Daily Scripture Reading Acts 1:1-19
Many Christians live in cultures where they are the minority, surrounded by people with different values, priorities, world views, and belief systems. It is common for those Christians to live insecurely and apologetically, feeling weak, and being somewhat afraid to stand up for the truth.
Today, we will start reading through the book of Acts. We will see the word power. Jesus made a promise about power that should give all Christians hope, comfort, and boldness in proclaiming the good news of Jesus that the world needs to hear.
Let’s start reading at the beginning of the book of Acts.
Acts 1:1 ¶ The first account, O Theophilus, I composed, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
Notice the reference to the “first account”. That means this book is a sequel to another book.
This book was addressed to Theophilus. Luke 1:3 tells us the Gospel of Luke was also addressed to Theophilus. That means Luke wrote Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
We learn from Luke 1:3 that Luke wrote his account of the life of Jesus in orderly sequence so that Theophilus would have certainty about Jesus. I assume the book of Acts was written to also give certainty about the events recorded in Acts.
Acts 1:2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen,
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Note the term “convincing proofs”. Jesus proved He was once again alive in ways that could not be disputed. The apostles were firmly convinced Jesus had risen from the dead.
The word “forty” informs us Jesus was on earth forty days after His resurrection.
Acts 1:4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:6 ¶ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
The Jews had an expectation that their Messiah would restore the independence of Israel. In the 1st century AD, that meant the Jews hoped their Messiah would liberate them from Rome. The disciples still had the mentality that the Messiah would do that; thus, leading to their question.
Acts 1:7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority;
Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH.”
Think about the word “power”. During the ministry of Jesus the disciples knew they were traveling with a Man who could perform miracles, heal sickness, and create food. If Jesus left them, they would not have that power with them; except Jesus promised they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Therefore, they would not be powerless.
Today, many Christians live in societies where they are the minority, not only in number of adherents, but also in mind share. Christian ethics and beliefs are not held by the majority of people. This causes many Christians to think and operate from a mindset of weakness and disadvantage.
However, the Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. The Holy Spirit has power. The power of God accompanies us everyday. We can and should proclaim the truth about Jesus from a position of confidence, knowing the power of the Holy Spirit is behind us.
Jesus told the twelve they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth. That is an outline of the book of Acts. At the beginning of the book, the disciples were in Jerusalem and they preached the truth about Jesus. They they took their message to Judea and Samaria. By the end of the book of Acts the gospel message was being preached all over the Roman empire. The apostles themselves scattered all over the world.
Acts 1:9 ¶ And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
Acts 1:11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
The word “heaven” appears three times in this verse. Our concept of heaven is different than their concept of heaven.
Today, we know that the earth is surrounded by an atmosphere, outside of which is outer space. Outside of our solar system is deep space. In the 1st century AD, they had never flown and did not understand space as we do. In their minds, heaven was anything and everything that was above the surface of the ground.
Acts 1:12 ¶ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
Take note of the reference to a Sabbath day’s journey. The Mosaic Law prohibited working on the Sabbath. By the 1st century AD, the Jews had put forth a lot of effort to define what is and is not work. One of their definitions of work had to do with how far a person could walk on a Sabbath without it being work. They had settled on a distance of 2,000 cubits as being the maximum length a Jew could walk on the Sabbath. That distance became known as a Sabbath day’s journey. 2,000 cubits is roughly 2/3 of a mile.
Acts 1:13 And when they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
Acts 1:14 These all with one accord were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
Acts 1:15 ¶ And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (a crowd of about 120 persons was there together), and said,
Oftentimes, Christians picture only the 11 disciples as still being faithful to Jesus after the events of the crucifixion and resurrection. However, this verse tells us there was actually a group of about 120 persons who remained.
Acts 1:16 “Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
David wrote Psalm 41 in which he talked about a close friend who betrayed him. Just as David’s friend betrayed him, so too Judas betrayed Jesus.
Acts 1:17 For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
Acts 1:18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his unrighteousness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
We read in Matthew 27 that after Judas betrayed Jesus, he felt remorse and returned the money he had been given. The priests used the money to buy a field as a burial place for strangers. Judas acquired the field in the sense that his betrayal money was used to buy the field.
Matthew 27:5 tells us Judas hanged himself. This verse seems to indicate that in the process of hanging himself, he fell headlong and burst open.
Acts 1:19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
Jesus told the disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The Holy Spirit is with all believers today. That means the power of the Holy Spirit accompanies us all day, every day. However, many Christians are a minority where they live.
In what ways does your culture make you feel powerless as a Christian?
How does that feeling of powerlessness affect how you proclaim the truth found in the Bible?
What are some ways you should change your outlook on life and your actions as a Christian based on the fact that the power of the Holy Spirit resides with us?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”