Acts | Chapter 1

 

 Acts Ch One

“Jesus, The Sequel”

Ch. 1 “Many infallible proofs”

Vs.1-5 The promise of power

Intro.

Many times, after some blockbuster movie, the popularity of the movie causes such a stir that a few years later, with the moviegoers still buzzing about the characters, the producers decide to make another movie. People want to know what ever happened to so and so? What about this event did it change the course of the characters’ lives? So the writers sit down and write a script that aims to answer what the audience hungers for. Now for the most part “Sequels”, as they are called, never rise to the expectations that the audience desires.

         It may interest you to know that the book of Acts is a “sequel”. We are informed of this in the very first sentence. The author records the story of Jesus in the lives of people who then carried His message from a small group of Jewish believers gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem to thousands throughout the known world. In fact by the time the 30 years of this book has passed those against its message would say, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6) And for over 2000 years Jesus and His message have come to you and I, to your hometown and mine. In preparation for this study one of the books I am reading is Martin Lloyd-Jones book, “Authentic Christianity”.

Preaching in an era that one would not have understood as liberal, many were already changing what “church” and Christianity is to fit the dynamics of a culture that was changing. The result caused the author to ask the question, “What is Christianity”! The answer he asserted is to be found in the study you and I are about to undertake in the book of Acts. It is my prayer that our church will not change the message to fit the culture but rather that the message and life we live will instead change the culture! When this happens we too will hear, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too!”  

Vs.1-5 The promise of power

Vs.1 The first sentence of any book is perhaps the most important. In the first sentence the writer needs to grab the attention of the reader and at the same time give important information that will clue him in on the rest of the book. This is a great sentence as it causes us to be instantly wondering about who the author is as well as the reader, “The former account I made, O Theophilus.” Yet curiously, we are given the subject matter, “all that Jesus began both to do and teach”.  

         So what is the former account? Who is the “I” referring to? And who is this Theophilus?

The former account: Now if you go back to the gospel of Luke you will find these words at the introduction. “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”

So what we know is that Luke’s gospel forms “all that Jesus began both to do and teach”. This then would make Acts the second volume and in fact at one time the two books were joined together. Now judging by the two introductions you get the idea that the author wrote these two volumes as a way of saying to Theophilus, “I am going to give you an account of exactly what happened, so that you will know why we believe what we believe!”

Who is the “I”: Based upon the Luke introduction we can see several things about the author.

• Those things which have been fulfilled among us: The account the author makes starts with certain things that were historical events. Furthermore these historical events were not random or accidental but rather the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

•  As those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us: Much of what the author records has come from eyewitnesses to the events themselves and they in turn delivered the events to the author who then recorded them.

•  It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first: The author then states that he thoroughly researched the eyewitness testimony himself.

• As many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative: The eyewitness testimony of fulfilled Old Testament prophecy which was thoroughly investigated was then checked against the writings of others who had done the same.

• That you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed: The purpose of all of this was to be the assurance of the Christian faith.

So whom does all this point to? Well according to church history the author is that of Paul’s travel companion Luke. In fact it is interesting as you read through Acts the narrative will switch from the third person, “they” to the first person, “we”. In other words the author claims to have been at the event he is writing about. The first appearance of this happens in Acts 16:11 right after Paul had seen a vision from a man from Macedonia calling them to preach the gospel to them.

It is thought by many that this man from Macedonia is none other than Luke. We are further told in Col. 4:4 that Luke was a doctor. The use of medical language and the fine investigative skills would further bear weight upon the evidence of Dr. Luke being the author. He would have had ample time to hear of the events and gather eyewitness testimony as he was with Paul for over two years in Israel while Paul was in prison in Caesarea. Folks Israel is a small country and would not have been difficult for Luke to travel around as a free man going around interviewing the accounts recorded in his gospel and the first 16 chapters of Acts.

