Acts 1 - the Victorious Church
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The darkness before the dawn.
The darkness before the dawn.
This passage is what happens when the spell has been broken and the enemy is vanquished. You can see the tragedy that loomed and the blood on the battle field but right one and evil lost. The fog that once shrouded the sky has lifted and all the stress and anger and hopeless ness that existed just before the fight has melted away leaving those that have the victory to pick up the pieces.
That is what happened make no mistake about it. Satan was working about a wicked plan moving pieces on the chess board of politics and disciples. Each piece a sign of Satan’s devastating scheme.
The Sanhedrin
Envious of Jesus’ popularity Matthew 27:18
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
They saw Him as a risk to their power John 11:47-53
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
They did not like His teachings, such as:
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
They wanted Jesus out of the way and thought that by killing Him they would succeed. In particular, having Him publicly killed by the Romans would be especially excruciating and humiliating, and it would (they thought) scare off His followers by showing them that Jesus was an enemy to Rome.
Peter
Many interpret Jesus' words in Matthew 16:23 as evidence that Satan manipulated Peter into attempting to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross Matthew 16:21-23
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Satan would have loved to see Peter:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Judas
Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
We know that Satan used Judas directly in the Crucifixion of our Savior.
Satan
The architect of the treachery here wanted Jesus to be crucified for a very different reason. As noted in other responses, Satan wanted Jesus to fail as Savior. Satan knew full well who Jesus was.
Satan wanted to disrupt, slow and stop God’s purposes and make Him fail in His word. Satan wanted to rule, to smite people down, he wanted the glory and the power, he wanted to be better than everyone else—and he thought he could outsmart God.
Satan’s end-game
What ultimately was Satan hoping to accomplish through the betrayal of Judas, the envy of the Sanhedrin, and the misplaced devotion of Peter? Luke understood:
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
That word “if” perfectly planted was set to demonstrate that Jesus would fall short of God’s plan of Salvation. That in the terror of the garden he would pull up short.
Satan wanted to disrupt the plan of God by getting Jesus to fail in His mission. There was only one Christ (the Anointed One); there was no backup Savior. God gave His Only Begotten Son. The atonement of Christ was the showdown between the Greatest that God sent and the worst Satan could muster. Satan was blinded by his arrogance then as he was before; God had Satan beat since before the foundation of the world.
The plan of salvation was anchored in faith from the very beginning—the Father trusted the Son and knew Him well enough to know He would not fail.
Satan was the one that Failed.
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Why interrupt our anticipation:
I want you to recognize with me tonight that we see a church in the waiting. While we are excited to jump into the events of Pentecost. The souls saved and the church exploding and the gospel going in every direction.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Luke makes a point to stop and fill in some behind the scenes church business. God in heaven chose to interupt our narritive with this account of replacing the number of the 12.
Twelve has been an important number in the Word of God. We find it used in the Old Testament. I am not into Numerology but it is simple for me to point out that there were twelve tribes of Israel. We find it is the number that Jesus called to follow him. And it will matter in the final kingdom.
Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
So what may seem like a weird distraction is important business to the Lord. God will not have his church ill equipped. The Apostles were a unique set of men for a unique period of time.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
It is to this crowd Peter steps out and declares…
“This scripture must needs be fulfilled.”
Peter steps out with the highest authority - the Authority of Scripture…
Notice that Peter doesn’t come out saying, Hey guys this is what I feel. This is what I think. No God is recording none other that the authority of Scripture at work among his church.
Peter is going to turn his attention to the book of Psalms. Note: Peter doesnt’ approach this passage and say now it really isn’t important what the psalms say because they are just songs. OR they aren’t for us today. He is compeltely depending on the Psalms as a guide to the church.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
I. Scripture is the source of authority.
God demonstrates what happens when a man works against the son of God.
Wait I thought Judas repented.
Remember he was sorrowful and threw the silver.
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Judas went to his death with the same attitude he lived with. He could take what he wanted from the Lord’s purse. And he could take his own life, even though that too belong to the Lord.
This is not the only loss to be had by those who crucify Jesus.
Judas was the first of those who would know the curse of the father.
Over the remainder of the book of acts, we will see God’s purposes executed upon the religious leaders. And we will watch them in helpless shame, as they are unable to stop the power of the gospel.
The book of acts will play as a conquest of a nation of the redeemed stomping out the validity or need of the religious rulers as they burst open and lie dead on the pages of history and Christianity will remain.
The people of Israel, who cheered at the crucifixion of Jesus Will meet their devastation 70 years later, Jerusalem will be ransacked. Its temple torn down, and the promise of Jesus to pray by faith that the mountain will be removed and cast into the sea will be fulfilled in the devastation Israel is a nation.
II. Rightly Handling the Word is the key to authority.
Where did Peter come up with the idea that this passage had anything to do with the church?
Was this just some random passage she was reading and thought this would fit?
How did Peter know that this passage was about Judas Jesus and the disciples?
Peter quotes from
For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten;
And they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
This is what is called a messianic psalm.
It is written about David. But in the office of David, as the anointed one of God in the psalm, David is a Messiah, small M he is a stand and a type for the Messiah he is pointing to the Messiah that will come .
Consider another of the psalms.
They gave me also gall for my meat;
And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
This passage is fulfilled in Matthew, while Jesus was on the cross
And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
So, when Peter reaches 26 and sees what happens to those who have mistreated the Messiah. He knows that this was to happen to those who mistreated Jesus
Noticed that Judas is the only one who is replaced, and it is because of this passage scripture in chapter 12 James will be murdered, but they will not replace him, because he did not leave his office as Judas had abandoned his.
What’s amazing to me is that the disciples never saw this coming.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
Which did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
When Jesus told the group that one was going to betray them, you would expect everybody to step back and look at Judas. But he was ministering and serving and numbered him among the 11 he would never have been able to see it from the outside they all asked is it me?
This is why we do not put our faith in men. How many see the failures of men in church and they blame the church that Jesus is building
They imagine that the failure of a Christian speaks of the foundation upon which Jesus builds, do not put your hope in men. Do not build your faith on your pastors. Faith men will fail you, but Christchurch is not failing.
Christ will build his church and what we see an act. One is a Victorious church. A church that is marching forward, a church that has been attacked and came out on the other side of the battle, scarred and tired but victorious.
Christ gospel work through the truth his church carries marches on, despite what it looks like in the face of roadblocks and failures. We can trust that Christ is victorious.
We his church must not doubt his Authoritative Word.
We his church must not doubt his Authoritative Word.