In Luke chapter 1 we begin with these words.
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
We see from these verses that Luke was not an eyewitness, but instead was one who had carefully gathered information from those who had known, seen and heard Jesus and now was bringing together an orderly account of what had happened during His ministry. Luke did this painstaking work so that a believer named Theophilus would know the certainty of the things he had been taught. We are fortunate that these writings have been passed down for us as well.
Those verses were the beginning of the book of Luke. The rest of the book of Luke recounted the highlights of Jesus’ life and ministry. Luke then wrote a second book of the Bible that we now know as the book of Acts. This book picked up where the book of Luke left off and recorded for us the highlights of the early church after Jesus had ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost. The book of Acts will be the focus of this sermon series.
Luke was a doctor (Col. 4:14). Because of this we find his writing very detailed, almost written in a scientific manner based on the facts. Luke was a Gentile, a non-Jew. That is in contrast to the rest of the New Testament writers who were all Jews. The books of Luke and Acts are written in some of the best Greek in the entire New Testament.
As we look as Luke’s writings we see meticulous details of place, time and persons. This allows the reader the ability to test the credibility of the writer. There was no calendar in those days so the dates were often referenced by the emperor or political leader who was in power at that time.
Luke included hundreds of places, people, events and times. This opens one up to countless ways of being questioned, especially since the original readers had been alive during many of these events. If one was trying to convince others of a lie he would never give this much prove-able detail, but Luke did. Time and again Luke’s writings have been found to be true through archaeology and other historical means. It proves that we can rely on his research and the accuracy of his narrative accounts. If Luke has shown himself to have integrity and excellence as he recounts these details about places, people and times then we should also trust him with the details of Jesus’ life that he also writes about. In some ways, these are the purposes of Luke’s details. Not that details can make one believe, but that the details will help someone take the writer seriously and to consider his historical claims of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done.
Do all of these details prove that Jesus is the Son of God? No. Do these details prove that Jesus rose from the dead? No. But they prove that the author is historically accurate and trustworthy in his writings. He is trustworthy in his research and his accounts of persons, places, time and events. He is writing of fact, not fiction. This is not a made-up legend or figment of one’s imagination. We must never forget that even Luke’s details and logic will never be enough to grant a person saving faith in Jesus Christ. Through His Word (Romans 10:17), God is the one who grants faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is received when the Spirit of God intersects with the Word of God in the heart of a man or a woman. That is why, we as believers in Christ, must keep telling the story of Jesus.
In Acts 1:1-3 we read the following words,
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.
Luke is continuing to document for Theophilus what had happened and was leading him through the transition from the Ascension of Christ to the beginning of the early church.
Jesus was alive! It did not happen in secret where there would be no witnesses. The Apostle Paul wrote in Acts 15:3-6,
“He (Jesus) appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive.”
For those of the early church there was no question that Jesus had died and had been raised from the dead. Luke then continued in Acts 1:4-5,
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.”
By Luke’s mentioning Jesus’ eating, Luke was letting his readers know that Jesus had not come back as a ghost or as a spirit. Jesus had bodily been raised from the dead. He had come back to life. Death had been completely conquered.
One day when eating with them He told them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit that the Father had promised. Some might have considered leaving Jerusalem to return back to normal life up in Galilee. Others might have wanted to leave Jerusalem because of possible persecution from the Jews. Still, some might have wanted to leave Jerusalem so they could begin spreading the gospel to as many people as possible. Regardless of their desires, Jesus instructed them to wait.
Waiting is difficult. It is an act of submission, and dependence on Christ. It is actively trusting in God more than yourself. It is one of the most useful tools in God’s hands as He grows our faith and draws us to himself. For those who are willing to be like clay in God’s hands, waiting can shape a believer’s faith and character. It is not fun, but few things sanctify us as much as waiting. Luke then continued with Acts 1:6-8
6 Then they gathered around him and 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.”
The disciples thought they were ready to go. Jesus had returned, proven Himself as the Messiah, and now the disciples were ready to usher in His kingdom. It is very likely that they still had ideas of an earthly kingdom more than a spiritual kingdom. Once again, we see this desire for action.
Have you even been like that? You are wanting to run ahead, get things done for God, and God has held you back? Next week we will look at Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Great things happened, but what do you think would have been the results if the disciples had rushed ahead to build the kingdom in their own power, without the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew what the mission was and how desperately they were going to need the power of the Spirit, so He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem.
We then turn our attention to verse 8. They are told that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them and they will be Christ’s witnesses.
In the earliest days of the church, after Jesus’ ascension, the primary responsibility of the Apostles was to be witnesses of what they had seen. Because of this Jesus gave them “many proofs appearing to them for 40 days” after his resurrection. Here Jesus was sending them out “to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world.” They were not sent out to establish a new systematic theology. They were not scholars or philosophers. They were common men who were supposed to tell what they had seen and explain what it meant.
It would be helpful if we kept this in mind when we seek to share Christ with others. At times we are afraid that we will not know all the answers to someone’s questions. Yes, we should seek to be able to give the reason for the hope that we have, but our best tool is our own story, what we have experienced with Christ. We, too, are called to be witnesses.
It is much like the blind man in John 9. The man had been blind since birth and yet Jesus was able to miraculously give him sight. The religious leaders called the man to come before them because Jesus had the audacity to heal the man on the Sabbath.
In John 9:24-25 we read this account,
“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
To many this way of giving testimony is the best way to tell others about Christ. No one knows your story better than you. As you tell your firsthand account of what Christ has done and is doing in your life you can speak with passion and conviction, convinced of what you have seen, heard and experienced. A simple way to think about this is by sharing about your life before salvation, then sharing your salvation experience, and then sharing about your life since salvation.