• Who is this Theophilus?: His name means “lover of God” but beyond this not much is known about him. He could be a Christian needing to be better grounded in his faith. Some believe him to be an important Roman official who Luke gives this name to him as an alias in order to hide his true identity. Luke’s gospel gives him the title of Most Excellent, so it is thought that at one time he owned Luke as his slave, (important wealthy men and officials often held doctors as slaves). Early tradition has him a wealthy Roman official from the city of Antioch who bought Luke’s freedom to accompany Paul as his personal doctor and then turned his own house over for use as a church.

None of this can be proven either way but what we can know is that Luke wrote this two volume set to one person! He did not set out to write the gospel and the book of Acts. No he set out with all he had to write to one man about the truth that transforms the human heart! And no doubt this man benefited greatly from Luke’s Holy Spirit inspired effort.

Think of this a moment won’t you? You never know who you might touch with the truth concerning Jesus do you? Luke sat down to write to one man, one “lover of God” and because he did he has touched all of us “lovers of God”! Luke declares that Jesus is a phenomenon of history. Notice that I said IS and not was? That is because Luke tells us his gospel was only what Jesus BEGAN to do and teach! The story of Jesus is not about a martyred sage or teacher. No, Luke is explicit in this to Theophilus. His gospel ended with the ascension but this has not stopped the twofold revelation of Jesus to the world. He is still doing and teaching today!

Now look at this carefully for it is still His method of revealing Himself to the world today, He does before He teaches. Jesus never taught the Word theoretically. Listen to what the people said about Jesus in Matt. 7:28-29, “the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” It was not theory He expressed, no it was the fact that He lived out what He taught. Look at the person next to you this morning. Now if they are a believer, that person is in a real sense, what Jesus is still doing and teaching! Even as Acts is the continuation of what Jesus did and taught through his disciples we are a continuation of the book of Acts. Let me put it to you more bluntly, “You can not teach what you are not!” We share Jesus first by His work in us seen in a transformed life, then we explain through words how Jesus changed us!

Now on the 19th of this month we are going to celebrate a holiday for some dead leaders, but that is not what this morning is about at all. No, we have not come to celebrate the fact that a great man who led us has died, we have come to worship in the presence of a living Lord who is still doing and teaches us!

Vs. 2-3 Luke further attests to the truth that He is still doing and teaching by the many “infallible proofs.” There was a 40-day period after the resurrection before He was taken up.

Vs. 2 He chose them: Matt. 28:18-20 Jesus chose by commissioning them when He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, 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.”

Vs. 2 Through the Holy Spirit: In John 20: 22 we are told that Jesus “breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” So they were empowered to do the work that He called them to.

Vs. 3 He presented Himself alive: For 40 days off and on He would appear to them. The word here rendered “seen” is the word in which we get our word ophthalmologist or eye doctor. Luke declares that the disciples eyeballed Jesus staring at Him.

Vs. 3 He spoke to them concerning the things of the kingdom of God: Jesus spoke to them again about the reign He would have over the hearts that trusted in Him.

Those were the “many infallible proofs” of Him being alive after His suffering. Now you know what? They are the same proofs today that He is alive in the hearts of those that profess His name. You can see Him alive today as He has chosen you and I to go and do what He did. You can see Him alive in the fact that we are empowered to do this. You can see Him alive when you look at one of His followers because they look like Him. Lastly you can see Him alive in the fact there are changed lives everywhere where people have opened up their hearts to Him!   

Vs. 4-5 We have seen that Luke has spoken about the continual work and words of Jesus in the world. Further more we understand that this was to be accomplished through those that He had chosen to reveal Himself to with many infallible proofs. But how was that going to be accomplished if He was no longer on earth? So it is here in these verses that we begin to see the process by which Jesus would continue to both do and teach.

         Now to make sure these guys would not go out in their own strength Jesus commands them to wait in Jerusalem. And they were to wait for the promise of the Father which Jesus had spoken to them before in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” That is what they needed! In Luke 12:49-50 Jesus had told them, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!” Jesus said that He came to send fire on the earth and the fire was Pentecost but He could not until He fulfilled His mission of the cross. Now we come to Acts and He has been baptized into death upon the cross. Now He is able to continue the work and word of calling people to Himself. In ten days from this verse Jesus would send fire upon the earth from the Father who would testify of Jesus in the lives of those that He chose.

