Continuation of the Ministry the World Needs (Acts 1:1-11)

Introduction

Biblical Story (Acts 1:1-11)

Life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the the incarnate God who lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death, and a victorious resurrection.

The 4 Gospels are a written witness of the life of Christ by those who followed Jesus.

Expansion of the Mission of the Church as a continuation of the life of Christ through the gospel.

The rest of the NT is a written record of the expansion of the Church with letters written to instruct the Church on christian teaching and practices.

The NT writing is instructions for the Church from the 1st to 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

The current text.

The book of Acts is a written record of the start of the Church with the expansion of the Church from Jerusalem to Rome through the ministry of the church through following Peter and Paul.

Acts 1 - continuation of the ministry of Jesus through the Church and the Holy Spirit.

The continuation of His ministry. (vs. 1-3)

Luke’s continued writing (1-2a)

“In the first book, O Theophilus" - First Book - Gospel Luke.

Luke 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke’s goal in writing the Gospel was to write an accurate history of Jesus Christ (his Life, Death, and resurrection)

Luke’s second volume in the chronicle of Jesus’s life and impact continues after his ascension with the proclamation of the Gospel and the expanse of the church.

Acts 1:1–2 (ESV)

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.

Gospel of Luke dealt with the Life of Christ up to His Ascension.

“Began to do and teach” - to begin (start) v. — to take the first step or steps in carrying out an action. (Sense)

Jesus’ final instructions (2b)

Acts 1:2 (ESV)

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.

Commands - to give or leave instructions, command, order, give orders (Arndt, William et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000: 339. Print.)

Jesus gave them final instructions of what to do when He is gone.

Luke 24:45–49 (ESV)

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus gave these instructions to the Apostles before He was taken up.

Motivation to fulfill the command (3)

Acts 1:3 (ESV)

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.

Jesus was clearly known as raising from the dead. This fact would be the motivation of the disciples and the core event that they proclaimed.

Proofs - convincing proof n. — any extremely convincing, factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something. (Biblical Sense)

Appearing to them - Grk “during forty days.” The phrase “over a forty-day period” is used rather than “during forty days” because (as the other NT accounts of Jesus’ appearances make clear) Jesus was not continually visible to the apostles during the forty days, but appeared to them on various occasions. (Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible. Second Edition. Denmark: Thomas Nelson, 2019. Print.)

Teaching about the Kingdom of God

Acts starts with Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of God and ends with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

“The kingdom of God was the core of Jesus’s preaching, and the story in Acts is about the proclamation of the kingdom of God advancing throughout the world (8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25). Proclamation of the kingdom of God brackets the book (1:3; 28:23, 31).” (Garland, David E. Acts. Ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2017. Print. Teach the Text Commentary Series.)

Acts 28:30–31 (ESV)

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

kingdom of God n. — the domain ruled by God as the sovereign king. (Biblical Sense)

“In the OT, the kingdom of God (Yahweh) refers to God’s dominion. Ultimately, the OT looks forward to fulfillment of God’s kingdom in the Messiah’s reign in grace and righteousness over the whole earth. Jesus is the king and proclaims a kingdom that fulfills the OT promises, yet in a way unexpected by His contemporaries. His kingdom is not political or geographic in the sense that nations and kingdoms are thought of today. Instead, it exists wherever God’s will is done. It is the effective reign of God expressed in and through the lives and actions of His people, extending throughout a world pained by the curse, growing and spreading as those who embrace it are welcomed as members of God’s people.” (Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.)

As humanity, we all need to be under the rule and reign of God our creator and savior. This is what the Gospel is proclaiming: that we are outside of his kingdom because of our Sin, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can enter into the Kingdom of God and live under the reign of God.

The power to continue His ministry. (vs. 4–8)

Wait for the Power (4-5)

Acts 1:4–5 (ESV)

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.”

Wait in Jerusalem.

Luke 24:49 (ESV)

49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus wants them to wait for the power to accomplish the task before them as was promised by the Father and Jesus.

Father’s Promise

“God promised to give a new spirit (or His Spirit) abundantly when He inaugurates the new covenant. Jesus had told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them to be effective in their mission.” (Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.)

Ezekiel 36:24–29 (ESV)

24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.

John 14:15–17 (ESV)

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 16:4–11 (ESV)

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

God’s promise was to do a transformation in our lives through His presence in our lives through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Baptized by the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:4–5 (ESV)

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.”

