Jesus’s Last Days on the Earth
TEXT: Acts 1:1-2 – “The former treatise have I made Luke is referring to the Gospel of Luke], O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.”
INTRODUCTION
In the Book of Revelation Jesus is called “the Alpha and the Omega”—“the Beginning and the End.” Jesus is the beginning and the end of the book of Acts as well. The very first verse in the book of Acts begins with Jesus – Acts 1:1 – “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.” And the very last verse in Acts ends with Jesus – The last verse in Acts says that Paul was… “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Acts 28:31)
So, though the book of Acts is really a book about the works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the leaders of the early church, it’s fitting that the very first chapter should tell us about the last activities of Jesus while He was still physically on this earth. And, as always, Jesus is busy. In verses 1-11 there are three things about Jesus’ last activities that have tremendous implications for the entire history of the church that would follow—and consequently for you and me today.
Let’s look at them.
I. FIRST, WE LEARN THAT JESUS IS LIVING – Acts 1:3-4: “To whom [speaking of the apostles mentioned in verse 2] also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”
Praise God, this book begins—not with a dead prophet, but a risen Redeemer!...Not with a deceased priest, but an alive Savior! Not a lifeless teacher, but a living Lord! And this fact is what explains everything else we will read about in the book of Acts.
Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The fact that we see Jesus alive in this passage has enormous ramifications for the rest of this book and, in fact, the entire history of Christianity and the world! Let me share just two of those ramifications, while you write them down in your notes on the back of your bulletin:
1. First of all, when Jesus rose from the dead He proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that He was who He said He was.
Repeatedly Jesus made the claim that He was the Son of God—that He was, in fact, God Himself come in the flesh. In John 10:30 He said “I and my Father are one.” Furthermore, not only did Jesus claim to be God, He also declared that He is the only way to heaven. He said in John 14:6: “…I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Now, anybody can claim to be from God. Anybody can claim that he IS God. And anybody can claim to be the only way to heaven. But only Jesus Christ PROVED these claims by rising from the dead! Only Jesus has real credibility. Jesus is the only one we can credibly believe because He’s the only one who exercised what no other man or created being can do— He raised HIMSELF from the dead!
Illus. – This reminds me of the three lunatics in an insane asylum: The 1st lunatic said to the 2nd, “Did you know that I’m Napoleon Bonaparte?” Indignantly, the 2nd lunatic replied, “I beg your pardon! It just so happens that I am Napoleon Bonaparte!” The 1st one said, “Oh yeah! Who says you’re Napoleon Bonaparte?” The 2nd responded, “God told me so.” That aroused the 3rd lunatic who said, “I DID NOT!”
Now you know as good as I do that no one would take seriously these three men’s claims about who they are—especially the third one. Why? Because none of them had the proofs to give credibility to their claims. But Jesus DID have credibility for HIS claims—because of the resurrection!
Illus. – A long time ago, I saw an interesting cartoon in a Christian magazine. It was based on a popular 60s and 70s TV show Called What’s My Line? in which a description was given the contestants of a person’s life, and then the contestants had to guess which of four people before them was the real person by asking them questions. Each contestant would try to eliminate who were the three imposters and choose the real person. At the end of the show, the announcer would say, “Would the real Mr. So-and-so please stand up.” Well, the cartoon depicted four of the world’s religious leaders seated in a row—Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, and Jesus. The caption at the bottom of the picture read: “Will the real leader of the true way to God please…rise from the dead?”
The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates the Christian faith. It proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
MOHAMMED declared that he was the true prophet of God—but Mohammed is dead and gone and in the grave this very moment.
BUDDHA claimed to have the true enlightenment—but Buddha is dead and his corpse lies in some grave somewhere in this world even as we speak.
CONFUCIUS asserted that he knew the answers to the problems of mankind—but again, he is long gone and in the grave.
But Jesus made ALL THREE CLAIMS for Himself—He claimed to be the true prophet of God...He claimed to be the true light to enlighten every person…and He professed to have the answers to the vexing problems of humanity…Then He gave His life on Calvary and arose from the dead to prove His claims!
I like the way an article in Christian Victory Magazine said it:
The pyramids of Egypt are famous because they contain the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptian kings. Westminster Abbey in London is renowned, because in it rest the bodies of English nobles and notables. Mohammed's tomb is noted for the stone coffin and the bones which it contains. Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C. is revered, for it is the honored resting place of many outstanding Americans.
