Order of the Resurrections;
(1 Corinthians 15:20-22) But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came
death, by Man also came the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Hope for the Future;
(1 Peter 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to
His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Paul is Tried Before Agrippa;
(Acts 26:23) that
the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and
would proclaim light to the Jewish
people and to the Gentiles.”
Equality with God in Authority;
(John 5:28-29) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
condemnation.
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1 Corinthians 15:20-28
The Last Enemy Destroyed
We are born with the curse of death, for the wages of sin is death. All of us are born into a sin nature, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But Christ who resurrected, freed us from the curse of death, so that through Him we may have eternal life. If we live in Adam, under the curse of death (in which all are under this curse), then we will surely die. So therefore all shall die, for it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. But if we live in Christ, we shall be given life.
(v. 23-28) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
We await for the coming of our Messiah, when He will put an end to all rule, authority, and power. He will establish His Kingdom for His people, who accept Him who have called Him by His name.
Genesis 3:15 says:
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And you shall bruise His heel.” The time will come when His enemies will be trampled under His feet. But that day is unknown to us. Instead we await for His coming, as we watch for the signs of His coming. Until then, we know that the hour draws near. So we must stand fast with all perseverance and diligence, contending until the end, that we may be partakers of His divine inheritance.
1 Peter 1:3-4
A Heavenly Inheritance
(v. 3-4) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,According to His abundant mercy, He has given to us a new birth in Christ. It is only through His resurrection from the dead that we can be partakers of His heavenly inheritance. That means, we must put away with our old selves, and become brand new in Christ. We must put away with the works of the flesh and walk in the Spirit, according to the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Acts 25:23-26:32
(v. 23-27) So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in. And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”Here we see Paul being charged with the penalty of death. However, there is not found anything deserving of death, and so he is put on trial for examination.
Paul’s Early Life
(v. 1-8) Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are
permitted to speak for yourself.”
So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: “I
think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself
before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially
because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the
Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.“My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
Paul testifies to King Agrippa of Christ's resurrection.
“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Ironic isn't it? Paul, who once put many saints in prison, is now being accused and put on trial that he may be thrown in prison for the very same cause that he put others in bondage for.
Paul Recounts His Conversion
(v. 12-18) “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’Paul tells of his testimony of how Jesus has changed him. He, who once persecuted Jesus, has now been called out by Jesus to be a witness for Him. Paul has been called according to His purpose, that he may serve as a powerful testimony and as a witness for sharing the gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Post-Conversion Life
(v. 19-23)“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”Paul preached of repentance to both Jews and Gentiles, but the Jews charged him for heresy. To my understanding, the reason for this is because the Jews must think God is for the Jews only, so preaching to Gentiles would be a serious "crime" right? But no, salvation is for all who hear, and who call on His name. Amazingly, because of their misunderstanding, they fail to see that Paul's calling was to fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah (that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”)
Agrippa Parries Paul’s Challenge
(v. 24-32) Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Though the counsel held found no fault in Paul for preaching the truth, they still could not set him free, because he had not appealed to Caesar. But we know, as the Bible says in (Matthew 20:23 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.) Our judgment here on earth is only a temporal thing. But eternal judgment awaits us at the end. Here we see the courage, and vivacity in Paul, who testified truthfully of our Messiah even though He was persecuted. Many saints will indeed face persecution like this man. But many will not hold true for the sake of preserving their own lives rather than for the sake of preserving the gospel.
John 5:22-30
(v. 22-23) For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.Of course, those who reject our Messiah will not gain the inheritance promised to our fathers.
Life and Judgment Are Through the Son
(v. 24)“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.And I thank God for sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us.
(v. 25-30) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
And may the dead awake, and rise quick to the sounding of His voice, and heeding to His voice we would come forth in acceptance that He is our Lord and our Savior.
Amen.
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