“Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive.”
Acts 25:19 (NLT)
Festus did not understand the argument between Paul and the Jewish leaders. He expected accusations that made sense in a Roman court, but instead he heard a dispute about religion. They argued about a man named Jesus, who had died, but Paul insisted was alive. Festus may not have understood the Gospel, but he had come close to the heart of the matter.
Jesus died. But believers insist He is alive. Not just that He rose from the grave long ago. Not just that He ascended to heaven and continues his work at the right hand of the Father. Paul’s insistence is deeper than that. Galatians 2:20 tells us that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. We live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved us and gave His life for us.
When we confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, we admitted we could never earn God’s approval. We trusted that the sacrifice of Jesus was enough to restore us to the Father. And now, by the Holy Spirit, the life of Christ is present in His people. We have become a dwelling place, a temple, where the presence of God is fully accessible to all believers. As we draw near to God, He changes what is in us, and the life of Jesus begins to shine through us.
The question for us today is, do we believe what Paul insisted? Are we letting the light of Christ, the life of Christ, and the love of Christ come into us and then flow out of us? If not, it starts with belief that Jesus is alive today and wants to live, shine, and love others through us. Then it flows into surrender, letting go of our life so that the life of Jesus becomes our everything.