SATURDAY January 6, 2024

The Hope of the Resurrection

But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
Acts 23:6

Paul was smart. He had discerned that those in the council were made up of both Sadducees and Pharisees. Therefore, he used the Word of God to cleverly pierce their hearts and cause a big division between them. He completely played the Sadducees and the Pharisees against one another. He was like a good lawyer! He did not pull any punches. Paul was able to start a big disagreement that caused confusion between them.

You may ask me, “What do you mean?” You see, the Sadducees did not believe in angels, life after death, or the Resurrection of the dead, but the Pharisees did. God gave Paul the wisdom and the knowledge to set them at odds with each other.

As a result, Paul knew in his heart that he would not be judged by them. Instead, he would be sent to a higher court to stand before the governor of Judea, Felix, in Caesarea. Then he would be given an opportunity to witness to him. When Festus took over and became governor, he would send Paul to stand before the Emperor of Rome. This was Paul’s goal before he would die––to be set before Caesar Nero.

Notice, Paul followed God’s will step by step. He believed in the Resurrection and did not fear death. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul explained our hopeless state if the Gospel message excluded the hope of the Resurrection: If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19 KJV). Paul was firm in his faith––there was a Resurrection! He powerfully declared: ...Christ is risen from the dead! (1 Corinthians 15:20). He had an unwavering hope.

People are so curious about life after death. Some folks are deathly afraid of the unknown beyond the grave. The Gospel message brings hope of the Resurrection.

Rest your heart in the truth of the Resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus isn’t some fanciful story—it is the historical reality on which all our hope rests.
~R. C. Sproul~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!