Acts 1:15-20

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15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry." 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate. And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'" ~ Acts 1:15-20

Today, we return to our study of the book of Acts where the setting is Jerusalem where 120 followers of the Lord Jesus have gathered in the courts of the Temple. The Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven and He is about to send His Holy Spirit to indwell those who have believed on Him as their Savior. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is uniquely Christian. No Old Testament believer had such a relationship with the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the Lord’s promise to the New Testament believer. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is essential to the believer's salvation. In Romans 8:9 we read, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 'Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.'"

Peter, along with 120 other believers gathered in Jerusalem at the Temple courts in order to replace Judas who had betrayed the Lord. Peter of all people led this meeting. This was the guy who had denied he knew the Lord. And, the third time he denied knowing Him, he used language that was not befitting for the believer. Of course, Peter employed such language in order to save himself from being identified as a follower of the Lord Jesus. How miserable it must have been for Peter when he heard the predicted crow of the rooster in that early morning.

Even though Peter was different than Judas, he was not that much different. The difference was made by their individual responses to failure. Due to the fact that Peter's pain drove him to the Lord Jesus, he was granted a meeting with the Lord Jesus where at the Sea of Galilee the Lord restored him. It was there that Peter was bolstered to be the man he was that particular day in Jerusalem. In order for him to know the strength of the Lord, he had to be made aware of his weakness. It is out of this posture of great weakness that we serve the Lord best. Underscored here is the utter importance of being defined by God. When He defines us, we can do anything as long as it is within the boundaries of His definition for us.

Also underscored here is the fact that the God of the Bible is the God of small beginnings and He reminds us to not despise the days of small beginnings. He doesn't look upon the insignificant and automatically conclude it is insignificant. It was the Lord Jesus who used the small meal of the insignificant little boy to feed so many. We are wise when we faithfully present what little we have to Him. While you and I have no power to multiply what little we have to offer the Lord, He has the power to make of it something big if He so desires! The point is: our lives have meaning and purpose as we learn to live according to His definitions of things.

In this seemingly insignificant context, Peter stood up and addressed those gathered. He highlighted the fact that in the Old Testament passage of Psalm 41:9 that a close friend would betray the Lord Jesus. Of course, this happened when Judas went to the religious leaders of first century Israel and agreed to betray the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Had he out of his brokenness turned to the Lord as Peter did, his story would have had a different outcome. Judas was entirely responsible for the decision he made to betray the Lord and to not embrace the Lord through his brokenness. His betrayal of the Lord was a deliberate act on his behalf. It wasn’t done in a sudden burst of anger or a fit of uncontrolled rage. Judas sought out the religious leaders of Israel and offered to betray Him. 

The story of Judas is one of the most tragic in the Bible. He had seen the Lord Jesus perform miracles and he heard all of His teaching. And yet it seems, in his heart, he had never become a believer. Like the other disciples, Judas participated in ministry but that didn't mean he was included in the family of God. It was when Judas realized that the Lord Jesus didn't fit his description of what the Messiah should be that he invited greed into his heart. Sadly, though Judas was one of the original twelve, he chose to betray the Lord. He literally kissed the door to heaven and missed eternity with God.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)"

God didn’t make Judas choose as he did. Sadly, with him even knowing it, Judas was defined and controlled by Satan himself.  Amazingly, God allowed Judas into the redemptive story of mankind. Judas wasn’t made to betray Christ. No, he chose money over the Lord. This, by the way, has long been the tactic of Satan. In Ezekiel 28:16 we read, "Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned." Satan has long been known to trip others up through his abilities in trade and commerce. He even tried to trip up the Lord Jesus by offering Him the economies of this world.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate. And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'"

In his speech that day, Peter referenced two Old Testament passages to explain the death of Judas. He referenced Psalm 69 and Psalm 109. This is important because Peter was learning the utter necessity that he and all with him be defined by the God of the Bible. The Apostle Peter knew the Lord Jesus as the Word. The Apostle John would later write, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." 

The Lord Jesus is "the Word" who is "the Creator." It was through His words that He defined all things in the beginning. It is words that make sense of things. It is words that bring reason to things. Since the Lord Jesus is the Definer of all things, when we embrace anything that is not consistent with His definition of it, well, we find ourselves in opposition with Him. We are either being defined by the world or we are being defined by the Word. The world is all about the self and what it desires. And, those who are actively being defined by the flesh oppose the Lord. The Lord is the Word which is the Greek word from which we get our English word "logic." To be logical is to be reasonable and the Lord Jesus is our reason for everything.

Acts 1:12-14

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12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.) 13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there. 14 They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers. ~ Acts 1:12-14

Today, we continue our study of Acts 1 where the Lord Jesus has met with His disciples for the final time before He returned to His Father in heaven. The Lord Jesus had taught His disciples the message of the Gospel and He had revealed Himself to them in His glorified post-resurrection body in order that they might be confident that He was enabling them to live and to teach the life of faith He had called them to. And now, He has ascended to His Father so that the promised Holy Spirit would come and empower them to walk with Him.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.)"

After meeting with the Lord this final time the disciples returned to Jerusalem. Earlier the Lord Jesus had told them to stay and wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, the promised Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus had also made it clear that when the Holy Spirit came His disciples would have the power to fulfill His call on their lives. So, the disciples stayed in Jerusalem for the power that would fuel their mission. They had to wait and by waiting they displayed their submission to the will of the Lord. 

Waiting is hard to do especially when we have been granted such a life-changing true story. The word "wait" is used some 135 times in the Bible. One of the Hebrew words for waiting combines tension with a sense of anticipation or looking ahead. The word’s origins are connected to the twisting or stretching of a cord giving the idea that tension is part of what it means to grow in the Lord. We do not naturally enjoy this tension. The discomfort makes it seem like something is wrong. We waste a lot of waiting because we resist the sense of powerlessness that comes with it. When we give up on the power of the self life, it is then that we gain the wisdom of God. The ultimate issue herein is that we are granting control to Him instead of keeping it ourselves. And so, the disciples waited on the arrival of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there."

When the disciples arrived in Jerusalem, they went to the upper room where they resided for the time being. It was common for the houses in Jerusalem to have these upper rooms. Often these rooms were useful for prayer. This room was a big "upper room" to be able to fit so many people there. They obviously went to this room to pray and to wait on the arrival of the Holy Spirit. But, God didn't send the Holy Spirit to them while they were in the upper room praying.  

