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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.”
“I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.”
When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I 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.”
“I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
Acts 25:13-22
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
“You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” Acts 25:12
This declaration from the Roman governor Festus was a firm reaction to Paul’s appeal to have his case heard by the highest power in authority over the Roman Empire.
Paul wasn’t about to go back to Jerusalem to face the Sanhedrin for yet a third time, whether Festus presided over the hearing or Ananias, the high priest leading the prestigious Jewish council. He was tired and fed up of being held captive by Roman authorities, whether the Roman commander in Jerusalem or the two Roman governors in Caesarea, first Felix and then Festus.
And so for Paul, it would be onto Rome for an audience with Caesar. Or at least, that’s what he thought would happen.
Unfortunately, that plan ended up on hold after Festus received a visit from King Agrippa and his wife Bernice who came to spend “many days” to “pay their respects”. During the visit, the scriptures show us that Paul became a topic of discussion.
Now, before we get into that conversation, it’s important to cover some background information on the visiting King.
Agrippa is referred to today in history circles as King Agrippa II, the last line of rulers in the Herodian line which had left an indelible mark on biblical history in at least two ways.
It started of course with none other than Herod the Great. You remember him, right?
He was the Roman king in Judea and based in Jerusalem when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. After a visit from the Magi who asked where they could find the “King of the Jews”, you’ll recall that Herod, feigning interest in worshiping the baby Jesus himself, asked for the Magi to return and give him Jesus’ location. But the Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and so they returned home by a different route after finding Jesus, worshiping Him, and giving Him gifts.
Herod, enraged by being outwitted by the Magi, ordered that all boys in Bethlehem two years of age and under be killed but thankfully, Joseph had been warned himself by an angel to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape the murderous scheme.
And so early on, we see signs of evil and madness within the ranks of the Herodian rule.
In 4BC, Herod the Great died and the kingdom was divided up among his sons who each became tetrarchs. One of those sons, Herod Antipas was placed in rule over the region of Galilee and the east bank of the Jordan River.
Go back to the life of John the Baptist and you’ll remember how he railed against Herod because he married his brother Philip’s wife, a woman by the name of Herodias. Herod had Paul arrested for him calling out the obvious adultery and while in custody, you’ll remember how Herodias used her daughter to trick Herod into promising to give her what she wanted before being told to bring the head of John on a platter. Unwilling to break his word, Herod had Paul beheaded and when Jesus emerged on the ministry scene, Herod actually believed he was John the Baptist reincarnated. Of course, he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Now, fast forward to the final King in the line of Herod the Great, Agrippa II. You’ll be interested to know if you don’t already that his wife Bernice, well that was his sister as was the wife of Festus. So the visit to Caesarea was a real family affair as the incestuous royal couple visited their sister and her Roman governor husband.
And you thought situations you see today in the world are unbelievable.
Back to the scriptures now where Festus briefs Agrippa on the matter with Paul, saying:
“There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.”
“I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.”
“When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I 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.”
“I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
It was a pretty comprehensive breakdown on where things were and it contained the following important points:
1. Festus inherited the mess from Felix who left Paul there as a prisoner. We know that Felix held Paul against his will for more than two years.
2. Paul was being accused by the Jewish chief priests and elders in Jerusalem who had “brought charges against him” and “asked that he be condemned.”
3. Roman customs prevented Paul from being handed over to his accusers before he had a fair trial with a chance to provide self defense against the allegations brought against them.
4. Festus followed Roman custom and “convened the court the next day”, ordering Paul “to be brought in.”
5. The charges levied by the Jewish religious authorities had nothing to do with any crime but rather religious “points of dispute” between what the Jews believed and what Paul did regarding his belief in Jesus who wasn’t dead as the Jewish leaders wished everyone to believe but was very much alive and well.
6. Since there was no violation of Roman law involved, Festus “was at a loss how to investigate such matters” and so he asked Paul if he “would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.” Of interest, Festus failed to mention that he knew the Jews were interested in killing Paul and getting rid of him for good.
7. Paul rejected Festus’ offer and instead “made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision” and so Festus “ordered him held” until he could be sent “to Caesar.”
It was a good breakdown of how things got to the present state of things and Festus’ words sparked the visiting king’s curiosity for we read where Agrippa says:
“I would like to hear this man myself.”
And with that, Festus promised that the king would meet with Paul the following day.
Paul sought to appeal to a higher power and he would get his wish. It just wouldn’t be Caesar, at least yet. Tomorrow we’ll see what happens when he has an audience with Agrippa II.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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