Confidence in Jesus’ Unstoppable Kingdom: 7 Days in ActsSýnishorn

Unstoppable despite the storm to end all storms

Read Acts 27:1-44

By Acts 27, Paul has been on trial five times and has been held by the Roman authorities in Caesarea for more than two years (24:27). After Paul uses his right to have his case heard by Caesar (the Roman Emperor), it finally looks like Paul may at last get to Rome, the heart of the Empire and the place where Jesus Himself had told Paul he would testify (23:11).

But there is a big obstacle: the journey by sea. From the start, the signs are not good. In 27:4-8, the ship faces difficulties getting even to Crete. By 27:9, we hear that so much time had been lost that the seas were now dangerous. Paul warns the Roman centurion in charge that the journey will be a disaster, but is ignored (27:10-11).

What follows is a storm to end all storms. A hurricane-force wind drives the ship along and the experienced sailors struggle to even keep the ship together. First, the sea anchor is dropped, then the cargo and the ship’s equipment are thrown overboard in a desperate attempt to keep the ship afloat (27:17-19). The storm is so strong that the sailors can’t even tell whether it is night or day. No wonder that by 27:20 the crew has given up hope!

Into this desperate situation, Paul speaks. He has been given a message from God: an angel has said that he will get to Rome and that everyone on board will survive (27:23-25). At this point, that looks unlikely. The storm has been raging for two weeks and as the ship comes close to land, Paul has to stop the sailors from attempting to escape on their own. Just as it looks like the ship may make it to a safe landing, it hits a sandbar. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners so they can’t escape but the centurion stops them. Everyone makes it safely to land, even the people who can’t swim. No one drowns. God’s amazing promise to Paul from verse 24 has been fully kept.

And so, at the very end of Acts, we get a snapshot of Paul in Rome. He is telling everyone about the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus ‘with all boldness and without hindrance!’ (28:31). How wonderful that we can be totally confident that when God wants to get His messenger and His message to the place He has chosen, nothing will ever stop it.