Patience is so important in our walk with the Lord. Max Lucado once said, "Impatience is selfishness with time." Although most consider patience to be a passive waiting or a gentle tolerance, the Bible paints a different picture. Patience is being selfless with our time. The idea of "patience" in the Bible includes the idea of "endurance." We run the race patiently by persevering through the trials that show up in our lives from day to day. These trials are key at slowing us down and focusing us upon the Lord. In the Bible, patience involves perseverance, enduring trials, and expectantly waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled. The development of our understanding of God’s power and His goodness are crucial to the development of our patience.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers."

This is the last mention of Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, in the Bible. After this, she is not mentioned. The early church didn't venerate her as others. Even the Lord Jesus didn't give any undue adulation to Mary as the mother of God. Mary is never exalted in the Scriptures. In fact, she is only exalted in reference to the child who was born to her, not of her. You will remember that on one occasion in Mark 3, the Lord Jesus was teaching in a house. His brothers and mother came, and they sent somebody in to tell Him that they wanted to talk to Him. To that the Lord Jesus replied, "Who is My mother? Who are My brothers and sisters?" And then He pointed to the audience and He said, "Whoever does the will of my Father, the same are my family." You see, the Lord Jesus minimized the spiritual significance of Mary and His biological family. Underscored in His response was the fact that His family had to be redeemed just like everyone else. There is no theology about the mother of the Lord in the Scriptures. Paul never mentions her in any of his doctrines of redemption. 

It is no small thing that the brothers of the Lord Jesus are mentioned here in today's passage. In Mark 6 four of His brothers are mentioned. This means after the Lord Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had children. At least four other boys and some sisters. That smacks in the face of the idea that Mary was a perpetual virgin. In John 7:5 we learn, "His brothers and sisters did not believe in Him." This changed when the Lord Jesus appeared to His brother James after His resurrection. After seeing His brother who was crucified alive, James very likely became the catalyst for the rest of the family to believe in the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. 

So, they all gathered together in this upper room with the disciples and Mary and some other women to pray. We mustn't misunderstand this: the coming of the Holy Spirit did not depend on their prayers. They didn’t have to ask for Him to come. The Holy Spirit was "the promise of the Father" according to the Lord Jesus. These followers of the Lord Jesus were praying, because for the first time, they were physically removed from Him, and the only communication they had with Him was through their prayers which was a new thing. And, when the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2:2, they weren’t praying at all, they were just sitting around. The cultural posture of prayer was to stand or to kneel but they were just sitting. Their prayers had nothing to do with whether or not the Holy Spirit came. It had everything to do with their ability to wait. Waiting on God is a big theme in the Bible. Especially when we have come to the end of our will and we are postured to appreciate His.

Acts 1:9-11

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9 After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go." ~ Acts 1:9-11

Today, we return to our study of Acts 1 where the plan of God for the gospel of Jesus Christ to spread throughout the known world through the yielded lives of believers is becoming more evident to the disciples. In today's passage the Lord Jesus has been meeting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives for the final time before His ascension back to His Father in Heaven. Overall, He appeared to them forty times since His resurrection some forty days earlier. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most documented event in the history of this world. There has never been any reputable accounts of any witnesses disputing the appearances of the Lord Jesus to His disciples. Not a single one.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight."

Having just reminded His disciples that they would be equipped to be His witnesses with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus went up into the clouds and traveled back to heaven. It is important to point out His ascension was bodily and visible because that will be the way He will return at His Second Coming. This will not be the case when He raptures the Church. In fact, only the raptured will see Him and He will not set His feet on the earth as He will at His Second Coming. The Lord Jesus Christ ascension into heaven was yet another confirmation that He was God incarnate. 

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.'"

While the disciples stood there looking up into the sky, there appeared two angels who were wearing white clothes. It was at His tomb after His resurrection that two angels sat, one at the place where His feet were and the other where His head had been. This was reminiscent of the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in the Old Testament. The angels asked the disciples why they looked into the sky as if the ascension of the Lord Jesus was an everyday occurrence. The disciples were like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus who wanted the Lord to stay with them physically.

In John 16 the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "It is expedient for you that I go away." It was to the disciples advantage that the Lord Jesus return to heaven because without His ascension He would not have been able to send His Spirit to live within them. The coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit happened on the day of Pentecost. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are believers in Christ able to live the Christian life.

In Colossians 3:2 we read, "So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, pursue the things over which Christ presides." God is always quick to remind us that our hopes and our dreams are not to be fulfilled here on this earth. No, our hopes and our dreams must pass through the sieve of God's will for our lives. Our lives are in Christ and our home is in heaven not here on this earth. While most people in this world find their home on this earth, believers in Christ know our home to be where Christ is in heaven. 

In the last chapter of Zechariah, chapter 14, God will use the greed and blood-thirstiness of a world under the complete control of Satan to bring all of history to this final end. The end will take place in the valley of Armageddon. There, the armies of the world will gather against Jerusalem. And, that battle will produce incredible bloodshed and devastation. The enemies of Israel will seem to have accomplished their goal, but, as we are informed, God will miraculously intervene.  

At that moment, Israel's enemies will have such a great sense of confidence that they will become most vulnerable as they begin to divvying up the wealth of the Jews right there on the spot. And, just at the moment when all will seem lost for the Jews, the Lord Jesus Christ will break through the clouds. This will be the long-awaited arrival of the Day of the Lord which is mentioned in the Bible over twenty times. It will be a day of redemption for those humble enough to cry out to God for His salvation and it will be a day of judgment for those who refused to receive the free gift of forgiveness of sin through the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven He ascended from the Mount of Olives. And, at His Second Coming, according to Zechariah 14, He will return to the very same spot upon the Mount of Olives. He left this world from the Mount of Olives, visibly and bodily and to the Mount of Olives He will return visibly and bodily. The disciples didn't understand that the Lord Jesus left this world to subtly reveal that in the same way He left this world, He would return to it at the end. Seismologists have reported that there is a fault line running under and through the Mount of Olives. It is waiting for a very strategic set of footprints that will break that fault and cause an earthquake this world has never seen before nor shall ever see again. 

Acts 1:6-8

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6 When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, "Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?" 7 Jesus said to them, "The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world." ~ Acts 1:6-8

Today, we return to our study of the book of Acts. The disciples lives at this point were turned upside down. Whereas for the past number of years they were practically with the Lord Jesus every minutes of every day, now they were seeing Him periodically. Undoubtedly, the disciples lived on pens and needles anticipating when the Lord would appear to them again. And, don't you know, they were anxious everyday that He did not show up. In a strange way the Lord Jesus' "absence" was key for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were so used to God's physical presence they had to be prepared for His presence in a different way.