There is, however, all the difference in the world between the tomb of Christ and these places which we have just mentioned. They are famous and draw visitors from afar because of what they contain; while the Garden Tomb is famous because it is empty.
Praise God, Jesus is ALIVE, and that means He is the eternal Son of God as He claimed to be!
2. The second great ramification of the fact that Jesus is alive is that it means that Jesus’s death on the cross has meaning.
Paul expressed it this way in 1 Cor. 15:17: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
If Jesus had died on the cross, but had never risen from the dead, it would have meant that Jesus was just another man, and therefore He could not be effectual in paying the penalty for our sin. But because Christ’s resurrection proved His deity, it also gave meaning to His sacrifice on Calvary.
You see, Jesus did not go to Calvary just to show us how to die. Nor was His death simply a meaningless act of violence against an innocent man. And His life was not unwillingly taken from Him.
No, Jesus went to the cross on purpose and for a purpose. That purpose was to die as a substitute for your sin. He LITERALLY paid your penalty for sin. God poured out all the judgment on Jesus that you and I deserve because of our sin. He suffered and died—he willingly shed His precious blood—so that you can have eternal life.
And if He had never risen from the dead, then Paul is right—your faith would be empty and vain, and you would be still in your sin. But praise God, what a wonderful truth!—Jesus is LIVING!; so you are saved, your faith is real and meaningful, and you can have the assurance that your sins ARE paid for through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for your sins.
II. SECOND, THIS PASSAGE TEACHES THAT JESUS IS GIVING – Acts 1:5-8 – “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus promised that He would give the disciples the Holy Spirit. Prior to this time the Holy Spirit, “came upon” people or only indwelt them for short periods time. He did not permanently indwell believers. But on the day of Pentecost (which we’ll examine in Acts 2) Jesus gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to His followers, and from that day forward, all believers have had the Holy Spirit living and dwelling inside them.
It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to live the Christian life...
It’s the Holy Spirit who changes us from sinners to saints….
It’s the Holy Spirit who comforts and encourages and blesses….
It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to witness, as verse 8 tells us.
The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is found over and over again in Acts: In chapter 1 we see a fearful group of cowering disciples. But then in chapter 2 and onward we see a transformed group of people who boldly preach the resurrected Lord.
What happened between chapters 1 and 2? What happened is that Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit! Next week, or perhaps the week following, we will look more closely at the “Promise, Purpose, and Power of the Holy Spirit.” So, in Acts 1, we see that Jesus is LIVING, and we see that Jesus us GIVING.
III. LASTLY, ACTS 1 TEACHES US THAT JESUS IS RETURNING – Acts 1:9-11 – “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
As Jesus ascended up into heaven, no doubt the disciples began to be wonder “What will happen now? Is Jesus gone for good? Will we ever see Him again?”
Two angels answered those questions. They said at the end of verse 11: “…this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Praise God, Jesus is coming again in the same manner as He left!
These angels were referring to one of the most blessed truths in all the Word of God! Here we have a promise from God, delivered by these two angels that Jesus will come again for us in what is commonly referred to as the “Rapture.” You can count on in, Jesus IS coming again!
Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4 where Paul describes for us in detail this glorious event.—1 Thessalonians 4:
Paul says in verse 15 – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [which means “go before”] them which are asleep [speaking of those saints who have already died].”
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven...” (verse 16a): Notice the words, “the Lord himself.” The Lord is not sending an angel, but the Lord Himself is coming for us!
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...” (verse 16b): The shout for the believer is going to be from the Lord Himself whose voice has already proven its authority to raise the dead. One day, standing at the tomb of Lazarus, who had been dead three days, Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!” and before the eyes of everyone there that day—LAZARUS CAME FORTH! Just as dead Lazarus responded to Jesus to be resurrected, so every believer who has already died will RISE when Jesus calls them forth at the Rapture.
Verse 16 continues “...with the voice of the archangel....” (verse 16c) :An archangel was often used in the Bible for the proclamation of some special announcement or joyous event. If you’re saved—oh, what a joyous event that will be.
Paul goes on to say, “...and with the trump of God...” (verse 16d): A trump was used for two things in the Old Testament. First it was used as a call to BATTLE. Second, it was used to call the assembly together for WORSHIP. When that trumpet sounds at the Rapture, it will be to call all believers from the four corners of the earth to come and WORSHIP the King forever!
Then Paul says, “...and the dead in Christ shall rise first....” (verse 16e): Those believers who already have died will go first because they are already dead and under the ground. As they rise, they will be given a glorified body that can never die or be sick or sin—which will unite with their soul and spirit. This is what is known as the “resurrection of the believer.”
