ACTS - Week 1

Introduction

Think of your favorite book or movie series. What is it? Can you think of a series where the sequel is better than the original?

Open in Prayer

Review

READ Luke 1:1-4

Luke 1:1–4 CSB

Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

Who wrote the book of Acts?

Luke wrote Acts as a history of the earliest days of the church.

Who was the original audience of this book?

The original audience of Luke, narrowly speaking, is Theophilus. More broadly, though, Luke has written Acts with elements that appeal to both Jew and Greek, so the ultimate audience appears to be any Christian from any ethnicity.

Why was the book of Acts written?

The book of Acts was written to record the works of God in the early church.

Lesson

Acts 1 CSB

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters—the number of people who were together was about a hundred twenty—and said, “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.” Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out. This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Field of Blood). “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his dwelling become desolate; let no one live in it; and Let someone else take his position. “Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry that Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Acts 2:1–13 CSB

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

Questions

To whom does Luke address this book at the beginning of Acts?

Theophilus.

How does Jesus present Himself to His disciples (v. 3)?

According to verse 3, He presents Himself alive to them after His sufferings, and He gives the disciples “many proofs.”

Why does Jesus order His disciples to stay in Jerusalem (vv. 4-5)?

He commands them to stay in Jerusalem “to wait for the promise of the Father.”

In verse 6, what question do the disciples ask Jesus (v. 6)?

They ask Him if He will now restore the kingdom to Israel.

According to verse 8, where will His disciples be witnesses to Him?

They will be witnesses to Jesus in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

What happens to Jesus in verse 9?

He is lifted up, and a cloud takes Him out of their sight. This is typically called “The Ascension” because it is when Jesus ascends to heaven after His resurrection.

In Acts 2:2, how does Luke describe the day of Pentecost?

There came from heaven the sound of a mighty rushing wind; it filled the entire house where they were sitting; and divided tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

What happens to the believers as a result of this in verse 4?

They become filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to speak in tongues.

What do the Jews in Jerusalem hear the believers saying (vv. 6, 11)?

They hear the believers speaking in the native languages of the Jews; the believers are “telling…the mighty works of God.”

What is the reaction of the Jews who hear their own languages coming from the believers (v. 13)?

They are amazed and perplexed, but some mock and say that the believers are drunk.

Closing Questions

Why does Luke make a point to say, in Acts 1:3, that Jesus presented Himself “alive…after his suffering…by many proofs”?

Luke is making it clear that Jesus really did suffer, die, and rise from the dead in His literal flesh and blood. The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, so it makes sense that Luke would emphasize not only that Jesus presented Himself alive, but also that He would do so “by many proofs.” It’s tempting for modern readers to think that folks in the first century were much more susceptible to hoaxes (like a fake or staged resurrection, perhaps), but they knew just as well as we do that dead people don’t come back to life. That’s why they required “many proofs,” and that’s why Jesus gave them many proofs—to show really and truly that He had died and risen.

What is the significance of Jesus sending out His disciples from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)?

It’s obvious in Acts 1:8 that Jesus is sending His disciples out into the world to tell everyone that He has died and has risen from the dead, paying the penalty for the sins of His people and ultimately defeating death. He sends them out from Jerusalem, where they’re dwelling, to Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth, to everyone, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile. This tells us that Jesus’ work is for everyone who will believe in Him, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or skin color, among other things. What’s more, this mission extends throughout the book of Acts, as followers of Jesus minister to diverse crowds in diverse places.

Read Acts 2:5-13 one more time. This is Luke’s account of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit is poured out upon Jews who follow Jesus. What is the significance of this event for both the Jews who follow Jesus and the foreign Jews who observe Pentecost?

The Jews who follow Jesus receive the Holy Spirit in a way that’s new and different from the way that God’s people experienced the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, we read of the Holy Spirit “coming on” or “coming to” people, but never really staying. Here, though, we have the Holy Spirit being given in a more permanent way (see Peter’s quoting of the prophecy of Joel 2 in Acts 2:17). The Holy Spirit is poured out in a way noticeable even to outsiders, as the foreign Jews each hear their own language being spoken. They are “bewildered” (v. 6), and “amazed and perplexed” (v. 12), though some mock (v. 13). These foreign Jews take notice, through the speaking in tongues, of the “mighty works of God” (v. 12).

Read John 14:16. Do you notice any connections between the words of Jesus in John 14, the promise of Acts 1:4-5, and the Pentecost scene here in Acts 2?

Jesus promises that, even though He is going to leave, He's going to send another comforter to His people. This is the promise that Jesus is referring to in Acts 1:4-5, which is ultimately fulfilled in the scene at Pentecost. It's worth noting that in the John passage, Jesus follows up His statement that He will leave the disciples with the promise that another comforter would come to them—He must have been anticipating some sadness on their part at His departure, and He meets that with a promise that an ever-present person, the Holy Spirit, will be poured out on His people after He ascends, and He will be with them at all times and in all places.

Why do you think Luke notes the two reactions—one of amazement and one of mockery—in Acts 2:5-13?

These, in truth, are the only two reactions we can have to the Lord. We can either be amazed, or we can mock— we're not left with a third option, as C.S. Lewis notes in his famous "Lunatic, Liar, or Lord" Either the God of the Bible really is the triune creator of the universe, or He is a liar and a false god—if He exists at all. For God to say the things He does about what He has done leaves open to us only these two options.

The Trilemma

In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis observes that Jesus cannot be merely a good, moral teacher. A person who said

the things Jesus said can only be one of three things: a lunatic who thought He was God, a liar who was merely trying to

fleece some gullible Galileans into giving Him power or influence, or the Lord of the universe who was in fact everything he

claimed to be. He simply hasn't left open the option for us to admire Him as a good moral teacher. The observers at

Pentecost bear this out—they respond in amazement or mockery and unbelief. There doesn't seem to be any shoulder-

shrugging or impartiality to what God is doing in their midst.

So who is Jesus, and by extension, who is God to you—a lunatic, a liar, or the Lord?

Even though these events took place 2,000 years ago, what is significant for you, today, from this passage?

Answers might vary, but be sure to point your students toward the fact that after Jesus' ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit to be a comforter who is always present with us. This means that even though we can't have coffee with Jesus the way we might with our friends or family, He's present with us in a much closer way through His Spirit, who dwells within us.