The Holy Spirit is not a bonus feature of Christianity. He is essential. The Holy Spirit is a person who lives in the believer. He is God in us. The Holy Spirit is the believer's Comforter, Teacher, Guide, and Empowerer. We were never meant to live the Christian life alone. The Holy Spirit leads us daily into a more intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. The role of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to draw our attention to Him as our friend, our Lord and our Savior. God has given the Holy Spirit the role of sanctifying the believer into usefulness for His kingdom while on this earth. 

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, 'Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?'"

The disciples were relentless at asking the Lord Jesus if He was about to restore the physical kingdom to Israel. Their theology, yet again, betrayed them. This just highlights the utter need for us to continually refine our understanding of God and His culture. This is only done as we learn to walk in the Spirit through His Word. We were "born again" by the entrance of God's Holy Spirit into our lives. It was then that we entered into a process know as "sanctification." This process will last until we take our final breath on this earth. It is a process whereby God is inculcating His culture into our souls. Sanctification is the process whereby God is instilling His way of thinking into us. With the change of thinking, we will choose His way of living.

The disciples' problem was they thought God's kingdom was like the kingdoms of this world where might is right. This is not a biblical understanding of God's kingdom. God's kingdom refers to our right relationship with Him through the finished work of His Son on the cross. And, as we learn throughout the epistles beginning with Romans all of the way through the book of the Revelation the kingdom of God applies to all who discover the Lord Jesus as their Savior, both Jew and Gentile. The application of God's kingdom will eventually bring an end of the kingdom of the self life which is the product of this world and of Satan. Through His kingdom applied by the Holy Spirit we are being saved from ourselves.

Now, the "kingdom of Israel," spoken of by many Old Testament prophets is yet to come. In the Old Testament, there are hundreds of passages that describe a kingdom to be given again to Israel, identified with the eternal kingdom promised to David and his descendants. It will be realized during "the kingdom age" or the Millennium which will take place after the Rapture of the Church. It will be during that 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth that all of the promises God has ever made specifically to Israel for their possession of the land of Israel and the reign of the Messiah over the nations will be fulfilled.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Jesus said to them, 'The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.'"

The disciples were anxious for the beginning of what they thought God's kingdom would look like. They didn't realize it but God had all whole different plan in mind. So the Lord Jesus told them it was not for them to know times or seasons which the Father knows and determines. It was at that moment the Lord Jesus highlighted the fact that with the coming of the Holy Spirit believers will have access to a new power. The word "power" is the word from which we get our English word "dynomite" which will translate into the ability to be God's witnesses or martyrs. We get our word "martyrs" from the word translated "witnesses" here. God's ways are so different than ours.

The Lord told those early followers they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and then, into all of the world. The message we gain from the book of Acts is how the powerful message of the gospel goes out into ever widening circles. When we became believers we all experienced this effect of coming to know the Lord for ourselves. It started with us getting saved, then we told our families, our friends, and then the circle widened.

The book of Acts records events that took place among the believers in Israel during a 30 year period. Thirty years of church history are included in this book. From AD 33 to AD 63, about 30 years the events of this book took place. In this book there are recorded 30 miracles, that's an average of about a miracle a year. Although the God of the Bible is a God of miracles, we must never get caught up with the miracle when the design of the miracle is that we are to be caught up with the Miracle Maker.

Once born again each believer has the potential to experience the power of God in such a way that we will be able to point others to the Lord Jesus. We limit the power of God in and through us when we slip back into independence. As long as we are aware that we need the Lord His power in unlimited. The problem we face with God's power is that it isn't always what we expect it to be. When we live our lives as if everything depends on us, we will miss the power of God. This is when the Lord has to raise our quality of faith to the level where we will stand only upon what He says. Our victory was won at the cross and that victory is Jesus overcoming us. He overcomes us by strengthening us with the power of His Spirit within us. This happens when we are convinced a little bit more today that He is the source of any victory we enjoy. The normal Christian life is lived when we tap into God's divine ability. The surrendered life is an active, daily dying to self. When we are willing to die to our own agendas, God’s power is unleashed in and through our lives.

We cower away from God's definition of things, especially His definition of His power. Like the disciples, we have a skewed understanding of God's power. Peter reminds us "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life." God's goal in giving us His power is that we may enjoy godly lives. This means we will be known as those who love unconditionally, those who forgive, those who are actively turning our backs on the self life. And, God never leads us to godliness without His strength to do it. With God’s power at work in us, we will be able to do what we simply cannot do in our own human strength.

Acts 1:5

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John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ~ Acts 1:5

Today, we return to our study of the book of Acts which is a full presentation of the immediate history of the work the Lord Jesus accomplished through His followers after His ascension to heaven. The book of Acts is a record of the incarnate works of the Lord Jesus through His followers. It includes many examples of God's power exercised in the midst of even persecution. It is an account of the life from a living Christ through the yielded lives of His followers. The book of Acts, written by Luke who wrote the third gospel which bears his name, provides for us God's strategy by which He is changing this fallen world. Among many messages, the book of Acts reveals to us how God organically changes people from the inside out. He does this by instilling the gospel in the hearts of people via the promised Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is therefore an unfinished book. It has never ended and it is still being written through the lives of believers today. 

Before the Lord Jesus went to the Cross of Calvary, John the Baptist was sent by God to tell the people of Israel to turn from their sins because the promised Messiah had come. John's message of baptism of repentance specifically challenged Israel to turn from depending upon themselves. John's message was necessary because in the coming of the Lord Jesus the kingdom of God was near and Israel had to be prepared to receive Him. John’s baptism was one in water and of repentance. But more, his ministry was one of directing people to the One who was to come. John's baptism anticipated the baptism of the Holy Spirit but John probably didn't realize it until that day it was revealed to him that standing before him was the Lamb of God who came in order to take away the sin of the world.

The "water" of John’s baptism was an outward washing of the body. It was a ritual purification intended to demonstrate an inward change in the person. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an internal purification of the soul. Throughout the Bible the Lord used "fire" to describe this baptism. As John immersed the people in the waters of the Jordan River, so the Lord Jesus immerses believers in the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Holy Spirit was God’s stamp of approval upon the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

The Lord Jesus told the disciples His baptism would happen to them in a few days. No set time was given. The apostles only knew that they were to wait in Jerusalem. There are those who say there is no need to perform water baptism, that it was only intended for Israel. Though it is true that John’s baptism was in water and a baptism of repentance, this does not negate the requirement for water baptism for believers under the New Covenant. In fact, it is after the establishment of the New Covenant that the Lord began to require water baptism for believers.

