Acts 1

The book that we call “Acts” is the second of a two-part series written by Luke, a companion of the Apostle Paul. His first book, the Gospel according to Luke, also begins with a similar salutation to one “Theophilus,” a name that means “lover of God.” That first book covered the life of Jesus Christ through the time of His final ascension to heaven as a resurrection man. This second book recaps the period of the post-resurrection appearances of the Messiah, and then tells the story of the work of Jesus through His church ending with the Apostle Paul under house arrest in Rome.

During the forty days of our Lord prior to His final ascension, these chosen men received many convincing proofs that Jesus was alive. Jesus also taught them during these sporadic appearances to them over those days. All of this was only a beginning. There was much more to come for the Apostles and for the church, but at this time they did receive commands from Him, one of which was that they were to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father. Jesus was further preparing them for an experience that John the Baptist had spoken of earlier, an event that He and John referred to as being “being baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

It would be expected that the disciples would have many questions of the Lord of the Resurrection. The one that is recorded is about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. Israel was under the dominion of the Roman Empire. Many Old Testament prophecies looked forward to a coming time of glory for the Promised Land. A taste of that had already taken place in the days of Cyrus, when the Lord brought back a small captive band to resettle Israel as those who had been released from exile. As great as their story is, it could not possibly have been the complete fulfillment of the great word of the Lord. The disciples wondered if the kingdom would now come to Israel in a much fuller way. Would this victorious Son of David set up a throne of authority in Jerusalem, and usher in a time of blessing where the lion would lie down with the Lamb?

The plan of God was very different than this. The church would be a Spirit-filled witness to the truth of the cross and the resurrection of the Messiah, not only to Israel, but to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to far off places all over this planet. That would take some time. They would have to pursue this great mission without the bodily presence of Jesus of Nazareth. He would be alive and reigning, but from a higher throne than any mountain of the earth could afford. It is from this present heaven, (the dwelling of God, His holy angels, and justified departed men) that He would one day return on clouds of glory together with all the inhabitants of that place at the time of the renewal of this place. Until that time, the church would not be setting up nations on earth, but would proclaim the message of Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and the kingdom of God.

Then He was gone in a display of subtle divine transcendence. The disciples remained here, behind enemy lines in a way, but in another way they would be laying divine claim upon this earth in the Name of the One who had said that the meek would inherit it. They had been given a holy task to build up this gathering of the Kingdom of heaven that Jesus called His church. They returned to Jerusalem where they were to wait for the gift of the Spirit. There were more than the eleven there. The group also included Mary the mother of Jesus, some other women, and the half-brothers of Jesus, as well as others, about 120 in all, around the size of an average little church. This was the total of the Jesus movement in the entire world at that time, the equivalent of one little church believing in Christ and the resurrection.

The first issue that they attended to in that place of prayer was something that they believed they should do according to the Scriptures. They had come to understand the truth about Judas. They knew from their own experience that he had been a guide to those who arrested Jesus, but the Scriptures told them more about him, that he would be gone, which he was, and that another man would “take his office.” This is a quote from Psalm 109:8, and it refers to a position of oversight, with an understanding that a man would be gone in disgrace. Peter called upon the little flock to seek God’s will for the choice of someone to restore the twelve to their full number in what he saw as a fulfillment of the psalm.

They understood that the future blessing of the church was in the hands of the Lord, who gave His own blood for the establishment of His kingdom. They sought Him in prayer, because they understood that He knew the hearts of all. Two approved candidates were put forward, perhaps by the existing apostles, and one man was chosen by casting lots, a method that we do not entirely understand. What we do see is that they were trying to be obedient to the Scriptures and submissive to the King of the church. They did not approach their duties as men who were infallible in judgment. From the rest of Acts and the remaining books of the Bible, it would appear that Luke’s companion Saul, later called Paul, would be God’s choice as final one of the twelve. The worthy example for us here is that the leaders of the church of Jesus Christ were seeking to follow the Word of God and the Lamb. They did this knowing that God would have His way, and that His secret will for the progress of His Name was far better than anything that even the most pious and intelligent leaders of the church could ever devise.