Acts 1:8 then helps us begin to think about sharing Christ as a church.
Acts 1:8 says,
“And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you., and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Through prayer we must depend on the power of the Holy Spirit. He will lead us to those with whom He wants us to share. Through prayer our hearts will be burdened, we will receive wisdom and boldness, and the unbeliever’s heart will be prepared. People will only come to Christ as the Holy Spirit draws them to Himself.
To be witnesses we must have experienced Christ ourselves, not merely a religious tradition, but a relational experience where we surrender our lives to follow Jesus Christ and encounter Him working in our lives. It is difficult to be a witness to something you have never experienced.
They were to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth. Jerusalem was the city where they were. This would include their family, friends, and coworkers. Judea was the province they lived in. They may not know the people specifically, but culturally the people were like them. Samaria was the neighboring province. These people were farther way geographically. Also, the Jews and Samaritans despised each other. The ends of the earth was the last part of God’s call telling them to reach the whole world with the love of Jesus Christ. Now at this time in history India was what they likely believed to be their end of the earth to the east and Spain to the west.
The book of Acts is the journey of the early church through these four mission areas.
This is our calling as well. We are to be a tool in the hand of God to reach our “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth”. We are to believe that the Holy Spirit will go before us and work in people’s lives as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and our actions.
It becomes even more interesting for a church like ours in a city like ours. With so many immigrants and internationals now living in Houston we are now needing to find the best way to reach out to the world when those from the ends of the earth now live on our streets, attend schools with us and work in the next cubicle.
I was in a conversation recently with several men who are ministering to refugees here in Houston. One told of how he had recently visited a refugee in his home. As they talked he found out where this refugee gentleman was from and what people group he belonged to. He later looked it up and found out there is no known Christan in this man’s entire people group. How amazing is that. The unreached people groups that we have traditionally sought to reach have now moved into our midst. This will be one of the challenges of our day. How will we live out Acts 1:8 in this time and in this place.
Luke then continued with verses 9-11,
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
For many Christians, we are familiar with Jesus returning to heaven after being crucified and being raised from the dead, but have little understanding of its true value in the story of the Bible and how it affects our own spiritual lives.
The ascension is significant because it marked the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. At the same time, it marked the return to His heavenly glory and the end to His human limitations. The Ascension also gives us a clear description of what to expect when Jesus returns.
Some might be tempted to mourn Jesus’ ascension because He would no longer be with them, but we see in Luke 24:52 that the disciples did the opposite. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy. To some it was a loss to no longer have Jesus walking by their side, but as we look at scripture, we see that there were various reasons to celebrate when Jesus ascended to heaven.
First of all, we read this in John 14:2–3,
“2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Jesus was returning to heaven to “prepare a place” for them. He then promised that He would return. Yes, He was going, but it was necessary to prepare a place so that He could return and take them to their eternal home.
It might be similar to the excitement and the sense of anticipation of a betrothed Jewish bride. In Jesus’ day the families would come together, and a marriage agreement would be made. The promised groom would then return to the home of His Father to prepare a place for he and his future bride. At this time the bride would not have been saddened that her fiancée was walking away. She would have been overjoyed by the fact that he was going to prepare a place for them and that he would return when it was time to begin their married life together. That is one reason for joy at the Ascension. Jesus had left them, but it was so that He could prepare a place for them and return when all was ready.
Another benefit of Jesus’ departure is stated clearly in Jesus’ words in John 16:7,
“7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
Jesus had to return to heaven so He could send the Spirit to us. Jesus had walked beside His disciples, but now His Spirit would dwell within them.
The Holy Spirit would be their mentor, their tutor, their helper and their counselor who would reveal the truths of God and Christ as they sought to live the Christian life. The Spirit would lead them as they became the leaders of the early church and were used of God to lay the foundations for His kingdom work until Christ would return. Through the Spirit Christ would dwell in them and they would abide in Christ. The Holy Spirit would bear witness about Jesus through the Apostles.
The advancement of God’s Kingdom in our lives and in our world would depend on the coming of the Holy Spirit, but Jesus had to go so the Spirit could come.
Jesus would now return to His rightful place at the Right Hand of God.
This is what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Ephesians 1:20-21. Out of the Father’s mighty strength
“He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
When one who is in power, such as a king, put another at his right hand it was an act of giving him equal power and authority. That means that Jesus has ultimate dominion not only in the present, but all authority in the unknown future.
It is not just that Jesus has now be given all power and authority, He also is now our High Priest who speaks on our behalf to the Father (Hebrews 4:15).
Romans 8:34 declares,
34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Christ is our perfect High Priest who knows the demands of the laws of God but satisfied them with His own life and death on the cross. As our repentant hearts combine with the sacrifice of Christ, He speaks as our Advocate. As we read in Hebrews 9:24, Christ has entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. He associates Himself with us, declaring to the Father that we are His.
This is the beginning of the book of Acts as the foundation of the early church is being laid. They had been with Jesus for 40 days. They are now convinced witnesses who can testify of Christ’s resurrection. They have obeyed Christ’s instructions to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They understand the mission to be witnesses to the world. They have seen Jesus ascend to heaven and are eagerly awaiting His return.
If we look, we can see the foundational principles for the church being laid. These apply to both the early church and our church as well.
Know Christ and be His witnesses to your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
Wait for and depend on the Holy Spirit to go before you.
Rejoice in the fact that Jesus is your High Priest, your Intercessor, the Lord of all, and the returning King.
Live with an eye on heaven eagerly awaiting Christ’s return.
May we prayerfully join the early church as they pray and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
