Resurrection Hope on Trial, Pt. 1

Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the passage before us this morning it's easy to get lost in the details. Paul, as you recall, was detained in Jerusalem during the previous week for being found at the center of a riot in the Temple courts. He was examined by the Sanhedrin, which also tried to beat him to death. Upon discovering a plot against Paul's life, the Roman commander on the scene forwarded Paul up to Caesarea so that he could stand trial there, before the governor of the province of Syria-Palestine. That's where we pick up the narrative this morning. In other words, we've seen Paul on trial for the last three Sundays, and we will see him on trial for at least two more Sundays. What is the deal? Why does Luke spend so long on the trials of Paul? The answer, brothers and sisters, is in every chapter of these trial scenes, if you will simply care to look for it. Let me spill it to you: Paul is on trial for his hope in the resurrection. Understood this way, we see Luke's point clearly: Resurrection hope is solid. It can carry you through any number of trials, because the risen Jesus reigns.