. Students often say, “No. I’m okay.” Paul looked the best, but he was persecuting the Lord himself. Jesus has a great hope and vision for all people. He wants them to be forgiven of their sins and receive a place among those sanctified by faith in him. It means, he wants us to live a new life as children of God and inherit the kingdom of God together with him which is available through faith in him because he died for our sins and was raised to life to give us eternal life in the kingdom of God. 

3. Paul’s Response to the Vision (19-23)

How did Paul respond to this vision? Look at verses 19-23. “19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles." 

Paul says that he was “not disobedient.” He didn’t say, “I was obedient.” In saying, “I was not disobedient” means that he humbled himself before the Lord and stopped kicking against the goads. He probably had that picture in his mind. He accepted God’s way and didn’t disobey. He didn’t need prodding anymore. He also didn’t hide in his shame. He accepted the Lord’s grace and calling. 

So what did he do? He preached repentance. Why repentance? How is repentance related to the hope of resurrection? It is related because we have to turn to God who gives us life in Jesus by faith. And to turn to God means that we have turn from our sin. Now, we can’t do this just with words or feelings. Our actions have to prove that our repentance is genuine. The life that God gives is genuine and is not compatible with the life of sin, which leads to death. 

Paul says that this is why the Jews seized him and wanted to kill him. They didn’t want to repent. And they definitely didn’t want the Gentiles to repent. Their response is the natural response when preaching repentance. And it is scary for many servants of God. The word repent immediately brings insult and injury. If you tell someone to repent, they might say, “No! You repent!” Or, “Who are you to tell me to repent?” Or, “I don’t need to repent. I’m a good person.” Jesus preached repentance and the people shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” And he is the Lord! But did their backlash stop Paul? No. Paul was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. He had a sure hope in Jesus Christ and he accepted Jesus’ vision for all the people of this world which extended even to a persecutor like Paul. How could Paul endure being persecuted and in chains? God helped Paul just as he promised, and Paul took advantage of God’s help to keep on testifying to Jesus, preaching repentance and teaching the Bible. He could endure because of his hope in the resurrection. He believed God and didn’t fear death, but was sure of life in Jesus. Then, as God helped him, he learned the meaning of resurrection faith and hope in his daily life as he served Jesus’ calling. By faith in Jesus, he now had a clear testimony about his life. He knew and believed the hope God has promised rightly in Jesus Christ. He was a sinner, but he received grace and calling from Jesus. He saw a vision for all people to receive Jesus’ grace and calling and hope of resurrection. 

What should our response to the vision from heaven be? What are we doing with the hope that God has promised? At the very least, we should have a clear conscience to confess as Paul did, “So then, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” Some people throw the hope of away or speak of it casually. Some hide it. Others ignore. And there are others who are like Paul. The state of our nation, the world economy, and especially the hearts of young people do not look promising. And that’s right. But Jesus has a vision that they would all turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. May God help us to accept Jesus’ vision by faith and testify to this hope of life in him and preach repentance with boldness, courage, and self-denial. There are people who will listen. That is why Jesus sends us out. And even if no one listens, Jesus wants them to hear your testimony. It is difficult to be obedient to Jesus’ vision and disobedient to the ways of this world and our own desires in our heart. But when we believe in the hope that God has promised in Jesus Christ, God will help us to endure. If anyone is interested in receiving training to serve the Lord’s vision, the Lord has appointed William Larsen to help you this summer. Please contact him.

4. Paul’s Prayer (24-32)

Look at verse 24. “At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane.’” Governor Festus also didn’t like to hear the call to repent, so he interrupted Paul and called him insane. But Paul kept his sights on his target, Agrippa, and said in verses 25-27, “25’I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’” But Agrippa was not willing to accept the testimony of Jesus. Instead he said, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (28). He thought that someone like him needed much more time to be persuaded to become a Christian. 

How did Paul respond? Look at verse 29. “Paul replied, ‘Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’" Paul’s prayer was that Agrippa and all who were listening to him would become like him, that is, to see the vision Jesus shared with Paul be true in their lives. 

 

Verses 30-32 tell us that the politicians’ conclusion was that Paul was innocent, but he had to go to Rome anyway because he appealed to Caesar. The only Paul proved he was guilty of was obeying God and accepting his promise of resurrection. Even though Paul didn’t persuade them to become a Christian that day, thank God for using him as his servant to testify to the hope in Jesus. 

Paul’s prayer is a model prayer for all Christians in serving the Lord’s calling and vision. It is difficult to serve someone for a long time. We hope that everyone we serve would turn to Jesus in a short time. But we shouldn’t give up on quickly on people like Agrippa who don’t accept our testimony so quickly or demand from them unnecessarily. Some may take years. But we do need to keep Jesus’ vision as our vision and pray accordingly. 

We thank God for giving us his vision through Paul’s testimony. We thank God for calling us to live for and testify to this hope, even to stand trial for this hope. May God help us to pray for the campuses according to Jesus’ vision.

One Word: God has promised the hope of resurrection in Jesus