When we believed in the Lord Jesus as our Savior and invited Him into our lives we were "born again." This means that God made our once dead to God spirit now alive to Him. As a result we began to learn how to give our heart to the Lord. It was then that God began to give us His heart. It is primarily our brokenness that made the Lord Jesus precious to us. To be in Christ means we have arrived before God perfect through His Son in whom we believe and now we can finally rest. The Holy Spirit is now convincing us that we no longer stand condemned by God. In fact, when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin or our imperfections. He now sees the perfection and the righteousness of His Son applied to us.

Finally, now that we have been inhabited by God's Spirit, we are now alive to Him. It wasn't water baptism that made us alive to God. No, water baptism is an outward sign of the inner baptism. This was necessary because we had been made dead to Him by sin. Now, we not only have access to His presence, we now have access to His power. This is very important because we could not be successful at living the Christian life without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As believers in the Lord we have been freed from the pressure to perform or to earn or maintain God’s love. And now, by faith we live convinced that we have been made righteous in the eyes of the only One who matters. Amazingly, it is now the Lord Jesus who is defining us by His truth. As a result we are moving from trusting ourselves to trusting Him. Our lives now are an adventure. Every day our assignment is to "abide in Him" and allow Him to do in and through us what only He can do. 

Acts 1:1-4

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1 The first book I wrote was about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up into heaven. Before this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the apostles he had chosen what they should do. 3 After his death, he showed himself to them and proved in many ways that he was alive. The apostles saw Jesus during the forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. 4 Once when he was eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, "Wait here to receive the promise from the Father which I told you about." ~ Acts 1:1-4

Today, we begin a new study of the book of Acts. The title accurately reflects the contents of the book, which is a series of true stories chronicling the continuing work of the Lord Jesus in and through His early followers. The first fourteen verses of chapter one constitute an introduction to the whole book. The book begins with the spotlight primarily on the Apostle Peter and it ends with the spotlight primarily on the Apostle Paul. 

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 The first book I wrote was about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up into heaven. Before this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the apostles he had chosen what they should do."

The first book Luke wrote was his account of the life and the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the other gospel accounts, Luke's gospel told the story leading up to the ultimate message of the cross. He went on to declare that our salvation is dependent solely upon our faith in the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, that it paid the penalty for our sin. Having completed that first book, Luke continued to write about all that the Lord Jesus continued to do through His Apostles.

The book of Acts begins with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. And from then Luke presents an exact and precise history of the first century believers. The most accurate description of the book of Acts really should be understood as "The Acts of the Lord Jesus through His people by the Holy Spirit." 

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "After his death, he showed himself to them and proved in many ways that he was alive. The apostles saw Jesus during the forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. 4 Once when he was eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, 'Wait here to receive the promise from the Father which I told you about.'"

In these two verses we are given three specific things that prove that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. The first is that He appeared to His followers during the forty days after His resurrection. In v.3 Luke used the word "saw" to make the argument that the Lord Jesus was alive when the apostles encountered Him. The Greek word "saw" is ophthalmia which literally means "the eyeball." The disciples "eyeballed" the Lord Jesus for forty days. They saw him over and over, not just once, but many times during that period of time. The second category of proof Luke presents is that the Lord Jesus "spoke to them about the kingdom of God." And, the third was that "he ate with them." And, as He ate, they saw the food that He was eating disappear. The apostles saw Him, they heard Him and they saw Him eat food. These three empirical evidences confirm the Lord Jesus had actually risen and was alive.

The most common theme in the teaching of the Lord Jesus is "the kingdom of God." This phrase occurs at least 68 times in the New Testament. It is a synonym of "the kingdom of heaven" which occurs about 32 times. This theme primarily refers to God’s rule and reign, both now and forevermore. It’s about God’s authority being recognized and followed, both in individual lives and in the world as a whole. It’s not just a future hope, but also a present reality experienced by faith in the Lord Jesus who promises we will never come in second when we put Him first. 

The kingdom of God is something we experience daily. When we forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, the kingdom of God has shown up in our lives. When the poor are served, when our enemies are blessed, when we pursue justice, or we speak the truth in love, the kingdom of God has come. When a sinful human heart turns to God, heaven celebrates because the Kingdom has come. God’s rule is not about political power, cultural dominance, or visible status. It’s about His definition of all things. There is great comfort found in the fact that Christ's throne is occupied and His tomb is empty. He arose and went forth to establish His kingdom in the hearts of willing people and the pillars of His kingdom are made of humility, love, mercy, grace, truth, joy, honesty, patience and gentleness, among others.

Today's passage ends with the promise of the Holy Spirit who carries out the promise of God that He will always be with us. When we were "born again" we were made alive to God and empowered by God to do His will in this world. It is due to the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives that we persevere in the faith. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the life and the mind of the Lord Jesus to us and in us. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us the way of grace that we might teach others the same.

Matthew 28:18-20

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18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. ~ Matthew 28:18-20

Today, we conclude our study of the gospel according to Matthew. When it appeared to the disciples that all hope was lost the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ happened. Following His resurrection from the dead, He appeared to His followers no less than ten times. According to Acts 1:3, "He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Jesus Christ is the only person in history of whom we were told thousand of years in advance that He would be born of a virgin, that He would live a perfect life, die a perfect death and be raised from the dead. It was King David who wrote a thousand years before about His crucifixion and at a time crucifixion was unknown as a means of execution.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'"

You will remember that Matthew began his gospel by introducing the Lord Jesus as the King. He gave His royal lineage and had a group of kings seek Him as the King. And now, as Matthew concludes this account he quotes the Lord Jesus as having said, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." The authority given to the Lord Jesus by His Father made Him King over all kings. This means the Lord Jesus is in absolute charge of everything. It was Satan who had arrested authority over this world from Adam in the Garden of Eden. When the Lord Jesus came and lived a perfect life and died a perfect death, He was granted by His Father complete authority over everything, even over this fallen world. His authority is based upon who He is and subsequently what He has done on the cross on our behalf. His Father affirmed His authority when He raised Him from the dead. 

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

All believers have been granted the responsibility of making disciples. The calling of every believer is that we point people to our Savior praying they see Him for who He is and that they become His followers. The verb "make disciples" is an imperative meaning we are held responsible by God to be engaged in the lives of others around us to the point that we influence them to become followers of the Lord Jesus. But, we mustn't forget that He is the One who does the convincing and the discipling. We factor into the process as we share our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus with the lost and how God has led us to Himself and through this life. Integral to all of this is the involvement of His Spirit and His Word.

