“When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive” (Acts 25:18-19).

Festus, the Roman governor, was explaining to King Agrippa the charges against Paul. While he had thought Paul was being accused of violating Roman law, he discovered that the charges against Paul reflected his conflict with the religious traditions of his day. Faith in Jesus is always in conflict with empty religious tradition.

There are many things for which we could thank the apostle Paul but none is more important than his commitment to replacing a reliance on religious rules with a relationship with Jesus. Much of his opposition was the result of his focus on Jesus.

Festus, in his pagan way, effectively described the key truth of Christianity when he described the heart of Paul’s opposition. He said it was a dispute “about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” What a simple statement of the main issue of our faith! The heart of our Christianity is about a man named Jesus who died but is alive. He is God who came in the flesh.

That truth was the heart of the good news then and it is the heart of our message now. Jesus, who died, is alive. Death was conquered when Jesus died and rose again. Sin was defeated when Jesus died and rose again. Our highest dreams were brought within reach when Jesus died and rose again. Paul found that to be the truth for which he was willing to live and die. That truth is still the core of our faith. Paul was correct! That man, Jesus, died and is alive forever.