In this episode, I want to look at a hope that will change you and change us forever. The best person to tell us about this life-changing hope is the Apostle Paul, who changed the world with his Gospel of Christ. In the book of Acts, Paul testifies at his trial about the hope of life believers have in Jesus Christ (Acts 24:14-16).
In this passage, Paul is on trial before Felix, who was the governor of Judea from 52 to 58 AD. Paul had traveled to Jerusalem with a financial gift from the Gentile churches for the church in Jerusalem because there was a famine in Judea, and they struggled to support all the church’s needs. This is happening around 56 AD. Maybe 23 or 25 years since the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. There’s a lot of division in Jerusalem between those Jews who believe in Christ as the Messiah and those who don’t. And among the Jews in Jerusalem who believe in this, they still go to the temple and follow the Mosaic law. The church has agreed Gentiles don’t have to follow the Mosaic law, but Paul’s a Jew, and as a Jew, the church leaders want Paul to go to the temple and show the other Jewish believers that he is faithful to his Jewish ancestry. While he’s in the process of a cleansing ritual, he’s attacked for defiling the temple by having a gentile believer with him. A riot breaks out over this, and the violence is so bad that Paul’s arrested by the Romans to prevent him from being killed by the crowd. You can read about all of this in Acts 21-23. Paul ended up in front of Felix because the Roman commander who arrested him found out Paul was a Roman citizen, and the Jews were plotting to ambush the guards and kill Paul. So, the commander had Paul sent to the governor of the territory.
Paul, at one time, was the accuser and persecutor of Christians. He had Christians arrested and thrown in jail. He separated children from their parents for believing in Jesus. He was a witness against Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Now, he’s a believer. The accuser is the accused. The zealot Pharisee has become a disciple of the Messiah. The high priest accuses Paul of the same thing they charged against Christ: blasphemy and heresy. Paul now before a Roman governor defending the message of hope he once tried to destroy. Where did this transformation of Paul come from? It came from his unwavering trust in the hope of God’s promise of the resurrection and the judgment of the just and unjust.
What is hope? Hope isn’t wishing or being optimistic in the face of adversity. Your life isn’t changed by wishing. Look at how Paul defines hope in (Romans 8:24-25). Hope is a confident expectation rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and a promise of eternal life for all who believe in Him. Where does our hope come from? The empty tomb. When Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death and acquired eternal life for all who put their trust in Him. This hope transcends the challenges and uncertainties of this life, providing a firm foundation for us to stand upon.
Paul believed in the resurrection of both the just and the unjust, and he emphasized that everyone, regardless of their past or present circumstances, has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection. The power of the resurrection is the ultimate hope of a believer. Without the Hope of Life, the resurrection, faith in Christ is useless (1 Corinthians 15:16-19).
As we see in this passage, Paul’s life exemplified his hope in action. Despite facing persecution, beatings, conflicts, imprisonment, and even death, he remained steadfast in his faith, living with a clear conscience before God and man.
So, what does this passage mean for us today? It reminds us that no matter our past, failures, and daily challenges, we can find hope and strength in Jesus Christ. Our circumstances may change, but our hope in Jesus Christ and his resurrection remains steadfast and immovable. Are you struggling personally with family issues, illness, finances, insecurity, persecution, and the chaos in the world, or sin? The message of hope found in the resurrection of Jesus applies to all of these and more. The resurrection of Jesus provides ever-present hope that God can transform our present situations and circumstances just as He will transform our bodies and give us life for eternity. If you have faith that Jesus has the power to overcome death and give you eternal life, then you also have faith that he can overcome any situation facing you now. That’s the Hope of life and the Hope of our lives. I pray that this hope will inspire us all as we’re changed to live with faith, boldness, compassion, and confidence, knowing that the resurrection of Jesus secures our ultimate victory.
Remember, no matter what you’re facing, there is hope in Jesus Christ.
