Behind The Scenes (Part 1) Series

BEHIND THE SCENES

Part 1

Acts 1:15-26

Certain followers of Christ are well known to others. We all know of the great work that God did through Peter, John and the rest of the Apostles. We know the names of great men of God like Paul, Silas, Barnabas, Mark & Luke. We often reference such men as Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, D.L Moody and others. Even in our generation we have been blessed by the service of men like: Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, J. Vernon McGee, Billy Graham and John Macarthur.

We are indebted to many well-known men and women who have served the church throughout its history. However, some of the greatest servants of God are unknown to most of the world. There are many faithful Christians who work behind the scenes whose work is invaluable. I am referring to servants of God who do things that few people (if anyone at all) ever notices. These are people who labor fervently, serve consistently and witness boldly without any fanfare, recognition or attention. Our church is blessed with many people who fit this description, and they are no less important to the kingdom work than the men who pastor mega churches. In fact, some of them may have a greater pile of crowns waiting for them in Heaven than some ministry leaders who are known all over the world.

We know the names of the Lord’s Apostles. We read of their devotion to Christ and they work for the Kingdom of God. Several of them were used of God to pen a Gospel account or write an Epistle. Some of these men were not as well-known as Peter, James John and Andrew but their service is just as important. The Gospels tell of their labor for the Lord and the work that they accomplished in His name. But there were others who traveled with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry who were rarely mentioned, there are others whose names are even not recorded, but they are important nonetheless. Two of those followers are about to step out from the shadows and their testimonies will be featured in our selected text; their names are Justus & Matthias. The Apostles would choose one of these two men to replace Judas Iscariot and become an Apostle of Christ.

At this point the Lord’s Apostles are gathered in the upper room with certain other Christians praying together and waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. This beautiful scene of prayer and unity is the setting for the first church business meeting. This assembly of 120 followers of Christ joined together to seek the will of the Lord. The main point of business was to select someone to replace Judas Iscariot. Judas was not replaced because he had died; he was replaced because he had betrayed the Savior and departed the ministry. As the Apostles spent time in prayer and waiting for the Holy Spirit, they sought the Lord’s guidance and made preparations for the future. This shows us that waiting for God does not mean being idle. As we prepare for a great move of God, there is plenty that we can do, however we must seek God’s face and ensure that we do not get ahead of Him or go in a different direction than He would have us to go.

Peter stood up and addressed this assembly. He referenced the dastardly acts of Judas and using scripture proposed that they select someone to fill the position of Apostle.

v15 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.'

In this address, Peter reminded the people that the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be betrayed. This prophecy was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Christ for 30 Pieces of silver. Judas had been called to be a Disciple; he traveled with Jesus and His followers up until the night before His crucifixion. But a few days earlier, this deceiver sought out the enemies of Christ and agreed to betray Him. After Jesus had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas arrived with a band of soldiers and betrayed the Savior with a kiss. Jesus was then seized, arrested, tried and crucified. Judas regretted what he had done, so much so that he attempted to return the blood money that he had received. After this, he went out and hanged himself. The chief priests took the money that Judas tried to return and bought a burial ground with it. Luke declares that Judas “purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 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.” It is believed that after Judas hung himself, the rope or the branch of the tree broke and Judas fell on the rocks below and his corpse burst open.