Call to Commitment

  

The ascension and promise of His return

6.  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 

7.     And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 

8.     But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

9.     Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

10.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 

11.  who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." 

 The disciples were preoccupied with the question posed in verse 6 the entire time that they followed Christ..."Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" For that reason, James and John asked to sit on His right and left hand in His glory (Mr.10:37). It expressed the same concept, which the Jews, in general, had concerning the coming of the Messiah. They thought that He should be a great Prince of Peace, who would deliver Israel from the oppression of their enemies, especially the Romans, who ruled over them, during His time on earth. After He fed 5,000 men, plus women and children, there was a strong contingent among the people, who wanted to make Him king: “Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (Jn.6:15). He refused to walk the road that led to popularity and for that reason, He commanded those, who had experienced His miraculous power, that they should restrain from publicizing the good that had been done to them.  

 Why then have these good deeds been publicized in our Bibles and commonly proclaimed among the nations? The reason is clearly understood by the command given to Peter, James and John, as they descended from the Mount of Transfiguration: "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead" (Mt.17:19). The admonition not to declare His supernatural works was a matter of timing, not principle. His immediate mission was a cross, not a throne. His physical reign would come in the Millenium; at the time of the book of Acts, He was beginning to develop a spiritual kingdom. One composer wrote, “He surveyed His kingdom from a cross.”

 God willed that prophecy be given throughout the Bible in order to reveal things that would take place in the future. Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:… and he will shew you things to come” (Jn.16:13). The Holy Spirit is a Teacher of prophecy. However, there are things, which God does not reveal, having kept them “in His own power.” Christians need not try to discover these secrets (v.7), but concentrate on the mission, which He has given us to do in this dispensation.

 The commission to the church in this age is given us in verse 8, as well as at the end of the Gospels of Matthew (Mt.28:19-20), Mark (Mk.16:15-1) and Luke (Lk.24:47-48). We are to go into all the world, preach repentance and the gospel of remission of sin to everyone, disciple all nations, baptize the believers, teach them to obey Christ’s commands, and perform miraculous signs and wonders. To fulfill the commission and to be witnesses to Christ, they would need supernatural power. They were not to leave Jerusalem without it, but then, they were to reach out in an ever-increasing circle, from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and beyond to every corner of the planet.  That is the primary mission, which God has placed in the hands of His people. They are to work hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit, Who is the true witness of all the words and deeds of Christ (Jn.16:14-15).

 The book of Acts is the story of how the first disciples obeyed the Lord’s command. First, they filled Jerusalem with the gospel (chapter 1-7), then they reached Judea and Samaria (ch.8:1-25), and then a nobleman of Ethiopia (ch.8:26-39). The apostle to the Gentiles was converted in Act 9, a Roman centurion in chapter 10, and Antioch became prominent in chapters 11-13. Paul led a team to Macedonia (ch.16), Achaia (which is Greece, ch.18), Asia Minor (ch.19), and on to eventually reach Rome. He intends to travel to Spain.

 In verses 9 through 11, we have Christ's ascension, along with the promise of His return to earth, told by two individuals in white raiment. He went up into a cloud and the two men said that He would return “in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” He went up into a cloud and He will return in the clouds (1 Th.4:17; Lk.21:27; Rv.1:7; 11:12).

He went up from the Mount of Olives, which is outside Jerusalem, towards the town of Bethany. Verse 12 tells us that the disciples left the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem, a walk of less than a mile. The great prophet of last-day Israel promises, “His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east…” (Zec.14:4).

 The two men were probably angels, but there is also reason to believe that they were literally Moses and Elijah, who talked with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt.17:3). It is apparent they will be the two witnesses in Revelation 11. There is an interesting fact in the Old Testament concerning the ascension of Elijah. He and Elisha seem to be Old Testament types of Christ’s ascension, witnessed by the disciples. Elijah said, “if you see me when I am taken from you” (2 K.2:10), Elisha would receive a double portion of the Spirit. The disciples, who were present when Jesus ascended, also received a double portion of the Holy Spirit.

 I would like you to notice in verse 11 that the two individuals specifically referred to the disciples as men of Galilea. There is something very important about the fact that Jesus, throughout His ministry, was dealing with Galileans. They have something to teach us about the ways of God and we need to pay attention. I will return to this subject in chapter 2. 

 

Chapter 1:12-26

 The Upper Room

12.  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 

13.  And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 

14.  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 

15.  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 

16.  "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 

17.   for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry." 

18. (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 

19.  And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) 

20.  "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'LET HIS DWELLING PLACE BE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE LIVE IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER TAKE HIS OFFICE.' 

21.  "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 

22.  beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." 

23.  And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 

24.  And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 

25. to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." 

26.  And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.  

Luke tells us clearly in verse 12 that the disciples had been on the Mount of Olives, when Jesus ascended into heaven. It is located between Jerusalem and Bethany and, in fact, in his Gospel, Luke called the place, Bethany (Lk.24:50). Now they return to the Upper Room in Jerusalem.

 We learn that the eleven apostles were present (v.13) and in the next verse 14, Luke informs us of a few more. The faithful women, who followed Jesus, accompanied the eleven. At this point, His immediate family has joined them and is part of the 120, who are present. His brothers had become believers, as well, for previously, they had not been (Jn.7:5). That is a mighty mystery, for they personally observed the purity and comportment of His youth. It proves a great principle that, in spite of physical closeness, spiritual truth is only obtained through the Holy Spirit. His brothers followed His ministry from afar and were skeptical of it, to the point of attempting to forcibly detain Him. They thought that He was out of His mind (Mk.3:21), something which the leaders of Israel claimed (Mk.3:22). Strangely, His mother, Mary, was with His brothers (Mk.3:31).  

