A Transition Of Power - Part 2
Acts 1:1-4
(an introduction to the Book of Acts)
The book of Acts records the most important transition of power in the history of the world. For some 33 years Jesus Christ had walked the earth, and for the last 3 years He was involved in His amazing earthly ministry. He traveled the region teaching, performing miracles, demonstrating His awesome power and changing countless lives. Now, His work on earth was complete. He had gone to the cross, laid down His life and victoriously risen from the grave. Before His death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus promised His followers that He would not leave them alone. He told them about the impending arrival of the Holy Spirit. It was almost time for this amazing transition of power. No longer would Jesus walk with His followers, soon He would live in them.
Throughout Acts, we will see many amazing things that were done at the hands of the Apostles; however, it is important for us to remember that they were just human vessels under the control of the Holy Spirit of God. It is also important for us to realize that we have the same opportunity that they had, for the Holy Spirit indwells all genuine followers of Christ.
- As we look at the first few verses of this chapter, I would like to continue to examine the subject "A Transition Of Power”.
The Holy Spirit used Luke to write the book of Acts. Luke was Paul’s close friend, traveling companion, and co-laborer in the Gospel ministry. Some of the information Luke records in the book of Acts was from his own first-hand account as he traveled with Paul. The other information in this book came from interviewing eyewitnesses such as Peter, John, and others in the Jerusalem church.
Though Luke was the man who put pen to paper, the divine author of Acts is the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit used Luke to give us a history of the establishment and growth of the Christian Church. The Church is truly blessed to possess this account of the works of the Holy Spirit and we were given it by the Holy Spirit Himself. Originally, this Book was a letter written by Luke to a man named Theophilus. However, God had a far greater plan in mind for this information than the instruction of one man; for He has used this Book to bless Christians for two millennia.
In the first couple of verses of this chapter Luke gives a brief review of the life of Jesus.
- He begins with A Review Concerning Jesus’ Resurrection.
v1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
By this time, Jesus had suffered, been crucified, died, was buried and after three days He rose from the grave. He presented Himself to the Apostles and others and they were witnesses of His resurrection.
- Luke went on to share A Review Concerning Jesus’ Instructions.
During the time that Jesus spent with the Disciples after His resurrection, He taught them many things, especially concerning their future ministry and the Kingdom of God. They were told what to do and where to do it, furthermore they were assured that they would be empowered to accomplish this task.
- After giving a review of Jesus’ resurrection and instructions to His Disciples, Luke gives A Review Concerning Jesus’ Ascension.
After a period of time teaching and instructing the Disciples, Jesus was taken up into Heaven. His work on earth was complete and He took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. After reviewing certain truths concerning Jesus’ resurrection, His instructions to His Disciples and His ascension, Luke goes on to tell Theophilus about certain truths that Jesus revealed before His departure. In His final words to His most faithful followers, Jesus gives a preview of certain things that were to come in the future; specifically the coming Kingdom of God and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Let’s take some time and consider:
II. THE PREVIEW THAT IS GIVEN
- Notice that:
A. THERE IS A PREVIEW OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
v3 speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
The Disciples had often asked Jesus about the establishment of His Kingdom. The Kingdom was on their minds and a topic of conversation just moments before Christ ascended.
v6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Jesus primary concern was not with the kingdoms of this world. He even said to Pontius Pilate "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36)
Jesus had offered Himself to the nation of Israel as King but they rejected Him. Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! This is also seen in John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Because of Israel’s rejection, Christ’s literal kingdom on earth was postponed until Israel repents and receives Him as Messiah. Peter references this in Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
One day Christ will establish His literal Kingdom on earth, but for now He has an invisible kingdom on earth. - Colossians 1:12 the Father has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Christ’s kingdom is made up of all who profess allegiance to Him. Only those who have been (or will be) born again will be a part of this Kingdom. In John 3:3 Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…5 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There is coming a day when Jesus will return to earth and establish His Kingdom, when He does He will reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. However, His Kingdom is eternal and one day all of His enemies will be destroyed and He will rule and reign throughout eternity.
- This passage not only gives us a preview of the Kingdom of God, we also see that:
THERE IS A PREVIEW OF THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
v4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Jesus commands His followers to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. This was probably not what they wanted to hear. Jerusalem is where Jesus had faced much opposition, opposition that eventually led to His death. The Apostles were so closely associated with Him that they knew they were in great danger. Now Jesus instructs them to remain in this city of hatred, violence and persecution. The reason that they were to remain in Jerusalem is because that is where the Holy Spirit would descend. When He arrived, He they would bear testimony to Israel’s rejection of the Son of God. It was there in Jerusalem that Peter would boldly stand and declare: Acts 2:22-24 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
In time, the Holy Spirit would descend just as Jesus had promised. When He arrived He would “reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment”. This amazing event his would take place in Jerusalem. The Disciples had recently abandoned Jesus and fled for fear of the Jews and for many days they hid in fear for their lives. But there was coming a time when these men would be bold and courageous witnesses of the Savior that they had previously denied and abandoned. This is where their ministry would begin; Jerusalem was where the Church would be born and it all began with the arrival of the Holy Spirit of God.
A Transition of Power was on the horizon Jesus would ascend to Heaven and the Holy Spirit would descend on the people of God in Jerusalem. Some ten days later the Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost and the world has never been the same. The truths that Luke shares with Theophilus back then are important to us today. Jesus did suffer, die, rise again and ascend. The Holy Spirit did arrive and He not only did an amazing work at Pentecost, He is still doing an amazing work in the hearts and lives of God’s people today.
The Kingdom of God is as important to us as it was to the Disciples. We are already part of Christ’s invisible Kingdom on earth, we will be a part of His literal reign for 1,000 years in Jerusalem and we will remain part of His Kingdom throughout eternity.
This is exciting information, but I must warn you, it is not exciting for everyone. For the only ones who can claim these promises are those who belong to Jesus. The only ones who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God are those who have been born again. The only ones who are part of God’s Kingdom are those who have repented and believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The very Gospel that is declared in these few verses; the Gospel that proclaims that Jesus lived, died for our sins and victoriously rose from the grave to live forevermore. If you have not surrendered to Him, I encourage you to repent and believe in Him for salvation today. If you have, then rejoice because Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is real, just as Luke has described in these verses that describe “A Transition of Power”.
