The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 25:18-19, “When his [Paul’s] accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I [Governor Festus] had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” When King Agrippa and Bernice came to call on the newly appointed governor, Festus, to pay their respects, Festus told Agrippa about Paul’s case. In his summary of it he observed that the nature of it was a dispute among the Jews of their religion and “about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” The dead man Jesus is alive! The world wants nothing to do with a dead man who is alive. If Jesus foretold his death and resurrection and if he did actually die and rise to life as he said he would, then all he taught is authenticated. It would mean that God’s coming judgment for sin is certain! For those who prefer to stay in the darkness because of their evil deeds, the resurrection of Jesus portends the certainty of a horrific future. On the other hand, for those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, his resurrection provides us every certainty of our own resurrection to a new life spent with God- in an eternity devoid of sin, sorrow, suffering and pain. Beyond the absence of these things is the promise of eternal pleasures, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11b. This is certainly an exciting hope we have! But for the unbelieving Jews, the awareness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was something that had to be eradicated from the nation. Paul explains why in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16a, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” No wonder they wanted Paul put to death! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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