 Probably, it was His resurrection that finally convinced them that He was the Messiah and possessed the divine nature. Mary, however, was at the foot of the cross, when Jesus commanded his beloved John, to take her as his mother. Among His brothers are James and Jude, writers of an epistle each in the New Testament. James was a pillar in the Jerusalem church (Jm.1:1).

 These were obedient to the command of Jesus to remain in Jerusalem. In his Gospel, Luke tells the purpose, for which they are there. Jesus commanded them: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Lk.24:49). For the commission that Christ laid upon them, supernatural, heavenly power was necessary in order to carry it out, something we have already pointed to, as the key issue in the book of Acts:  “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

Of the four writers of the Gospels, Luke is the one, who presents most clearly the relationship between prayer and the endowment of the Holy Spirit. Consider his quote from Jesus in Luke 11:13:  “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Therefore, the ten days spent in the Upper Room were dedicated to prayer. There was nothing to do, but pray, because human effort is useless towards divine purposes. Jesus said, ”Without Me you can do nothing”. (Jn.15:5).

The disciples were unanimously convinced of the principle and they directed their hearts in one purpose. The trust and hope for the future of their ministry were in the Holy Spirit, and the only way to receive heavenly things is through prayer. I will give a list to show how Luke emphasized it throughout this book of Acts: 1:15-26; 2:42-43; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 7: 55-60; 8:14-17; 9:11, 36-43; 10:1-4, 9; 12:1-12; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:13, 25; 20:36; 21:5; 27:35; and 28:8.

 In verse 15, Luke reports that there were 120 in the Upper Room. Although the answer is not given in Scripture, I think it is legitimate to ask, concerning the 380 plus, who were not present there. The reasons could be many, so I will stop short of criticizing their absence, after the Lord commanded them to wait in Jerusalem.

 Beginning in verse 16 and continuing through verse 20, we have an opportunity to explore the doctrine and history of Judas Iscariot. Peter recounts it and I think his story is infamously unique, compared to all the characters of Scripture and throughout the church age. The reason for assuming his uniqueness is because Jesus, in praying to the Father, stated “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” (Jn.17:12). He interceded for every disciple on that occasion and over the centuries: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (Jn.17:20). But He did not keep this one: Therefore, I consider it unwise to threaten believers with the account of Judas, because he stands apart from all others.

 He is prophesied as a traitorous “friend” in Psalms 41:9: “My own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me” and also in Psalms 55:12, 13: “It is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him.  But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.” 

 The Old Testament type for Judas was a man named Ahithophel. He was a wise counsellor in David’s court, who sided with Absalom in his conspiracy. Follow the account in 2 Samuel 15:12, 31; 16:23; and 17:14, 23. I find it interesting that Ahithophel is father of Eliam (2 S. 23:34) who, in turn is father of Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery (2 S. 11:3). Therefore, Ahithophel is grandfather to Bathsheba. Does this relationship have something to do with Ahithophel’s mutinous betrayal against David?

 When a woman poured a costly and fragrant oil over Jesus’ head, Judas Iscariot, along with all the disciples, was indignant (Mt.26:8). Judas, however, went a step farther than the others; he went immediately to the chief priests and offered to deliver Jesus into their hands for 30 pieces of silver (Mt.26:14-16). This did not come as a surprise to the Lord, for He already knew the prophetic word against Judas. Back in John 6:70-71, He called him a devil and in John 13:21, He announced his betrayal.

 In Matthew 27:3-5, Judas was remorseful and took the money back to the chief priests and elders, confessing his treason as sin. He threw the silver in the temple, went and hung himself. Ahithophel suffered the same fate, after his counsel was rejected, as you have read, if you followed the account in 2 Samuel (17:23). The prophetic word in Zechariah 11:12-13 gives us the price of betrayal as 30 pieces of silver, as well as the final use of the money.

 We read the fulfillment of the prophecy in Matthew 27:6-10: “The chief priests took the silver pieces and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them the treasury, because they are the price of blood.’ And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field.” Matthew then quotes the prophecy of Zechariah. (Parenthetically, Matthew credits Jeremiah as the author of the prophecy, but that is because these prophetic books of the Old Testament, which included Zechariah, were under the title, Jeremiah, in Matthew’s day.) Further prophecies concerning Judas are found in Psalms 69:25 and 109:9-15.

 Peter now looks for a replacement for Judas Iscariot among the 120 in the Upper Room. There are certain qualifications: 1) The candidate must have been among the disciples of John the Baptist, for they afterwards became Jesus’ disciples. John prepared the way for them to Christ. 2) He must have witnessed the ascension of Christ. (Remember Elijah’s command to Elisha, that he must witness Elijah’s ascension in 2 Kings 2:10.) 3) He must also have seen the resurrected Lord (vs.21, 22). 

 There were two, who fulfilled the necessary requirements… Joseph Justus and Matthias (v.23).  The decision was placed in the hands of the Lord through prayer and then they cast lots (vs. 24-26). Lots were cast in the Old Testament (Lv. 16:8-9; Josh.14:2). It is one of the earliest signs that these Jewish disciples continued to follow some Old Testament rites, until they learned to be led by the Holy Spirit. The lot fell on Matthias.