Mar 9, 2018
The Jewish leadership hated Paul and they weren’t exactly fond of what they called The Way either. They were determined to rid their world of any and all traces of Jesus and his followers. And at this point in Luke’s story, we find Paul bearing the full brunt of the Sanhedrin’s hatred for him. They fully believed they had him on the ropes. He had been shipped off to Caesarea where he would stand before the Roman governor, facing a litany of trumped up charges, that the Sanhedrin hoped would result in his death. And while the prosecuting attorney had what he believed to be a strong case against Paul, the real focus of the ire of the Jewish religious leaders had to do with Paul’s claim that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah of Israel. This was more than they could handle. They had seen Jesus crucified and any talk that he had been raised back to life and was orchestrating a movement was nonsense to them. Much to their chagrin, the rabbi from Nazareth who had caused them so much grief when he was alive, was causing them more trouble than ever. And for Paul, the real issue surrounding his arrest and trial had to do with one thing and one thing only: His claim that Jesus was alive. And that claim was based on his firm belief that Jesus had been raised back to life by God. Jesus, the dead rabbi from Nazareth, was the very much alive Messiah and Son of God. And while the Jews were convinced that “The Way” was the wrong way, Paul knew it was the only way.