Even though it is the Lord Jesus who makes disciples, He involves us in bringing to Himself men and women, boys and girls. Our motive to participate in this work must be to bring glory to the Lord. We must not make disciples with selfish motives. The true sign that we are engaged in a way that brings glory to the Lord is that we are quick to give Him ALL the glory. As a result, our mission is to win the lost to the Lord Jesus. Interestingly, the Great Commission is repeated in all the four gospels but not in the epistles.

The Lord Jesus said, "Make disciples of all the nations" revealing yet again that God has always had a heart for all people groups. The word "nation" literally means "ethnic people groups." His desire has always been to bring lost people into a relationship with Himself. Interestingly when the Lord met with Abraham in Genesis 12 He had all the nations or all ethnic people groups in mind. 

In order to accomplish this task of "making disciples" the Lord has given us three directives: to go, to baptize, and to teach. Literally, He said, "as you are going." Our commission is as we live our daily lives we are to expect Him to bring people into our lives who have yet to believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior. He does not want us to wait until the world comes to us but that we are on mission, going to them. Once they come, we are to teach them the truths God has taught us. And, it isn’t just that they are taught. No, it is that we give them an example of what it means to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord God and to walk with Him and to abide in Him.

To baptize means to immerse those who believe in the Lord Jesus in water. God gave baptism to be an outward sign of an inward condition. Baptism is synonymous with salvation, though it in no way saves anyone. Water baptism is an object lesson of what happened to us when we first believed in the Lord Jesus and were baptized into the Spirit of God or were born again. Baptism is the outward visible symbol of what had been done by God in our hearts. 

When we were saved, we entered into a personal relationship with the Lord where He is increasingly becoming to us more and more real. This is where teaching comes into the process. A person who comes to Christ will be a learner. His learning is always moved forward by his hunger. This hunger was created by God and satisfied by Him, as well. When we were born again by the Holy Spirit, He delivered into our souls a desire to know Him. Thus, we seek Him in order to find Him. And, when we find Him, He teaches us His culture. We cannot teach others that which we have never been taught.

Today's passage ends with: "and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

When sin entered this world, we were separated from God's presence. The separation exists because God is perfect and we are not. A part of God’s perfection is His justice which demands that sin be judged. This is why the Lord Jesus came to die and to deal a death blow to death. This is what makes it possible for a perfect God to dwell in the hearts of sinful people. It also explains why God is always telling His people to build a place like the tabernacle or the temple. He issued those commands so that He could dwell among His people. The death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus made it possible for God to dwell within the believer, so the buildings are no longer needed. And, the secret to any success that we experience is His abiding presence within us.

Matthew 28:16-17

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16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ~ Matthew 28:16-17

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 28 which is the ultimate climax of the whole gospel. This is where the ministry of the Lord Jesus has always been pointing us. The ultimate and primary purpose of every born again believer in Jesus Christ is discovered in today's passage. It is the same primary purpose of the Lord Jesus and He desires it to be our primary purpose as well. If we get this right everything else will fall into its proper place.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go."

In order to frame up our ultimate purpose on this earth, we must first know how we arrived here. Just like each of the twelve disciples, we were called into a personal relationship with God through the message delivered to us through His Son. That message we know to be the "gospel" which literally means "good news." However, we will never truly appreciate the fact that it is good news until we are fully aware of the bad news. The bad news is that we were all conceived sinful, wretched and at odds with God. 

The disciples went to Galilee because the Lord Jesus had told them to meet Him there. The obedience of the disciples lead them further into an intimate relationship with the Lord, as it always does. The greater their intimacy with the Lord yielded a greater capacity for them to worship Him. That which we worship the most defines us best. Since God is the greatest reality in our lives then worship of Him is the most important thing we will ever do. Sadly, most think worship is about themselves feeling something but it is about our preoccupation with God whether it gives us good feelings or not. True worship happens when we treasure God above all.

In Romans 5:12 we read, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

We are all sinners not because we sin but because we were born sinners. This world was contaminated by sin when the serpent deceived Adam into eating from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Sin is anything that is contrary to what God has defined it. Adam had no reason to not be defined by God but he listened to the cunning deceitfulness of the one who was cast out of heaven because he wanted to be his own god.

Every little brand new birthed baby is an undeveloped ball of iniquity. According to Ephesians 2:1-3 every person ever birthed  was born dead in sin. In fact, according to Romans 5:10 we were the enemies of God because no one could escape the wide influence of sin. According to Romans 3:9-11 we all were contaminated some much by sin that God said there is no human who is righteous. This is the bad news that so beautifully frames up the good news.

Like the early disciples, once we learned of our rebellious sinfulness and then we heard to gospel, we turn to God for help by trusting in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 5:10-11 we read, "10 Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by the life of his Son. 11 And, in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us." God did something that we could not do for ourselves, He substantiated the truth by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sin. It was the Lord Jesus who earned a rich standing for us before God.

Having come to the Lord Jesus as their Savior the disciples followed Him. After He died, they hid out of fear that they would be treated like the Lord. The didn't understand that He was the Lamb of God who came to this earth to remedy our sin. And after the resurrection the Lord Jesus told His disciples to go to Galilee and wait for Him to show up there.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted."

When the disciples next saw the Lord Jesus in Galilee, they worshiped Him. This gets at our ultimate purpose which is to be defined by Him. Now, the fact is fellowship is an absolute essential for all of us but it is not our primary purpose. And yes, teaching is essential, and so is praise. But none of them, and not all of them in combination, are the primary purpose of our lives. None of these very worthy things are underscored as our primary purpose and why we are here on this earth. 

Our primary purpose is the ultimate message in Matthew, because it is the climactic one. When man fell in sin in the garden, because of man’s fall, all of the human race was condemned to death and to hell. The whole human race died to God in the sin of Adam. But immediately, God set out to redeem man back to Himself, out of His gracious love.

According to the last verse of today's passage, "When the disciples saw the Lord Jesus they worshiped Him." They worshiped the Lord! They worshiped Him because He deserved their obedience and respect. He earned our obedience and respect through what He did on that cross. When we obey Him, we demonstrate our respect of Him. When we respect Him to the point of obedience we reveal He is worthy. Someone once defined worship as "worth-ship." True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of obedience. We must be careful here because we will never be perfect in our obedience to God. The real issue is really an issue of the heart. Due to God's unimaginable generosity toward us through the death of His Son, we choose to respond to Him through our worship or our attempts to show Him worth through being defined by Him.

As the last verse of today's passage suggests, key to our ability to worship God is how we respond to our doubts and questions. Doubt is a key ingredient in the development of our faith in the Lord Jesus. If we understood everything, we would have no need for faith. But, since we don’t understand everything, we must give place for faith. Implicit to faith is doubt. Doubt does not have to be the enemy of faith, it can actually be something that strengthens our faith. Our doubts are normal because they are based on faith and belief in something. It is only as we wrestle with our questions that we can possibly become stronger in our faith. Like these disciples, may we be those who doubt our doubts, and as a result we will learn to help others to do the same!

