- Covered In His Dust
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- Acts Chapter 25 (part 2)
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If you’re just jumping in—WELCOME. I’m glad you’re here. I’d love to hear where you’re reading from. Just reply and let me know.
Take a minute to read the full chapter [here] if you haven’t already.
I include all the scripture below, but there’s something about sitting with the whole chapter first — giving yourself room to be curious.
What catches you off guard?
What doesn't make sense?
Where is that?
Who's that?
Why?
Those questions will make the notes hit deeper.
To the faithful in Christ Jesus,
Last week we left off with Paul appealing to Caesar.
He was clear. Confident. And full of the Spirit.
But there’s still a process. And God is using every step of it.
Festus may have made his decision… but he’s still trying to understand what exactly Paul is guilty of. He doesn’t want to look like a fool sending a prisoner to Caesar without any real charge.
So he turns to someone with more experience. Someone who knows Jewish customs. Someone with a crown.
Enter: King Agrippa.
What happens next isn’t a trial. It’s more of a hearing. No jury. No verdict. No official sentence.
But it matters.
Because this moment sets the stage for what’s coming next. God is drawing kings into the story now. He’s widening the audience. And Paul is about to preach the gospel… again.
Only this time, the room is filled with royalty.
Let’s pick up where we left off.
Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
At first glance, it just sounds like a travel update. A quick hello between politicians. Nothing to see here.
But let’s slow down.
Because packed inside that one verse… is power. Scandal. Politics. And a crown.
Let’s take a look at who just walked into the room.
Herod Agrippa II is the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who tried to kill baby Jesus back in Matthew 2.
(Yeah. That Herod family.)
If you’ve been with me since the beginning of Acts, you already know this bloodline runs deep with pride, politics, and violence.
Let’s do a quick Herod family recap:
Herod the Great was the one who ordered the slaughter of innocent babies in Bethlehem trying to kill Jesus before He grew up.
Herod Antipas, his son, beheaded John the Baptist and mocked Jesus during His trial.
Herod Agrippa I, Agrippa II’s dad, killed James (the brother of John) in Acts 12 and arrested Peter, planning to kill him too. Later, he was struck down by an angel and eaten by worms.
And now here comes Agrippa II, son of a king who murdered Christians, grandson of a man who tried to kill Christ, standing face to face with a man who carries the gospel.
He didn’t inherit all the power his father had. But Rome still gave him control over several regions, and they gave him religious oversight in Jerusalem.
That meant he could appoint high priests. Control temple operations. And influence what happened behind the scenes in Jewish religious life.
He knew the Scriptures. He knew Jewish law. But don’t confuse that with faith.
This is a man raised in Rome. Trained in politics. Shaped by power.
And standing next to him? His sister.
This is where things get… complicated.
Bernice was Agrippa’s sister. But they didn’t act like brother and sister.
They traveled together. Lived together. Showed up to royal events like a couple.
Ancient historians like Josephus even wrote about it. Most people believed it wasn’t just a rumor.
Every time Agrippa is mentioned in the Bible, his sister’s name is right there with his.
Always.
Never just Agrippa. Always Agrippa and Bernice.
To keep up appearances, she married other powerful men. But every time, she came back to her brother.
Bernice was beautiful. Well-connected. And dangerous.
And in the middle of it all, Paul, a man in chains.
No wealth.
No title.
No crowd.
Just the truth of the gospel rising inside him like a storm. And he’s about to preach to a man with a crown and a woman with a reputation.
And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying,
“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
This part reads like a recap. It reminds me of how I read the Bible for most of my life.
I skimmed it.
I was too lazy to dig.
I didn’t ask questions.
I just wanted to get through it.
But don’t miss what’s hiding underneath. This isn’t just Festus giving Agrippa an update.
This is Rome trying to make sense of resurrection.
Festus isn’t asking Agrippa for help with a violent criminal. He’s trying to explain a case… that doesn’t make sense to him.
He thought Paul would be a threat. Maybe stirring up riots. Maybe leading a rebellion. Maybe dangerous in some Roman way.
But that’s not what he found.
He tells Agrippa:
“They brought no charge… of such evils as I supposed.” (Acts 25:18)
In other words: “This isn’t what I expected.”
Instead, what’s the whole thing about?
A dispute over Jewish theology. And a man named Jesus. Who was dead. But who Paul says… is alive.
That line from Festus—
“a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive” — is huge.
It might sound casual, but this is the core of the gospel. And Festus doesn’t know what to do with it.
He admits he’s at a loss (v. 20). He’s a Roman official, trained in law, justice, and political control. But when it comes to resurrection? He’s got nothing.
So he hands it to Agrippa. Maybe this king, this Jew raised under Roman rule, can make sense of it.
But let’s be clear: Festus isn’t confused because Paul’s message is unclear.
He’s confused because he’s spiritually blind. What Paul is saying is simple.
Jesus died.
And He rose.
That’s the whole issue. That’s the entire reason Paul’s been hunted, arrested, and kept under guard.
And tomorrow… he’s going to stand in front of a king and say it again.
So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
“Came with great pomp?”
The original Greek word is phantasía, where we get the word fantasy. It means display, splendor, showiness, a flashy public scene meant to impress.
This wasn’t just a royal stroll into a courtroom. It was a parade of power.
Agrippa and Bernice came in draped in luxury, surrounded by military officers, high-ranking officials, and all the who’s-who of Caesarea. Think: gold, armor, flowing robes, jewelry, perfumes. A line of important people strutting into the hall like they owned the place.
It was theater. All eyes on them. All attention on their entrance.
And then… Paul.
No robe. No entourage. No throne.
Just a man in chains.
It’s not subtle.
Luke is drawing a stark contrast between earthly power and heavenly purpose. Between people who look like they have control… and the One who actually does.
And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him.
Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
The room is packed.
The military’s in uniform.
The city’s elites are watching.
Agrippa and Bernice are seated like royalty. And Festus begins:
“You see this man…”
He’s trying to sound official.
But what he says next is one of the most honest, and humiliating, lines in the chapter.
“The Jews shouted that he ought not to live any longer… but I found he had done nothing deserving death.”
Paul’s been in prison for years. And now Festus admits—publicly—he’s innocent.
And then:
“He appealed to Caesar… so I’m sending him. But I have nothing definite to write.”
Festus is about to send a prisoner to the most powerful man on earth… and he doesn’t even know what the charges are!
He finishes with this:
“It seems to me unreasonable… to send a prisoner without specifying the charges.”
Unreasonable? Pleeeeease!
It’s worse than that.
It’s injustice. Festus doesn’t need Agrippa’s insight. He needs a reason to save face.
And guess what? God will use that too.
Because this gospel?
It’s going to Rome.
Is it just me or was chapter 25 jaw-dropping?
Political games.
Secret murder plots.
A corrupt governor.
A scandalous royal couple.
A courtroom full of power…
and one man in chains, holding the truth.
Back in Acts 23:11, Jesus told Paul:
“Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
Festus thinks he’s covering himself.
Agrippa thinks he’s helping out.
But God is working through every delay, every decision, every detail.
The gospel is heading straight to the heart of the empire.
Next week, Paul is bringing fire…
And you don't want to miss it.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
In 2024, George and his wife expanded to Cuba, joining forces with nine pastors committed to transforming lives through the gospel.