Paul goes on in verse 17: “...then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds....” (verse 17a): In other words, when that trumpet sounds, those who are saved and still living will instantly go up to meet Jesus in the air! As one preacher put it, “The angel’s gonna toot, and we’re gonna scoot.”
The repercussions of this event on the world left behind are astonishing to contemplate:
Planes piloted by Christian pilots will crash to the ground.
Cars being driven by believers will suddenly be without drivers.
Saved workers in fast food restaurants will be taking orders, and in a split second, customers will find themselves talking to thin air.
Christian teachers in high schools will be speaking to their pupils, and in mid-sentence, they will be gone, with many of their saved pupils.
Conversely, unsaved teachers will be teaching their kindergarten classes and suddenly they’ll be teaching to an empty room because those too young to understand their sin condition and their need for Christ will be included in the Rapture.
Unsaved husbands will be talking with their Christian wives, and suddenly these precious mates will vanish before their eyes.
Unbelieving wives will be preparing a meal while talking to saved husbands and they’ll turn away for a moment to stir the beans and turn back around to an empty room—and perhaps even an empty household, if their children are under the age of accountability.
Young people who spurned the Gospel their parents loved, will find themselves deserted, with no parents and perhaps no family.
Perhaps ministers will be preaching, and suddenly the preacher and all the saved will disappear, leaving only a handful of people who were professors of Christ, but not true possessors of Christ.
Imagine the panic that will overtake them as they suddenly realize that they may have fooled PEOPLE into believing they were Christians, but they never fooled GOD! Imagine looking around and suddenly realizing that you and a handful of others in the sanctuary are doomed for eternity! What a terrifying prospect if you are not saved today.
But if you are a believer, you have every hope because verse 17 continues “...to meet the Lord in the air....” (verse 17b): THEN will be fulfilled what those two angels promised in Acts 1. Jesus went UP in the air, and He will COME DOWN from heaven to meet us in the air.
Then Paul says, “…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (verse 17c) Now there’s a wonderful promise! We will be with the Lord forevermore!
That’s why Paul concludes verse 18 by saying, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” These verses are a wonderful comfort if you know the risen Lord.
FOR NONBELIEVERS, IF PRESENT:
But if you are here today and you have never trusted in Christ as your savior, the Rapture of Jesus Christ is a terrifying prospect to you:
Those who remain behind after the Rapture will endure the most cataclysmic, destructive, horrifying period that the earth has ever known—a seven year period known as the “Tribulation,” an apt name for this period of time, because that is just what there will be on this earth—great tribulation and suffering.
It will be a time of unparalleled horror as God pours out His judgment upon the earth as never before in history.
It will be a time of death, a time of pain, a time of judgment, a time of war, a time of disease, and a time of satanic delusion.
It will be the time of the Antichrist and the false prophet.
And some verses in the Bible seem to indicate that anyone who heard the Gospel before the Rapture will be deceived, and will put their full trust in the Antichrist and believe his massive lies. In so doing, they will seal their eternal doom.
Yes, the Rapture IS a frightening event if you are not saved. But, praise God, it can become your hope if you will be saved today.
FOR THE SAVED:
Christian, let me speak to you for a moment: Jesus is coming again for you. The truth of the Rapture ought to motivate you to examine your life and make sure that you are living a life that is pleasing the Lord.
The Apostle John said in 1 John 2:28 – “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”
Would you be ashamed if Jesus came today? Would He find you participating in wrong thoughts or activities? Would He find you disobedient in some area of your life? Would He find you backslidden and cold-hearted to the things of God? Would He find you prayer-less, or without fruit to show in your life? Would He find you bitter, or angry, or full of hate, or gossip, or wrong attitudes?
Oh Christian, Jesus is coming again! Be ready for Him so that you will not be ashamed at His coming! Every head bowed, and every eye closed.
CONCLUSION
Our text today teaches three simple truths:
First, Jesus is Living: That means He IS the Son of God. That means He CAN save you from your sin.
Second, Jesus is Giving: When you are saved, Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit, and once you have the Spirit in your life, He changes and transforms you unalterably and permanently. He gives you the power to live for Him as a Christian. Are you living for Him as you should?
Finally, this passage also teaches that Jesus is Returning:
Are you ready for Him? Have you been saved? Have you turned from sin to God? Have you come to know the risen Lord? If not, then I plead with you—be saved TODAY.
Dear Christian, would you be ashamed at Jesus’s return? How about getting that straightened out right now!