Matthew 28:11-15

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11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure." 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. ~ Matthew 28:11-15

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 28 where the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is front and center. If He had not been raised from the dead, we could not have a personal relationship with God because our sin would have won the battle over Him. The fact that He rose from the dead proves that our sin has been dealt a death blow. In Romans 10:9 we read, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." This verse accentuates the fact that our faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ sealed our acceptance with God. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened."

Not only did the followers of the Lord Jesus witness His resurrection, the guards who had been placed there by the first century religious establishment saw it as well. As this verse indicates, once the women were going to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that the Lord Jesus had been raised, the guards who had the responsibility to make sure His body was not taken during the night went to the chief priests with the bad news. 

In v.12-14 of today's passage we read, "12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, 'Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure."

There was no attempt on the behalf of the religious leaders of Israel to verify what the soldiers said. They knew it was true and they immediately went into damage control. Had they not believed the story of the guards, they would have responded differently. They would have formed a massive search party for the body of the Lord Jesus. They would have garnered Pilate's involvement. They would have put out a reward for anyone who would lead them to the dead body. 

Rather than believe in the resurrection, these supposed religious leaders paid the soldiers to be quiet about what had actually happened. Then they told the soldiers to say His disciples stole His body during the night while they slept. But, the disciples were hiding in the upper room because they were fearful that they would be killed. But for arguments sake, let's assume the disciples stole the body. Now, for them to steal the body, the guards had to be asleep all at the same time. But, the Roman guards knew that if they fell asleep and the disciples came and stole His body, they would die. Undoubtedly, the guards slept in shifts.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." 

Since Matthew’s Gospel was written some thirty years after the resurrection, the story that actually happened would have easily been debunked but that didn't happen. In fact, it was the resurrection that bolstered these once afraid disciples into turning the world at that time upside down. In fact, according to the book of Acts, the disciples went out into the street in Jerusalem and preached the gospel and thousands believed their message. And if the body had been stolen, all they had to do was to produce the body.

The greatest argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the changed lives of the disciples. If they had stolen His body, they would not have put themselves on the line like they did. In fact, all of them except John were martyred for the faith. Bartholomew was flayed alive, John was boiled in oil. He survived the ordeal and then he was vanished to Patmos. Matthew with beaten with a club and if you go through the list of all of the apostles, all of them died a violent death except John who was vanquished to Patmos and then survived and died in Ephesus. If they knew the resurrection was a lie, they would not have had the consistent testimonies that they exhibited.

The single most important event in history is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. History shows that there was an explosion of Christianity across the Roman empire in the first century. This suggests that the Lord Jesus actually rose from the dead. The fact that no one debunked the resurrection during the first century underscores its veracity. But, its veracity is most proven by the changed lives of the disciples. They were so convinced that the Lord Jesus resurrected that they were dramatically transformed from fearful cowards to courageous martyrs. The lives they lived from that point onward underscores 2 Corinthians 5:17 which reads, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 

Amazingly, the resurrection power of God is not a power that makes a great demonstration. Most often His power is quiet. We are so used to power that makes a big splash, but His power is most often subtle and unassuming. We do not expect it until it happens. And then, we wonder if it was Him. His power is recognized best when we react to it. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God's power is made perfect in our weakness. We don't like weakness, but weakness makes us more attuned to God. God's power shows up when we embrace our weakness and inadequacy. God reduced Gideon's army from 32,000 soldiers to 300 in order to defeat Israel's true enemy ... themselves. With God less is more and it leaves no room for boasting on our behalf. He deliberately thinned out the army so that it was so tiny that there would be no way that Israel could say that its strength gave it the victory. 

Matthew 28:9-10

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9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” ~ Matthew 28:9-10

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 28 where the resurrection of the Lord Jesus has taken place. Mary Magdalene, according to John's gospel, arrived at the tomb ahead of the other women. After seeing two angels at the tomb, Mary stood weeping in the garden. It was then that she saw what she thought was the gardener whom she asked where they had laid the body of the Lord Jesus. This supposed gardener spoke Mary's name and at that point she knew it was the Lord. This was the first appearance of the Lord Jesus to anyone after His resurrection. Imagine being the very first to see Him after His resurrection.  

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'Rejoice!' So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him."

After Mary saw the Lord she and the other woman ran to tell the disciples, especially Peter and John. While on their way, the Lord Jesus appeared to them again and they fell at His feet and worshipped Him. Earlier when Mary Magdalene reached out to touch the Lord, He said to her, "Do not touch me for I have not yet ascended to my Father." But, at this point when the women were en route to the disciples He allowed them to grasp His feet. He had obviously ascended to His Father and was glorified at that point. The joy they experienced once they realized He had risen drove these ladies to the lowest point before Him. It was out of that posture that they worshipped Him. Worship granted them an adjusted. Their life of sin had so bent them out of shape, once they recognized Him as the Risen Lord they were granted an adjustment. This is what worship does for us, it raises our chins and it lifts our eyes and sets them on the Victorious Savior. 

With a new hop in their step, the ladies ran to tell the disciples their good news. After Mary told the disciples that the Lord Jesus was alive, some of them chose rather not to believe that He was risen. They could not fathom such a story, even though He had told them it would happen. It was Andrew Murray who once said, “A dead Christ I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me.” This was the dilemma for the disciples: a dead Christ who did them no good or an alive Christ who wins all battles. This is why Peter and John ran to the tomb for they wanted to believe it was so. When they arrived at His tomb, Peter went inside and saw the grave clothes lying there still wrapped. This convinced Peter and John that the Lord Jesus had risen. But they still had not seen Him for themselves.

After this, He appeared to others. In fact, He met two of His followers as they walked on the road out of Jerusalem toward Emmaus. These two who didn't believe He had risen were met up by a stranger. As the stranger walked along with them He began with Moses and the prophets and showed them all the things that referred to Messiah in the Old Testament. According to Luke, later, as they sat at their dining room table with Him and they saw His hands as He broke the bread. It was then that they recognized Him. Then, all of a sudden, He disappeared. So, when these two disciples came running back to Jerusalem, they immediately told the eleven what they had seen.

