What is the Christian hope? Does believing it make a difference?

The Hope

(Acts 23:1-11, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, June 23, 2013)

[23:1] And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” [2] And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. [3] Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” [4] Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?” [5] And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”Paul was a Jew. He could not be called a non-practicing Jew. He had been brought up in the ways of Pharisaic Judaism and had devoted himself to a consistent life in accord with what he understood about God, God's Word, and God's will. That was why he was able to say before the Jewish ruling council in Jerusalem that he had lived his life before God “... in all good conscience up to this day.”

He had been brought before this religious Supreme Court of his day because one of the Roman military officials, the tribune, was trying to understand “the real story” about Paul and those who wanted to kill him. The tribune was unable to examine Paul with torture because Paul was a Roman citizen and had certain rights. He had arranged this other examination in the hope that the religious rulers might uncover the truth about this man who might be a threat to public order.

Almost immediately, the hopelessness of the meeting was evident. The chief priest was very willing to order that Paul be physically abused without cause, the very thing the tribune knew could not be done to this Roman citizen. The interchange that followed might have escalated into a brawl had Paul not given a gentle answer to turn away wrath. As far as was possible, as much as it depended upon him, Paul was attempting to live at peace with all men. This is what he advised others to do and it was how he lived himself. (Romans 12:18)

Peaceful living required submission to lawful authority. As bold as Paul was and as dedicated as he was to following the Lord, Paul was a great example of a Christian leader who was submissive to the governors that God had placed in their various civi1 and religious roles. Even after recognizing Jesus as the Head over His church, Paul still saw the Jewish High Priest as a man worthy of honor according to Exodus 22:28, “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”

[6] Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” [7] And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. [8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. [9] Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” [10] And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.The controversy regarding Paul had the potential to distract everyone from those truths that matter the most. Enemies of Paul's mission to the Gentiles had formed a coalition that was dedicated first and foremost to the ceremonies of Judaism as a way of life. When they tried to expand that coalition to gather more people who would stand against their enemy, they felt the limitations of their alliance. Not all of those even on the ruling council agreed on what it meant to be a good Jew. To hold that broader coalition together against Paul the issue had to be redefined. Paul's views brought trouble wherever they were promoted. He could possibly be presented to the entire group as the problem. As long as Paul himself was the issue, and not Jesus or the right understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Apostle could be labeled as a troubler with very little evidence. For those among the Gentile rulers who also wanted to avoid trouble there might be an growing consensus to get rid of Paul.

Paul needed to redefine the issue before them. He was not the issue. Hope was the issue. Paul spoke and wrote very much about the topic of hope. Do you know what the Christian hope is? Our hope is in the coming fullness of the resurrection age. The resurrection of the Messiah was the beginning of a much larger age of resurrection. Prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel wrote very clearly about that larger hope, so that we can certainly say that the hope of the church is the same as the hope of those who were rightly reading the Hebrew Bible.

But not everyone believed the prophets. Paul knew this. By turning the discussion away from himself, Paul was able to break up the coalition that stood against him, and turn the interrogation toward those matters that might be most profitable to those who were listening. Paul understood the fault lines in first century Judaism between Pharisee and Sadducee. He understood that the true use of the biblical word “hope” would create a division that would give him an opportunity to talk to people in such a way that they might consider the biblical evidence for the beginning of the resurrection hope through the resurrection of the Messiah.

[11] The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

This strategy worked in part, though the new division was so fierce that the tribune brought the entire interrogation to an end. Paul knew not only Jewish customs and Jewish debates; he knew the God of the Jews and the Messianic King of the Jews. He had not always known Jesus, but he had met Him in a very dramatic way and continued to by directed by Him. The glorious resurrected Man who had said to him some years ago, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” continued to give direction to His ambassador.

Christ told Paul to be courageous and promised the apostle that he would speak of what he had seen and heard in another city: Rome. These afflictions that Paul would face were painful and difficult, but they could not overturn the purposes of the God who calls the entire earth to worship Him. The coming resurrection age was secure in the death and resurrection of the Son of God. The message of Jesus needed to be spoken of in Rome. Others would be unwilling to receive God's messenger, and one day they would have to answer for their rebellion against the Lord. They would only be able to go so far in their persecution of Paul. Paul would go to Felix. Felix would eventually be replaced by Festus. During the time that Festus was governor the Jews would seek to have Paul brought back to Jerusalem in the hope of killing him. Paul would then appeal to Caesar, and that would be the way that Paul would get to Rome.

We need to believe in Paul's hope. It was for that hope, the hope of Israel, that Jesus died.

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 96 – Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

Gospel Passage: Mark 10:13-16 – “Let the little children come to Me!”

Sermon Text: Acts 23:1-11 – Paul before the religious rulers in Jerusalem, a controversy over the resurrection of the dead, and a message from the Lord

Sermon Point: In the midst of religious contention, take courage from God, and remember the hope of the resurrection.