         Now let me take a short trip into the work of the Holy Spirit as there is much confusion about Him. Jesus spoke of three relationships that a person can and should have with the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 Jesus said, “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”   The Greek word for with is “para” and it means to come alongside to help. The Holy Spirit is with a person when they begin to hear about Jesus. It is kind of like a tugboat that brings a ship to port. The Holy Spirit draws us to port in Jesus.

 John 14:17 Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit being alongside them but that He would be “IN” them. In the Greek text that is the letters “EN” but it means the same. As a person responds to the Holy Spirit drawing them into a relationship with Jesus He (the Holy Spirit), comes and dwells IN them. In John 20:22 we saw that Jesus “breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.” and it was at that time the Holy Spirit came to dwell IN them. Now Jesus is IN everyone who has been born again.

The last relationship the Holy Spirit should have with you is found here in Acts 1:8. The word used here is the Greek word “epi”. Jesus told them in Luke 24:49 that this was the promise “of His Father and that they should tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they were imbued with power from on high.” You see the question for us born again Christians is not whether or not you have the Holy Spirit, for clearly you do. NO, the question is does the Holy Spirit have you? Clearly this was the empowerment for the continual work and word of Jesus to the world.

         So then the Holy Spirit is available to all. He will work with you to become a believer. Then once you become born again He will come in you to dwell with you. Then finally He will come upon you to empower you to be His witnesses. The work of the Holy Spirit in your life is not an add on, it is an absolute necessity. Now today we don’t need to wait for the Holy Spirit but we need to wait on the Holy Spirit.

So how then do you obtain this third and vital relationship with the Holy Spirit? Well how did you receive Jesus? Was He not a gift that you simply asked for? Sure He was so that is all you need to do today ask for the Holy Spirit to empower you for the work to which He has for you! Jesus even tells His disciples this in Luke 11:13, “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Let’s go before the Lord now and ask Him for the promise of the Father, shall we?

Acts 1:6-26

“Witnesses, watching, waiting, wanting”

Vs.6-8 Jehovah’s witnesses

Vs.9-11 In like manor

Vs. 12-26 The keys to godly decisions

Intro.

As we began the book of Acts we have seen Luke writing this sequel to his gospel to Theophilus, (Lover of God). The gospel of Luke was what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts is what Jesus continues to do and teach through His disciples.

         Now I’ve got to tell you all that there have been several times in my life, and I’m certain there will be more in the future, that God’s direction in my life is uncertain to me. These are crises of faith and they tend to shake you to your very foundation. I’ve been going through just this in the last week or so about our building project. The responsibility to make decisions about our future has weighed upon me and I have had no peace about what God wanted us to do. I found myself wanting to know HOW, WHEN, WHERE and WHY God was going to work? Yet I do not have those answers. It was the lack of those answers that has led me to great confidence in what we are doing. The reason for my confidence, you ask? It is simple, I know the WHO!

         These disciples were dealing with just such a crisis of faith at the beginning of the birth of the church. They had responded to what the Lord had told them but still they did not see how it was going to all fit together. In this section of scripture Luke is going to share four events that help change the lives of this small group of believers into folks that would turn the world upside down in 30 years.

Vs.6-8 Jehovah’s witnesses

Vs. 6 During the 40 days after the Lord’s resurrection He showed Himself alive by many infallible truths. Luke also tells us that He taught them. Now we have strong clues in this text that there were two primary areas in which our Lord instructed His disciples between His resurrection and His ascent into Heaven.

• Vs. 3 Tells us that He spoke to them concerning the “kingdom of God”. This is clearly something they did not grasp as they are puzzled by it in verse 6.

• Vs. 4b, 5, 8 Secondly based upon these verses we see that Jesus spoke to them concerning the “Spirit of God”.  

