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Reading thru the New Testament in a Year, Acts 1

Good Monday morning to you. In our continued reading thru the New Testament in a year, we have been 4 months and 2 days in the Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As we come to the end of them, we don’t make a turn, but go straight ahead, reading Dr. Luke’s second volume, The Book of Acts. This morning our reading is from Acts 1:1-26. After you have read it, come back for some background information and a second look at what we’ve read.

The book of Acts is unique in the New Testament for it tells the story of how the early Church developed in the Roman Empire, and how the Church grew from a Jewish sect into the global Christian church that it became. This is Dr. Luke’s second volume. He begins by writing again to Theophilus - a Greek name, thus a Gentile, probably a nobleman, and a leader of a Christian community, who Luke wrote in order for him to grow in his understanding and faith. In Volume 1, The Gospel according to Luke, he told the story of Jesus’ entrance and ministry that led to his death and resurrection. Now, he continues the story: “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach...(vs 1). The title of this book is traditionally called “Acts”, or “The Acts of the Apostles” in the Church. Some have suggested the title “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” because the work of the Holy Spirit in the early Church is so prominent. Given the fact that Jesus promised the disciples to send the Holy Spirit to them as “another helper” - i.e. as one that is of the same kind as Jesus - AND, that Luke begins this book by saying “I have dealt with all that Jesus “BEGAN” to do...”, a better title might be “The Continuing Acts of Jesus through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles”. Since that is such a long title, we’ll stick with “Acts”, but not forgetting that while Jesus has ascended on high, he continues to “build my church” (Matthew 16) through the work of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of his believing children.

Luke also begins with some summary statements that help us make the transition from the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus was present on the earth and the Book of Acts where Jesus is ascended on high. In those first five verses, Luke outlines Jesus’ post-resurrection time with the disciples:

1 “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Jesus’ post-resurrection days were 40 days long. He met with his disciples to tell them two specific things in preparation for his leaving. First, he spoke about the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God. Secondly, he told them that this work could not be done without the gift of the Holy Spirit which would soon come to them...thus they were to wait for the Holy Spirit’s coming. Those two messages were at the very heart of Jesus’ earthly ministry. As soon as he had begun to publicly teach, the central message had been the coming of the Kingdom of God as a NOW message - “the Kingdom is at hand”. The ministry of Jesus is often described in the Gospels as “Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, said, or did...”. Luke had begun by telling us that his previous Gospel had been what “Jesus began to do and teach...” i.e., Jesus was not done yet. Now, the message was from these who would be “Apostles, and Witnesses” of the Gospel message and their abilities to do this work would be initiated by and made possible through the ongoing presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit to them. For 40 days he taught this to them, and then he left.

They asked him first a question that revealed they still not understand Jesus’ purposes ahead. “Lord, at this time are you going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Vs 6). They had been followers who longed for Jesus to overthrow Rome and establish the Kingdom of God in Israel. The problem was, as it is today, their God is too small. They are thinking locally and selfishly, but God is preparing his Church to go from Jerusalem to all of the world! Jesus tells them that the second coming, where he will come to the earth a second time is “not for you to know...the Father has set that time”. Yet, in between the first and second coming, THEY will receive “power” - “dunamis”, from which we get the word dynamite - a power that comes from heaven itself, the power of the Holy Spirit that will embolden them and clarify the message of the Gospel to the nations of the earth. They are thinking of setting up a localized religious group and Jesus is getting them ready for an international church...and they can’t comprehend that at this point in time.

As soon as Jesus commissions them (vss 6-8) Luke writes: “After he had said these things, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight”. It’s interesting words as instead of Jesus “ascended”, Jesus was “taken up” before them. It’s as if Luke wants us to remember that the Father wanted his son by his side, and as long as Jesus was present, the Spirit would not be. It was on that fortieth day after the Resurrection that Jesus ascended to heaven to sit next to his Father’s throne. Luke had given a brief account of the Ascension at the end of the Gospel he had written; but now he gives a much fuller, detailed account of all that occurred. As Jesus ascends to the Father, two Angels - reminding us of two Angels that bore witness of Jesus’ resurrection on that first Easter morning - appeared to the Apostles. Again, a question is asked: “Why do you keep gazing up into the sky? This same Jesus will come back in the same way you have seen him go...”. Jesus ascended as the Risen Savior, personally and visibly, and we can expect that this is how he will someday return.

The Apostles had their commission, and their promise...now it was time to wait. Vs 12 serves as a mid-way point in the introduction. How long would they have to wait? They were not given a time by Jesus, only a promise... “wait for the promise of the Father...you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Vs 5). They returned to Jerusalem to wait...but it was not a passive sit down and do nothing. They returned as one - the 11 remaining, once called disciples, are now the Apostles - the messengers - of Jesus. They return to remain one through prayer, worship, read and study the Scriptures as Jesus had reminded them at the end. The Apostles were joined by others who were followers of Jesus...now for the first time a change... “Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers” (vs 14). Jesus’ family, his mother, his siblings, became believers, convinced that Jesus was no mere family member, he was God’s sent one - Immanuel, God with us. I can imagine the conversations as days went along. “Look here...look at what the Psalmist said in 110... look at what the Prophet Isaiah had written... look at what Moses said, and Abraham, and Judah...”. I see smiles of discovery, and people leaning back... “how did we miss this?” “How did we not see?”

As the days go along, Peter is also reading, and he stands at one point among them to say: “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus... it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; ‘Let another take his office.’” Peter realizes the need for a 12th Apostle...one to replace Judas. How would they choose? Two things stand out: First, in reading vss 21-22, he had to be someone who had been following Jesus from the beginning, even though he was not one of the original 12. Secondly, since two were qualified, they would choose by lot (a vote or a choosing as in straws) and leave the decision up to God’s choice.... (vs 24).
Here is the formula for how the Church would work. They had God’s word in the Scriptures, they had unified prayer, and they had full trust in God’s ability to lead them. They were not going to build the church according to their own best efforts; they were going to do it God’s way. They were learning. This is the formula that was infused into them as they began, and the Apostolic message, or witness, that they proclaimed. God has a Plan, God has a People, and God has Power to make it happen. Oh, that we would remember that in the Church today. The people God uses are not perfect, they are empowered by God to do his work. He doesn’t need perfect people, he needs humble dependent people who will wait, pray, study, and seek God’s way.

There is an old story told that imagines Jesus’ return to heaven on that glorious ascension day. As he arrives back, the Angels come to greet him, congratulating him on the accomplishments of his work on the earth. Then one of them steps forward and asks: “My Lord, now what will happen next?” The Lord says, “My Kingdom will expand throughout the entire world and people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will enter into the Kingdom of God!” They all smile, nodding their Angelic heads, looking in worship at the risen Lord. Then one of the Angels asks a second question: “My Lord, this is great, but how will it be done?” Jesus smiles and says, “Look down, see those in that Upper Room, praying, studying, seeking...those humans will do it!” The Angels look worried...”Really Lord?” “Yes, you just wait and see...Yes!”

Peace

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