Acts 1:1-9
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Luke begins the Book of Acts right where his Gospel leaves off–describing the last instructions Jesus gave the apostles as well as His ascension into heaven. Jesus didn’t just get resurrected and leave His disciples completely to themselves; He stayed around “over a period of forty days” (v. 3), speaking with them about the kingdom of God and giving them a few last things for them to remember as they carried forth His teachings and established the early Christian church. (Not only that, He was proving He had truly risen from the dead, appearing all over the local region to many different people, speaking with them, eating with them, etc.)
Two important things Jesus mentioned are the arrival of the Holy Spirit, bringing a “gift” for them (v. 4-5), and where the disciples should take His message after they receive said gift (v. 7-8). They are supposed to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes; the gift mentioned arrives in chapter 2, and (at least from my reading) seems to be the gift of languages (speaking in tongues). This will be very handy for the disciples, since they are to travel to distant lands to speak of Jesus, to fulfill the Great Commission.
Jesus’ last two pieces of advice are short but full of meaning:
- The Holy Spirit will equip them with every ability they need to witness. How many times have I found myself making excuses that I don’t know “how to witness right,” that I’m inexperienced, that I stutter and make a fool of myself? Jesus first reassures the disciples (and us modern believers) that the Holy Spirit, the third personage of God, will be with them as they go forth and speak to others about Jesus. Believers then and now can rely on that strength–you’d be surprised how the right words just seem to come forth when you witness!
- They are to witness not only to their own communities, but to everyone, because everyone can be included in the kingdom of God. Christianity was not merely for the Jews and the Jewish lands they had all grown up in–Christ’s message was (and still is) meant for anyone to hear, and open for anyone to accept no matter what their background, language, culture, etc. This would be greatly important for the disciples to remember, as the early church struggles with people saying that to be a Christian you have to be a Jew first, etc. (It’s also important for us today, as we struggle with churches increasingly treating themselves like a members-only club rather than an open place of worship for all.)
With Jesus’ first instruction, it’s no wonder that the disciples begin to think the kingdom of God is already coming (v. 6)–if this “Holy Spirit” is coming, then doesn’t that mean the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament foretold? But Jesus makes it clear in His second instruction that they will go out witnessing to everyone, and the kingdom of God will arrive when God wills. Once Jesus has said that, then He is taken up to heaven…and the work of the early church begins with these 11 people.