Life is full of great perplexities and undeniable doubts. But, like those first century believers, our questions are useful to the restoration of our hope. It is our questions that created seeking within our souls. For those who seek the Lord promises we will find. The two Emmaus bound disciples recognized the Lord Jesus by the nail prints in His hands. When we get to heaven, we will recognize that there will only be one man-made thing there: His nail prints. Although the gospels writers do not explain His nails, the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:14 informs us that His nails canceled the debt that every one of our sins created between us and God. It was at the cross that God took all of our sins and nailed them in His Son. It was then that God judged our sin in the body of the Lord Jesus.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.'"

When the disciples heard of Mary's experience with the Lord Jesus, they, initially, did not believe. They did not even believe the testimony of the two Emmaus disciples. For the moment, their theology failed them, leading them to believe it was just too good to be true. Of course, in time the disciples believed, even doubting Thomas. But, before they believed they had to wrestle with the questions created by their doubts. And then, having been convinced, they believed in the purpose of the conquering nature of the nails that were driving into the Lord Jesus. 

Doubt is a normal part of a life of faith because the development of our faith or our heart's ability to see God must involve our emotions and our minds. Faith that allows no room for doubt is ultimately too frail and limited. Biblical faith honestly wrestles with the parts that cannot be reduced to simplicity. Biblical faith, in the end, endures and leads us to an assured hope that does not crumble under pressure. Wrestling with the questions created by our doubts is essential to the birth and the strengthening of our faith. In addition, it is through this process that we become intimate with the Lord whom we find it easy to tell others about. Intimacy with God causes us to only value His opinion which is what frees us to tell others without reservation the Good News of the Gospel.

Matthew 28:5-8

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5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. ~ Matthew 28:5-8

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 28 where on the morning of the first day of the week the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead. The first to see this miracle were three women, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of Jesus. These women went to the grave of the Lord Jesus in order to apply spices to His dead body. They did not expect what He had told the disciples would happen, that He would be raised from the dead. These followers of the Lord Jesus were discouraged and drained, and their hopes were completely dashed. They had not fully comprehended the idea that our troubles are always a needful part to the development of our faith in the Lord Jesus.

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 But the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.'"

In his gospel account, Luke informs us that there were two angels at the tomb that early morning. One of the two angels was quick to tell the ladies that the Lord Jesus had been risen from the dead. After the announcement of His resurrection, the one angel who spoke to the ladies invited them to "come see the place where the Lord lay." The word "see" means to perceive or to encounter. The angel directed the women to the empty tomb knowing that they would see nothing. He knew that even though the body of the Lord Jesus was no longer there that they could still have an encounter with Him. As they didn't see the Lord's body there they were perplexed until the angel gave them more revelation. It is one thing to see with our eyes and it is quite another to see with our hearts. 

The disciples were quite uncertain about all that was happening.  As M. Craig Barnes once wrote, "Few things are more dangerous to our spirituality than certainty because our spirituality thrives in the context of choices. Choices we have to make when we are not certain. That’s why God isn’t interested in convincing us he exists or that he loves us. God wants us to choose to have faith in him."

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."

It was Napoleon who once said, "Leaders are dealers in hope." Having hope doesn’t mean that every negative thing that happens in our lives all of a sudden disappears. Hope is developed in us as we are given opportunities for God to show Himself true to His promises to us. According to the other gospel writers the angel was quick to tell the women to go tell the disciples, especially Peter, that the Lord had been risen. The last time we saw Peter, he was standing in the courtyard of the high priest during the trial of the Lord Jesus denying he knew the Lord three times. 

Once the rooster crowed, Peter wept uncontrollably. This was the worst moment ever in his life, and yet, it was his best moment. Like Peter, we gain the ability to see what is real through the darkest moments of our lives. It is during these unwanted times that we are more likely to be more and more convinced that we need the Lord Jesus to be our savior in every aspect of our lives. Even though we are "born again" we still need a Savior. We never get to the place where we no longer need Him. And failure, such as that of Peter's, is a reminder that we desperately need the Lord Jesus every moment of every day.

We are at our best when we are most dependent upon the Lord. Dependence is the key. In his book, Confessions of a Struggling Christian, Robert Tombs wrote, "God loves dangling Christians." This is the beauty of Christianity. Once we trusted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we were postured to get to know Him intimately, not just as a figure of history, but in an intimate, personal, real way. Our troubles aid us in our pursuit of Him. Like Peter, we find ourselves most prepared to go deeper with the Lord on the heels of our biggest failures and our deepest hurts.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word."

The Greek word translated "fear" describes the adrenaline rush that coursed through the bloodstream of these female believers. They literally were visibly shaken by adrenaline. The resurrection of the Lord Christ is the key to what is unique to Christianity. It is His resurrection that guarantees ours. There is no such promise like that in all of this world's religions. No wonder they were so joyful that they were giddy.

According to Mark's gospel the angel told these three ladies to go and tell the disciples, especially Peter that the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead. The Lord knew Peter needed an extra word about His commitment to Peter especially due to his unfaithfulness. Peter's failure had tremendous purpose in the development of his faith that day. It was through his failure and the faithfulness of the Lord that Peter grew to be the leader of hope that he became. In fact, in 1 Peter 1:8, Peter wrote, "Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy." And, that kind of joy cannot be kept to ourselves.

Matthew 28:1-4

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1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. ~ Matthew 28:1-4

Today, we begin our study of Matthew 28 where the Lord Jesus has been crucified, pronounced dead and buried by two members of the Jewish ruling council. Friday and Saturday had come and gone and now it is early Sunday morning. The disciples had come through the darkest two days of their lives. All of redemptive history had come to its apex and the disciples of the Lord Jesus were no where to be found. Undoubtedly, they were hiding out for fear of their lives. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb."

It was a Jewish custom to visit the grave for three days after the loved one had died. But by the fourth day, since the body would have been well into the decaying stage, they believed the spirit of the person would have departed. It was six o'clock on Sunday morning and the Sabbath was over. The women mentioned in today's passage were the last at the cross after His death and the first to the tomb after His resurrection. As they approached the tomb, they wondered how they would be able to get into the tomb to apply the spices to address the decomposition of the body of the Lord Jesus. 

None of the followers of the Lord expected to discover a risen Savior when they arrived at the tomb. These women came with spices because they did not expect the resurrection. They came looking for a dead man. And, they would not have brought spices had they made the story up. All of these details underscore the fact that during that weekend, despair triumphed over hope. Like those very first followers of the Lord Jesus, we struggle as well. We struggle not only remembering His promises, we also struggle to believe in His promises. While waiting to see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives, we understandably struggle. The struggle is a part of the process of being convinced that we need the Lord so desperately. We struggle to believe God is working when we can’t see progress and we struggle to remain faithful when God’s timeline doesn't match ours. Like the caterpillar in the cocoon, our struggle serves a purpose. As the struggle aids the development of the wings of the caterpillar which soon is a butterfly, our struggle aids the development of our faith which is our heart's ability to see God. The key is continuing to be faithful. 

