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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.