Now in their question in verse 6 we can see that these two topics led to their misunderstanding as to the nature of God’s kingdom and its relationship to The Holy Spirit. Their question to Jesus tells us three mistakes that they had concerning these two topics.

• At this time: Timing,“WHEN”. Shows that they expected the Holy Spirit to bring about a change immediately.

• Restore: Nature, “WHAT”. This shows that they thought that God’s kingdom was political and territorial in nature.

• Israel: Sphere, “HOW”. This shows that they expected a national movement.

Jesus had said, “Fellows, wait a few days and you are going to receive power.” And they thought, “Hey great, in a few days Jesus is going to set up His kingdom here on earth and Israel will again be in power, now we’re talking!”

Vs. 7 Timing “WHEN”. They wanted to know the specific time that Jesus was going to restore the kingdom of Israel. To which Jesus says, “It is not for you to know the critical moments of God’s development concerning Israel’s future.” It’s not your business to figure out all of this.

         Now, is that not our problem? I mean we are always worrying about WHEN God is going to do something. I think this ought to be underlined in our Bibles and referred to often! Deut. 29:29 tells us that, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God.”  Certain things I’m just not going to know, but that ought not to paralyze me from doing what God has told me!

Vs. 8 Here Jesus answers the other two mistakes that they made concerning the Holy Spirit’s relationship to the Kingdom of God.

Nature “WHAT” :“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me”: Do you get it? They were concerned with WHAT. Jesus is saying God’s kingdom is not political and territorial in nature. No, it is about the human heart. The kingdom of God is His rule in the hearts and lives of His people by the Holy Spirit and that is only going to happen through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Jesus was talking about the kingdom of God not the kingdom of Israel.

The word witnesses appears 29 times in the book of Acts and speaks to the fact that they were to be empowered with resurrection power spreading the kingdom of God. Now notice that Jesus says, “You shall BE My witnesses” and not “You shall DO witnessing.” Now a witness is a person who tells the truth concerning what they saw, heard and felt. So a witness of Jesus Christ is a person who tells the truth about Jesus. Peter said that the disciples, “did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

The point is that a person does not DO witnessing, no, they ARE witnesses. The only question is how effective are they? And here we are told that the effectiveness is based upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Folks, do you realize that you are the true YHVH witnesses? Well you are! These guys didn’t need an evangelism course, they needed the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could tell the truth about Jesus!

 Sphere “HOW”. “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” They had thought in nationalistic terms, “the kingdom of Israel”. But Jesus has got a much larger broader kingdom than just Israel. Oh, their telling the truth would start out in Jerusalem and then it would spread to Judea and Samaria. Then lastly it would spread throughout the world. Now I can only imagine what the disciples felt as Jesus was expanding their nationalistic borders: Jerusalem was the place where Jesus was tried and executed. Judea was where they had rejected His ministry. Samaria was where the Jews thought of it as a wasteland made up of half breeds. Or the ends of the earth where all the gentiles who were only good to fuel the fires of hell. Man, I’m telling you that they would need the Holy Spirit’s power to go to those places.

So there you have Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and the disciples misunderstanding of the timing, nature and sphere of the continual work of Jesus. Now remember that these are the final words of Jesus on earth. So? Well, during the 40 last days of Jesus here on earth He spoke of two primary things, the Spirit of God and the kingdom of God. Yeah? Well, put it together! You may not know the times but you do know the what and how! From Pentecost to the 2nd coming we are to be telling the truth about Him everywhere He places us. The whole time between that day when 120 were gathered in the upper room till we see this same Jesus coming back in like manner is to be filled up with a worldwide mission of empowered people telling everyone the truth about Jesus! Paul says that “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”      

Vs.9-11 In like manner

Vs. 9-11 Luke uses three different verbs to describe the event of the ascension of Jesus.

• Vs. 9 “taken up”

• Vs. 9 “received”

• Vs. 10 “went up”

Furthermore five times in this brief account we are told that the ascension took place visibly. Clearly Luke wants to establish the historical truth as to the eyewitness account of the ascension. Folks, this is the only historical account of what happened to Jesus and why to this day there is an empty tomb.