Closely connected to faithfulness is loyalty. The disciples had just been given the most intense example of faithfulness and loyalty through the death of their Savior. But, He was dead. Martin Luther once said, "Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved." Loyalty is a profound virtue that not only strengthens our bonds with others but also nurtures our own sense purpose. On the heels of the death of the Lord Jesus, the disciples had absolutely no reason to be purposeful. Their whole world had been turned upside down. 

In v.2-3 of today's passage we read, "2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow."

With the earthquake everything changed. This was the second earthquake in as many days. The first was when our sin was overcome and the second is when death was overcome. When the women arrived, they were shocked to discover that the stone had been rolled away. At the moment the second earthquake took place an angel had come and rolled back the stone. The stone was not rolled away so that the Lord Jesus could exit the tomb, it had been rolled away so that His followers could see inside. 

Unbelievers would not have stolen the body of the Lord Jesus, if they had, they would have played right into the resurrection story. And, if they had, they would have gladly produced it in order to disprove the resurrection. The believers would not have taken the body of the Lord Jesus, for there were guards stationed at the tomb, and the stone was sealed. And, they would not have knowingly died for a lie.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men."

The guards shook for fear. The word translated "shook" is the Greek word also translated "earthquake." They shook not only due to the earthquake. They shook because in the human body are two glands attached to the kidneys called the adrenal glands and they secrete the chemical adrenalin. The reason adrenalin is secreted during such times of fear is for the purpose of enabling us to manage the moment. Adrenalin is pumped into the human bloodstream causing the heart to beat faster. This in turn causes more oxygen to be available to our muscles. It also causes the pupils to dilate in the eyes so that if we're in darkness we'd be able to see better. In addition, glucose is released into the muscles giving necessary energy in case we have to run. All of this was the experience of the guards the moment the earthquake happened and they saw the angel. 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single greatest event in human history. It is the cornerstone and foundation of our faith. The message of all of the Scriptures that death is not the end is merely the doorway into eternity. And everyone goes through that doorway and everyone lives forever. Those who reject the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus will spend their eternity in hell and those who believe in the Lord Jesus will spend eternity in heaven. It is not easy to believe in a resurrection, but there is very clear evidence that it happened. 

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only person in history who was pre-announced starting a thousand years before He was born. There were over 100 prophetic accounts from 18 different prophets from the Old Testament predicting the specifics of His coming birth, life, death and resurrection. Hundreds of years later, the details of His birth, life, betrayal, and death validated those prophecies in surprisingly accurate and minute detail. There is far more reliable historical evidence for His life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection than for any other who has ever lived.

Matthew 27:62-66

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62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. ~ Matthew 27:62-66

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 27. In our most recent studies of this gospel, the Lord Jesus had been crucified, taken down from the cross and buried in a borrowed tomb. While the disciples were locked away by their fear, three women stood stunned as they witnessed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus bury the Lord Jesus. While the Lord had made it abundantly clear to them that He was going to Jerusalem to die His followers should not have been so shocked when it happened. 

The Jewish religious leaders, on the other hand, were rather gleeful once they thought they had finally stopped this threat from Galilee. That is until they remembered His words that He would rise from the dead. It was then that they scrambled to make their way back to Pilate to make another request of him. It is at this point that we pick up the narrative today. The Jewish religious leaders referenced two deceptions that the Lord Jesus was supposedly guilty of: the first was His declaration that He was the Messiah and the second that He would raise from the dead. Both of these turned out to be true and it was the reason He came to this earth in the first place.

For the followers of the Lord Jesus Friday was filled with much confusion and many questions. The intense suffering of the Lord Jesus brought for them the most excruciating of pain. They were stunned due to the fact that this One whom they had followed for three years was dead. As a result they were all scattered and afraid. The man they left everything to follow was now dead and sealed behind a two ton stone. All of their hopes had been dashed and buried with Him. Our most critical moments in life is when we are most hopeless because it is then that we are convinced that we need the Lord the most. 

In v.62-64 of today's passage we read, "62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, 'Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.'"

It was now the Sabbath. This was not just any Sabbath, it was the Passover Sabbath, the holiest day of all of the Jewish calendar. Over night the religious leaders of first century Israel had remembered that the Lord Jesus had said that He would rise from the dead. This made them hurry over to Pilate's residence very early in the morning requesting that he make the tomb secure by placing Romans soldiers at the entrance of the tomb. I find it very interesting that the enemies of the Lord Jesus remembered that He predicted His own resurrection, yet His followers had forgotten that He made such a prediction.

These religious leaders were so afraid of the Lord Jesus they referenced Him as "that deceiver." By using the pronoun "that" these so-called leaders communicated their contempt for the Lord Jesus. Their hostility, hatred, fear, and brutality led to His death because He was a threat to their will. This was the proposition of the enemy in the Garden of Eden and Adam concluded: "Not your will but my will be done." Satan doesn't try to get unto follow him directly because he deceives us to follow him indirectly by following ourselves.

The religious leaders of Israel made this request of Pilate because they feared that the followers of the Lord Jesus would steal His body and fake His resurrection. But, there was a problem because the stone that had been rolled in front of the tomb was about two tons. This stone was round and it had been rolled into a channel in front of the tomb. The channel was on an inclined so that the stone was rolled down into the channel and the only way to move a two-ton stone in this case is to move it up hill. Needless to say the tomb was pretty secure. It could have been moved with the help of many people and the leverage of wooden implements. But, it was not.

In v.65-66 of today's passage we read, "65 Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.' 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard."

The religious leaders of Israel made this request of Pilate because they feared that the followers of the Lord Jesus would steal His body and fake His resurrection. According to the other gospel writers, there were between 10 to 16 well-armed Roman soldiers there guarding the tomb. Also, there was a Roman seal at the entrance of the tomb. The seal had a clay pack on one side of the stone and a clay pack on the other side of the stone. A rope was placed between the two seals and if anybody broke the seal they were to expect death. 

In taking all of these precautions the religious leaders made sure that there was no other explanation for the absent body of the Lord Jesus except the resurrection. If there were no seal and no guards, the resurrection could have been explained as a grave robbery. But, in the end the deception of the religious leaders of Israel failed them and was overcome by the All Powerful One. Our hope becomes unbreakable once we see that God's promises are unbreakable. Even our broken existence finds great comfort in this fact that our God is so big He can overcome death with life.