Grace
To love and obey Jesus as Lord and help our neighbours to do this together.
Readings
“Apostle Paul On Trial” by Nikolai Bodarevsky, 1875
Devotion 1
Some historical background for Chapter 25-26
Jim Reiher explains that King Agrippa, before whom Paul appears, is from the Herod family:
“The Herod family was in power because of Rome. They were there to serve the interests of Rome. When Governors were also appointed, the Herods were expected to work hand in hand with them… It was clear that if any of the Kings messed up, Rome would intervene and change the situation. So they tended to be faithful servants of the hated Empire. For that, and other reasons, the Jewish people hated the Herod family…
“In Acts 25 we see Herod Agrippa II meet the Apostle Paul. Luke devoted a disproportionately large amount of his scroll to Herod arriving, hearing about Paul from the Governor, desiring to listen to him, their actual meeting and Paul’s speech to the King (25:13-26:32 – almost two chapters). That indicates how significant Luke saw this incident. Paul had already appealed to Rome. So it was not officially a ‘trial’, but it was a hearing, and a chance for Paul to witness before the King of the Jewish people. Matthew 10:18 was being fulfilled in this encounter. Jesus had said to his followers, “You shall even be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles.” The Book of Acts, p 238-239.
Read: Acts 25:1-12
Ask: What stands out to you in this passage? Discuss.
Pray: For your community and the world.
Share: Communion.
An Easter Prayer:
From the darkness of the grave
Blood poured out, a crown of thorns
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
From the triumph that is won
Over the power and fear of death
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
Walking from the empty tomb
Opening wide the gates of life
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
Lord of life
You defeated death
To show that we can rise
From all that binds us to the world
Pride, envy, anger, fear
The debt of sin that holds us here
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
Lord of life
You defeated death
To demonstrate a love that is
Beyond our understanding
That reaches out even to me
Saving Grace to all who hear
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
Lord of life
We pray for all who bring your word of life
As a light to those in darkness
For those who bring your word of peace
To those enslaved by fear
For those who bring your word of love
To those in need of comfort
Lord of love and Lord of peace
Lord of resurrection life
Be known
Through our lives
and through your power
Christ the Lord is risen to-day
ALL: Alleluia!
Read more at: http://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Easter.htm#ixzz44kbPsrlE
Devotion 2
Read: Acts 25:13-27
Ask: What stands out to you in this passage? Discuss.
Pray: For your community and the world.
Share: Communion.
Devotion 3
Read: Acts 26 (whole chapter)
Ask: What stands out to you in reading Paul’s defence?
How do you think Agrippa might have been thinking and feeling as he talked to Paul?
Jim Reiher writes: “At the end of the day, the King (as far as we know) did not embrace the Christian faith. That is the sad reality of human beings and is often the consequence of free will. We can hear the most wonderful story ever told. We can see a living example of a changed life, from persecuting the faith to being persecuted. We can hear the most convincing arguments from Scripture. However we still might reject it for all sorts of other reasons: pride, customs, who we will offend, who we might alienate, what we might have to give up, and more. There can be so many things playing on us that stop us from embracing what we suspect might just be true.
Let us never be like the King. Let us not hover around the edges of embracing Jesus but never quite do it. Rather, let us make sure that we are fully committed to the cause. Be a determined Christ-follower. Be someone who will listen to his teaching and observe his example with the intent of imitating it as much as we can, in our own context today.” (The Book of Acts, p. 242)
Pray: For your community and the world.
Share: Communion.