• They watched.

• Out of their sight.

• They looked steadfastly.

• Why do you stand gazing?

• As you saw Him go.

The story before us is quite interesting in that, though brief and simple, it is full of wonder. We are told that the event took place on a Sabbath day’s journey from the temple. Now tradition has it that in the time of the tabernacle no tent was to be further from the tabernacle than three quarters of a mile, so they kept this as the distance one could travel on the Sabbath. Now this would put the ascension on the backside of the Mount of Olives in an area Luke calls Bethany. Today if you go to Israel you can go to a Catholic Church called the “The Church of the Holy Ascension” and inside they claim to have the actual footprint where Jesus ascended from. The problem is that it is not where Luke tells us Jesus ascended from.

         In verse 10 we are told the disciples “looked steadfastly” toward heaven. The word indicates that they were more than just curious. They were staring off into heaven with a look as they had just lost Jesus. This is further emphasized by the loving rebuke of the angels who reassured them in verse 11. Now we don’t know anything about these two fellows who stood by them in white clothing. Some say they were angels, others say they were Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration.

Now why did Jesus ascend this way? I mean He could have just vanished but here He slowly ascends into heaven until a cloud of glory receives Him out of sight.

First, he had been appearing and then disappearing for 40 days, clearly He wanted them to know that as for now He was not coming back.

Secondly, He wanted them to be assured of His coming again and that the coming again would be like the going, physical, visible and on the Mount of Olives! 

Third, He did not want the Church to be just standing around waiting for His return. Don’t stand looking up into heaven worrying about when He is coming back. It’s a fact He is coming back just as He left, the same Jesus! But between the time that He left and until He comes back we are to be filled with His Spirit to tell the truth about Him to a world that has not heard and seen what we have concerning Him. The angels say, “You have seen Him go and you will see Him come, but for now the Spirit must come and you must go into the world for Jesus!”  

Vs. 12-26 The keys to godly decisions

Vs. 12-14 After the ascension we are told that they went back to Jerusalem. So? Well this gives a key into Godly decisions does it not?

They were obedient: Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem for the ten days until the feast of Pentecost and that is what they do. If you want to make right godly decisions then it must always start by following what the Lord has told us in His word. Not knowing what God wants us to do does not negate what He has told us to do!

Vs. 13, 14 Gives a brief description of who some of the 120 were that are mentioned in verse 15. Now there are no surprises as to who 11 of them are; they are the disciples that Jesus had chosen. The only surprise is the order in which they are now listed. Peter seems to now be listed above his brother.

The surprise comes in verse 14 where we are told that “Mary the mother of Jesus, was there with His brothers.” Now this is interesting for several reasons. This is the last mention of her in the Bible. At the cross you will remember that in John 19 Jesus said to Mary and John, “Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother!”  And from that hour John took her to his own home. Now by placing her in the upper room with the disciples in a prayer meeting we don’t see any prominent role that she is playing. I mean Peter does not turn to her and say, “Blessed Mother please have your Son pray for us.” She is just there waiting for the baptism of the Holy Spirit just like the rest of the disciples. Clearly she is not a co-redeemer as the Catholic church would have her to be. (Editor’s note: The Pope has recently issued an edict clarifying that Jesus’ Mother Mary is NOT to be considered a co-redeemer nor any saints but Jesus only is our redeemer)

She is not being asked for any favors. About all you can say is that she is about to become the first charismatic. For years there was a Catholic Church on Mount Zion called the Church of Mary and it was believed that this was the place where Mary was buried, but when the Catholic Church changed its theology concerning Mary not dying they permanently shut its doors.

Lastly, by mentioning her other children being with her, the Catholic doctrine of her perpetual virginity is voided out by the scripture. In Matt. 13:55 we are given their names as, “His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. And His sisters.” We are not told when but some time after John 7:5 which is about eight months earlier and this time Mary and the brothers get saved. Perhaps it took the resurrection but we simply do not know.

• Vs. 14 They were united: They were all in one accord, no more bickering about who would be the greatest. Now the resurrected Jesus was Who they had in common and that was greater than any differences.

