The Unavoidable Question: Is Jesus Truly Alive?

Acts 25 and 26 put Paul before Festus and King Agrippa with one question that nobody can really avoid: is Jesus alive or not? Paul is stuck in Caesarea because the Jewish leaders still want him dead, even after more than two years, while Festus is stuck because Paul has done nothing worthy of Roman punishment. Paul wisely appeals to Caesar, not because he is trying to escape suffering, but because Christ has already told him that Rome is where he is going.

Festus brings Agrippa into the case because he needs something to write to Caesar, but the case keeps coming back to “a certain Jesus who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” The resurrection is the issue underneath every accusation. Paul stands on the promise God made to the fathers, the hope that the dead will rise, and the testimony of Moses and the prophets that the Christ would suffer, rise from the dead, and proclaim light to Jews and Gentiles.

Paul’s testimony gives a plain pattern: before Jesus, meeting Jesus, and after Jesus. Paul had been convinced that he needed to oppose Jesus, persecute the saints, and shut down the name of Christ. Christ met Paul on the Damascus road, opened his eyes, and sent him to turn others from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Paul’s life after that encounter is not built on being good enough. Paul’s life is built on the risen Christ who died for sinners and gives forgiveness by faith.

Festus answers with mockery: “Paul, you are out of your mind.” Agrippa answers with polite distance, basically saying, “That’s good for you.” Paul refuses both responses because the gospel was “not done in a corner.” Christ’s death and resurrection are not a private opinion or a vague religious idea. Christ’s resurrection happened in history, according to Scripture, before witnesses, and it demands an answer.

Paul’s chains do not stop the gospel. Paul sees the unfairness of his situation as an opportunity to ask who is listening and what they most need. Paul wants Agrippa, Festus, and everybody in the room to become like him, except for the chains. The risen Lord calls Christians to tell the truth of what they were before Christ, how Christ met them, and what Christ has done since, even when others mock, sidestep, or change the subject.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. The resurrection is the unavoidable question. Christ’s resurrection is not one detail among many. Christ’s resurrection is the center of Paul’s defense, the fulfillment of Scripture, and the dividing line between truth and empty religion. Every person eventually has to reckon with whether Jesus really rose from the dead. [50:51]
• 2. A testimony has a clear shape. Paul’s story moves from before Jesus, to meeting Jesus, to life after Jesus. Christ does not merely improve Paul’s behavior or give him a new interest. Christ opens Paul’s eyes, forgives his sin, and gives his life a new direction. [52:48]
• 3. Polite indifference still avoids Christ. Agrippa does not openly mock Paul, but his careful answer still keeps the risen Jesus at arm’s length. Indifference can sound respectful while refusing the claim of Christ. The question, “Do you believe?” presses past vague familiarity into personal response. [57:12]
• 4. The gospel was not done secretly. Paul grounds his defense in events that happened openly and could be investigated. Christ’s death and resurrection are not hidden spiritual experiences reserved for a few people. The public facts of the gospel call for a public confession of faith. [58:00]
• 5. Chains can become gospel opportunities. Paul does not let unjust suffering become the whole story. Christ places Paul before rulers so that rulers can hear the gospel. Hard circumstances can become the very place where someone else hears about the risen Lord.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [32:28] - What Happens When Jesus Comes Up?
• [34:25] - Paul’s Trial in Caesarea
• [37:38] - Paul Appeals to Caesar
• [44:18] - Festus Brings Paul Before Agrippa
• [46:23] - Paul’s Defense and Testimony
• [50:51] - The Heart of the Case: Jesus Is Alive
• [52:48] - Before Jesus, Meeting Jesus, After Jesus
• [55:12] - Festus Mocks and Agrippa Sidesteps
• [57:12] - The Gospel Was Not Done in a Corner
• [60:10] - The Gospel Is Not Being Good Enough
• [61:49] - Paul’s Chains and Gospel Purpose
• [62:40] - What Will Anyone Do With Jesus?
• [64:21] - Remembering Christ at the Table

Bible Reading

Acts 25-26
“The entire account of Paul's trial before Festus and King Agrippa, where he defends himself by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ and gives his personal testimony.” [34:25]

1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” [51:21]

Acts 9:1-19
“The account of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, where he encountered the risen Jesus and was commissioned to preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles.” [47:56]

Observation questions

1. What made Paul’s case difficult for Festus to resolve, and why did Festus involve King Agrippa? [45:14]
2. What does Paul say about his life before meeting Jesus, and what specific things did he do against Christians?
3. In Paul’s account of meeting Jesus, what mission does Jesus give him toward both Jews and Gentiles? [48:09]
4. How do Festus and Agrippa respond differently to Paul’s message, and what does Paul want for everyone listening to him? [55:12]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is the resurrection of Jesus the central issue underneath Paul’s trial rather than merely one religious disagreement among many? [50:51]
2. Paul says that the Christ’s suffering, resurrection, and message to Jews and Gentiles were in line with Moses and the prophets. How does this show that the gospel is rooted in God’s long-planned promises rather than a new private idea?
3. Paul insists that the gospel “was not done in a corner.” What does that claim mean for someone who treats Christianity as only a personal preference or private spiritual experience? [57:28]
4. Agrippa responds with polite distance rather than open hostility. Why can a respectful “that is good for you” response still be a way of avoiding the claims of the risen Jesus? [57:12]

Application questions

1. Paul’s testimony has a simple shape: before Jesus, meeting Jesus, and life after Jesus. How would each person in the group tell that story in two or three minutes? What part is easiest to share, and what part is hardest? [52:41]
2. Is there any place where someone is still tempted to think that being a decent person, attending church, or knowing Christian language is enough? How does the truth that Christ died for sinners and rose again reshape that thinking? [01:00:39]
3. Think of someone who might respond to Jesus the way Festus or Agrippa did—with mockery, indifference, or a quick change of subject. What could it look like to respond with gentleness while still asking one more caring and honest question? [01:03:25]
4. What simple question could help move a conversation from vague religious talk to the actual gospel—for example, “What do you believe happened at the resurrection?” or “What do you think the gospel is?” [59:49]
5. Where does life currently feel unfair, limiting, or like a set of chains? How might God use that very setting to help someone nearby hear about Christ? [01:01:54]
6. Paul wanted everyone listening to become like him, except for his chains. Is there a person in each group member’s life for whom they genuinely desire this—that they would know the risen Christ? What is one practical step that could be taken this week to care for that person and speak of Jesus? [01:01:15]