Take Note Podcast

Exceedingly Mad

Acts 26:9-15

• The Apostle Paul stands before King Agrippa in our passage of the day
• He is facing a series of accusations from the Jews
• Agrippa has given him permission to speak for himself
• And Paul takes that opportunity to tell his story

• We enter the text near the beginning of his defense
• And the close of our text comes before the end of his salvation testimony

• Today we’ll discuss his encounter with Christ
• And his disposition toward Christians before Christ
• When he was “Exceedingly Mad”
• Which is our theme, from Acts 26:9-15

• We chose this specific portion of the account to highlight a few key ideas
• First, that we can convince ourselves of all manner of untrue things
• Second, that we can act based upon those untrue things in radical and violent ways
• Third, that our rebellion against the truth can be growing
• When fourth, we have a life-changing encounter with God
• And fifth, we become a lover and promoter of the truth, without apology

• These seven verses and the context nearby seem to confirm these things
• And they are definitely worth a closer look
• Once we read the full text…

Acts 26:9-15

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

• We have ended our reading at an inopportune moment
• Just as Paul begins to reveal Jesus' words in more detail
• And explain how he was obedient
• Even to that very moment and his hearing before the king

• He was radically changed
• But, if you have read the New Testament, you understand this
• If we are familiar with the Apostle at all, we "get it"

• I wonder if we have considered some of the details in the lead-up to his testimony of salvation?
• It seems they are worth a closer look…

Acts 26:9

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

• This text is phrased another way in the ESV…

"I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth."

• How was Saul (which he was called then) convinced?

• Certainly, the crowds of religious people around him played a role
• The council and leaders in the synagogue had something to do with it
• Wider-society might have had an influence

• Many things he heard and observed would have told him
• First, Jesus is not the Messiah
• Second, those who call Him the Messiah blaspheme
• Third, I have a duty to see this blasphemy ends

• It is clear, this was widely believed
• And Saul bought in - fully

• You will have already noted the problem
• None of this is true
• He believes lies

• But, beyond the external influences
• Saul convinced himself
• He became zealous in his opposition
• Violent in his every response

• This required significant effort…

Acts 26:10

10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

• He sought permission from the chief priests
• He rounded up Christians throughout Jerusalem
• He personally saw to it they were shut up in prison
• And when they were put to death, he testified against them

• Remember their crime?
• Believing and teaching in the name of Jesus

• Jesus, Israel's Messiah
• The rightful King of Israel
• The King of all kings and Lord of all lords
• The One who died for - not only Saul - but the whole world
• The One who rose again from the dead
• And who loves us

• This, one of the most learned teachers in Israel, rejected Him
• When he should have embraced Him

• He did more than just this…

Acts 26:11

11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

• Those fellow Jews, which he found believing in the synagogue, he punished
• He displayed a raging fury against them
• Far beyond a simple, legal argument against them
• He hated them
• Wanted to see them eliminated

• He tried everything he could to convince them they should reject Christ
• Turn on Him
• Reject His name in public

• He travelled beyond Israel's borders to chase and harass them
• And that chase brought him to Damascus…

Acts 26:12

12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

• Saul had no good intentions for his trip to Damascus
• His raging fury brought him here
• The disciples of Damascus were in danger because of him

• But Saul was not in charge
• God was in charge of this trip
• He had plans for this man

• He would soon discover what great things he must suffer for Jesus's sake

• All the things of which Saul was convinced would soon be washed away
• His fury would be quenched
• His pride would be brought to humility

• The falsehood he promoted and that made him take action would be corrected
• The truth would win out
• He would embrace it
• Bending His knee before Jesus, the wonderful Messiah

• Here's where that story begins…

Acts 26:13

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

• The most radiant light he had ever seen didn't compare to the radiance of Christ
• The light of the world
• The only light that can open blind eyes

• Even the blind eyes of a vicious persecutor

• This light - the One behind it - knocked him to the ground…

Acts 26:14

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

• This persecutor could not have been confused about the identity of the One speaking
• It could only be Jesus

• You persecute me, Jesus said

• Saul responded…

Acts 26:15

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

• For the first time, Saul acknowledges the truth about Jesus
• He responds in the way he should have responded when he first heard of Him
• The way in which every man will respond one day
• Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

• And Saul calls Him Lord
• He will continue to call Him Lord
• He testifies of His Lord even in this hearing before Agrippa

• He is changed permanently and gloriously by the Savior
• His sinful fury forgiven
• His past now a testimony to Christ, rather than a condemnation
• Saved for eternity
• Because he met Jesus