• Vs. 14 They were in prayer: The way this is worded it tells us that they were busy and persistent in prayer. Now Luke tells us that they went to the temple to pray and then of course here we are told that they were praying earnestly in the upper room.

So far we can see that godly decisions are dependent upon obedience, fellowship and prayer. Sounds like a good start.      

1:15-26

“Filling the whole house”

Vs. 15-20 Judas and the Word of God

Vs. 21-26 Mission, Ministry, Mastery

Intro.

As I get older, there are precious few things in our contemporary culture that I understand. Sometimes my kids will use a popular expression that is common in their conversation with people their own ages and I will give them that puzzled look. My son is good at interpreting for me as he explains what the phrase that he just used means. Several years back I began to notice people making a gesture with their palms facing up around their heads as they would then raise their hands in unison over their heads several times. I could tell by my great powers of observation that this was a good thing that they were expressing.

The phrase that went along with this was, “Raising the roof”. It signifies that there is not enough room to contain what is going on, so you better raise the roof! Folks, we are about to take a look at God “raising the roof” of the world in which we live as there is not enough room to contain Him! We are going to see how Jesus would begin to fulfill His final words to these disciples so that they would continue to tell the truth about what He did and taught in “Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In these verses we see the need for the disciples to fill two vacant spots in their lives, a 12th witness, (1:15-26) and Jesus’ presence among them, (2:1-4).

Vs. 15-20 Judas and the Word of God

Vs. Now it is good for us to get a little perspective on what faced this little band of disciples as several things were against them from the start.

• They had just seen their risen Lord ascend. Now as great an event as this was it would have had to have left them with somewhat of the feeling of, “What happens now?” Simply put they were, as far as the specifics are concerned, visionless. Now I know they knew the larger picture of telling the truth concerning Jesus and they knew the immediate wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit but there was a huge gap between those two.

• They were leaderless. Again Jesus was gone and decisions by the disciples prior to this were normally made on self-centered reasons. Who would guide and make the decisions for the whole? And probably more of a probing question was, “Why him?”

At the moment that Jesus disappeared in the cloud of glory and they just stared up, yes in awe, but I think based upon the comments of the two in white clothing, bewilderment set in as well. And even after the comforting words of the two, there had to be a feeling of, “What now?” I suggest that there was a vacuum in the hearts of this band of 120. The presence of Jesus had left them and they were left with each other in prayer with His promises. Jesus had told them all, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” But those works had not yet happened.

I was talking to a brother who told me of a wonderful Church that he had attended, it had missionaries all over the world, great teaching and fellowship. The Pastor had been with them since the beginning and all were very pleased until he passed away. And even though the associate Pastor was a great guy, the people eventually bolted. Why? Well I can’t be sure but I believe that there was always a feeling that he was not the other guy.

No matter who took up the reigns of the early Church he was not Jesus! It is this as a backdrop that we see Peter step forward to fill the vacant spot of the 12, left when Judas revealed his true colors. Man I’ve got to tell you, as a Pastor, this is an incredible moment in the life of Peter. Peter the impetuous, self-confident man who had denied the Lord only 40 or so days earlier is about to step forward to lead. He’s not Jesus, he’s Peter. Again let me just say that I live this every week, people second guessing your decisions, perhaps challenging your authority and the responsibility to do what the Lord would have you to do even if all others think it wrong. “You’re not Jesus, you’re not even so and so, you’re just Dale and you’re not very good at that!” So when I read that, “Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples”, I’m impressed. Leaders are called and you will know that when they risk all and “stand up in the midst of the disciples.”

Vs. 16 Peter’s words here reveal some very important things:

How they viewed the Word of God: They had a great confidence in the Word of God. Their confidence was based upon two things:

• “this Scripture had to be fulfilled,”: They believed in the inerrancy of scripture. God said it so it had to come to pass. God’s word is true so what took place had to have taken place. What Peter was about to say was not his opinion, he was affirming the truth of the Word of God.  

