Festus the Leader

Acts 25:1 KJV

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

Festus arrives to replace Felix and after just three days travels to Jerusalem where he is at once confronted by the Jews about Paul.

First, the grudge of the Jews

It has now been years since he was originally captured and they still have men willing to lie in wait to kill him treacherously.

Then, there is Festus

I am impressed at how quickly he got busy in his administration. He had barely arrived in the province before he makes the trip to the hot spot of the region, Jerusalem. I would have thought that he would have wanted time to get settled in to a routine and to acquaint himself to the peculiarities of the position. And then arriving in Jerusalem he is accosted with the case of Paul. But he was not pressured or swayed by them. He was completely in control and handled the early confrontation with professionalism and confidence. I would have thought that the pressure could have gotten to him. He is not one such as Pontius Pilate, who tried to wash his hands of the Jewish uproar. He is a leader.

I imagine Festus as a well trained and experienced leader. He has, I imagine, developed his skills in dealing with these sorts of pressures working his way up in administrative offices. Pilate seems to me to have climbed one step higher than he was capable of. Rather than taking charge of in Jesus' situation he allowed the situation to take charge of him.

Festus still was "willing to show the Jews a pleasure" but even that would have been a reflection of the purpose of his office. He is to maintain the peace in the land.

The fact is that God superintended in this whole affair to bring Paul into the court of the Caesar.