Baptized

John - “② to use water in a rite for purpose of renewing or establishing a relationship w. God, plunge, dip, wash, baptize. ⓐ of dedicatory cleansing associated w. the ministry of John the Baptist.” (Arndt, William et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000: 164. Print.)

John’s baptism was about preparing the hearts of the Jews for the coming of the Messiah.

Holy Spirit - “③ to cause someone to have an extraordinary experience akin to an initiatory water-rite, to plunge, baptize. ⓑ of the Holy Spirit (fire)” (Arndt, William et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000: 165. Print.)

Is about an encounter with the Holy Spirit in which we submit to the authority, guidance, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is telling the Apostles and Disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit promised that will empower them for the ministry. (Pentecost - Acts 2)

Kingdom of Israel (6-7)

Acts 1:6–7 (ESV)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

God’s promise to restore the nation of Israel with the Messiah on the thrown was a longed expectation of the Israelite people in the first century. The Jewish people were under the control of foreign powers (Greece, Rome) for a long time enhancing the desire of God’s promise to be fulfilled. Jesus has been declaring that He is the Messiah and now raised from the dead. The Apostles are asking if the coming of the Holy Spirit will restore the Kingdom to Israel.

The Apostles were thinking that they will rule with Christ in His kingdom and was wondering when that will be.

Luke 22:28–30 (ESV)

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Jesus is saying, that event will happen, but not at a time they are expecting. God has a plan that will be accomplished before that Happens.

Fullness of Gentiles and Jews (Rom 11), Great falling away and Man of Lawlessness (2 Thes 2)

Source of the Power (8a)

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Power - the potentiality to exert force in performing some function—‘power.’ (Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains 1996: 679. Print.)

This word is simple the power needed to accomplish an action. Jesus is telling the Apostles that the Kingdom will be established in the timing that the Father has laid out, but they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them to accomplish the task that they are commissioned to accomplish.

Purpose for receiving the Power (8b)

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Witnesses - ② one who affirms or attests, testifier, witness, of anyone who can or should testify to anything. ⓒ of witnesses who bear a divine message; approaches martyr. In this sense, above all, of Jesus’ disciples as the witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection. (Arndt, William et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000: 619–620. Print.)

We (church) have a divine message to testify to the world so they can know the truth of the Kingdom of God and humbly accept Christ as their Savior and Lord. This is the message of the Gospel.

We are witnesses to the Gospel message through our Words of proclamation and the Deeds of a transformed life.

The Holy Spirit is the one God promised to be a part of our lives to transform us and empower our witness.

Extent of our Witness (8c)

“in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The spread of the Gospel message is from Jerusalem to the end of the world.

“The phrase “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) does not refer to Rome, where Luke’s account ends. The mission will not end there. Rome, in Luke’s day, is the center of the empire, and all roads lead from it to the ends of the earth. In its westward extent, “the ends of the earth”. For Luke, however, it signifies the proclamation of the gospel to all people, wherever they may be.” (Garland, David E. Acts. Ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2017. Print. Teach the Text Commentary Series.)

The church is to be a witness to all people in the world, wherever and whenever they are. We, as individual parts of the whole church, have a part in being a witness to the message of God through our words and deeds.

The time of continuing His ministry. (vs. 9–11)

Ascension of Jesus (vs 9)

Acts 1:9 (ESV)

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Message of the Angels (10-11)

Acts 1:10–11 (ESV)

10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Message to the Disciples (11): Jesus will return someday.

We have the hope and Joy of knowing that Jesus will return one day and we will be with Him.

John 14:1–3 (ESV)

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

This is also an indication that we are on mission as witnesses of Jesus Christ until he returns.

Matthew 24:14 (ESV)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.” (cmalliance.org)

The mission of the Church is to be an active witness in the world with the incredible message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that will need the empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit until the Lord returns.

Lessons from Luke (adapted from:Teach the Text Commentary Series)

Jesus does not abandon the disciples to visions and rumors but provides them with evidence that his resurrection is real as he continues to teach them before he is taken up into heaven.

Jesus’s resurrection and ascension pave the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, launching a worldwide mission.

The disciples are powerless on their own and must wait for the Holy Spirit to clothe them with power.

We are on mission until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is our hope and motivation for faithful service.

Benediction

Romans 15:13 (ESV)

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.