• “which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David”: They believed in the inspiration of scripture. David spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Peter would later say, “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

How they viewed Judas betrayal and death: Because of these truths concerning the word of God Judas did not spoil the Lord’s plans he fulfilled them. Despite Judas being used of his own choice to arrest Jesus, he was by his own act of betrayal fulfilling God’s plan. So does that not get Judas off the hook since he was just fulfilling God’s prophetic plan? No, because what led him to betray Jesus was not to fulfill prophecy but rather the wickedness of his own heart.

Vs. 18-19 All of this is going to lead up to Peter’s conclusion for the need to fill Judas’ vacant place among them. Verses 17 and 20 are Peter’s words to those gathered in the upper room, which we will look at in a moment, but before we do Luke interjects for Theophilus what happened to Judas after his betrayal. Only in Matt. 27 and here do we know anything of what happened to Judas after his betrayal and there are several differences:   

• Matt. 27:5-10 says that Judas returned to the temple and threw the 30 pieces of silver at the feet of the chief priest and elders, then he went out and hung himself. They then took up the money and bought the potter’s field to bury strangers in.

• Acts 1:18-19 here we see that Judas purchased a field with the 30 pieces of silver. Then, we are not told where, fell head first splitting himself open and his guts came out.

Isn’t this a contradiction? No, Judas did purchase the field indirectly and since the priest and elders could not lawfully keep the money they used the money they gave to Judas to purchase the potters field. And as far as Judas’ suicide is concerned it seems that he hung himself over a cliff and that either the branch broke or later on after he had been up there for some time someone cut the rope and he fell head first and burst open. Either way these two verses confirm the truth and don’t contradict it.

         Now the death of Judas as well as the purchase of the potter’s field with the 30 pieces of silver is a fulfillment of  Zech. 11:12-13, “give me my wages; and if not, refrain. So they weighed thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, Throw it to the potter; that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter.” You see outside of every potter’s house would be a field where they would throw away any of the worthless pots that had become hardened. Over the years these would accumulate to the point of making the field useless for anything except as a burial place. That is what the money, which was given Judas for the betrayal of Jesus went for. A field full of broken pots and dead bodies.

 Wow, think of this: Jesus’ work on the cross for us went to redeem useless vessels and lifeless bodies. This field of blood, as it is called, ought to give us useless vessels and lifeless bodies hope as even the place where the greatest traitor died was purchased by the blood of Jesus! You see my point? In spite of the best plans of the enemy even when he succeeds in his schemes all he does is fulfill God’s plans!

Vs. 17, 20 It is from these verses that Peter concluded the need to replace Judas with one from among them. But why not just have 11? Well, Peter no doubt remembered the words of Jesus.

• Matt. 19:28 “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

• John 13:18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.”

• John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

So Peter put together the words of Jesus about the 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel with the fact that Jesus knew that Judas was not going to be a part of this group. He also put together the truth that the Old Testament predicted this (Ps. 69 and 109), so he concluded that Jesus would want another according to His own words that were part of the, “you who have followed Me”. So you see the choosing of another was to fulfill Jesus’ own words and that of O.T. prophecy. But was the person they chose the right person? 

Vs. 21-26 Mission, Ministry, Mastery

Vs. 21-26 Before I get started on the qualifications necessary to be an apostle I want to address Matthias being selected at all.

 The argument goes like this:

         “Matthias was a good guy but the wrong guy. He was not mentioned again after this verse. Paul was clearly an apostle and used far more than Matthias was. Not to mention that this choice was made prior to the Holy Spirit’s empowerment by way of casting lots.”

         There are several reasons why I disagree with this statement:

• The fact that Matthias is not mentioned after this does not bother me as none of the other disciples listed in verse 13 is mentioned again after verse 13 except Peter, John and James, (and he is only in 12:2 speaking of his death.) 

• It is clear from scripture though that Matthias was the 12th apostle. First remember that Luke was Paul’s close friend and if anyone would have a bias towards Paul being the 12th apostle it would have been him. Yet we read after Pentecost in 2:14 that when Peter stood up to explain the three-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit that the “eleven” stood up with him. So? Well if Matthias was not the 12th apostle why did Luke record it this way? Why didn’t the Holy Spirit say to them, “Hey, Matthias is a good guy but he is the wrong guy, I’ve got someone else in mind!” Then in Acts chapter 6:2, Matthias is again mentioned as being one of the apostles that had dedicated himself to prayer and the teaching of the Word, (hence the need for deacons). Paul had not yet been converted.

• Paul does not fit the three qualifications necessary to be an apostle to Israel, (verses 21-23). One Had to be with Jesus from the baptism through the ascension.

• Lastly, Paul did not consider himself to be the 12th apostle. Paul considered himself to be, “one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1Cor. 15:8) “for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.” (2 Cor. 12:11)

So what about Paul? Well he was an apostle to the gentiles. No less than three times he refers to himself in these terms as an “apostle to the Gentiles”. In fact we are told that Jesus Himself commissioned Paul in Acts 22:21 by saying, “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.” So the 12 thrones set up in heaven judging the 12 tribes of Israel will have Matthias and not Paul.

Vs. 21-22 Peter lays down three qualifications that were necessary in picking a replacement for Judas. The fact that they “accompanied us all the time” tells us that they were faithful. So they needed to be faithful to tell the truth to the world about these three things. I’ve put them in chronological order.

Vs. 22 “beginning from the baptism of John”: MISSION, It was at the baptism of Jesus by John that we are told of Jesus’ mission. In fact in John 1:29 right after the baptism, John sees Jesus and says, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” It is important that those that are witnesses of Jesus are correct on the mission of Jesus. He did not come to be a sage, miracle worker or political leader. No He came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The High Priest would place his hands upon the head of this perfect innocent lamb and confess the sins of the nation. Then they would kill the lamb and sprinkle its blood upon the mercy seat. That is the mission of Jesus.

Vs. 21 “all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us”:  MINISTRY, Of course Jesus would fulfill His mission. Well how did he do that? Well we are told in Luke 19:10 that He came to, “seek and to save that which was lost.” That was Jesus’ earthly ministry was all about was it not. So those that will testify of Him will speak of His ministry not in moral precepts but to save sinners of which I am the chief.

Vs. 22 “day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”: MASTERY, How could anyone be sure that Jesus could fulfill His “mission and ministry”? If He died with these great ideals then He died only as a great philosopher. But we are told in John 8:28 that Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.” Paul would echo those words in 1 Cor. 15:12-21 by affirming that without the resurrection we have nothing. Jesus shows His mastery over death in His resurrection. Thus we “know” that He is able to fulfill His mission and ministry. That is the third thing we tell the truth about that He is God the Son!

Vs. 23 Those were the qualifications and they came up with two fellows that met those three things. Barsabas, which means “son of the Sabbath” and Matthias, which means “gift of God”.

Vs. 24 Here we are told Who made the decision:

They prayed to the Lord who is everybody’s “heart-knower”. They ask the Lord to show them who He had already chosen. This was a qualification of being an apostle, that he had to have been chosen by the Lord, so they seek the Lord in prayer to do just that.

It is interesting here that the words used in this verse, “You have chosen” are that same as in verse 2 which reads, “had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.” So they already assumed that Jesus had chosen one of these two and that He was now going to reveal that to them.

Vs. 26 They cast lots. Prov. 16:33 tells us, “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.” This was a far better way than voting and it was an acceptable Old Testament method that God had given, even though this is the last place it is mentioned in the Bible. They wanted to choose a way that would cause them to rely upon God, not their own understanding. Now since the giving of the Holy Spirit we don’t need to cast lots as we are guided by the Holy Spirit. But it amazes me the ways many Christians still try to discern the will of God through emotions, circumstances, feelings and carnal desires.

Vs. 25 So Peter tells us that Judas fell because of his own sins and went to his own place. Folks, those that end up in hell do so because it is the place of their own choosing. They wanted to earn something based upon their goodness and this is what they have earned.