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Wait in Jerusalem

by Paul George  
9/04/2008 / Bible Studies

Acts 1:1-26

Luke opens his second letter with an explanation why he is writing the second letter. In the first letter Luke told Theophilus all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day He was received up into heaven and given instructions to the apostles He had choice. The forty days in verse 3 refers to the ministry of Jesus from the time of His resurrection to His ascension. During this time Jesus revealed many things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering the apostles together Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised and Jesus revealed to them, the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).

Why was it necessary the apostles be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

The apostles were baptized with water, referred to as the washing of regeneration, the baptism of John. The baptism of John was the outward sign of the new birth. However, in the baptism with water, the power to perform the mission to make disciples of all nations is lacking. The apostles have the commission, they have the message, but they lack the power to overcome the obstacles they will meet. The power to perform the mission given them will come in the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Although the Holy Spirit has been active in the world since the beginning of time, it is not revealed in the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit would indwell, empower, and energize God's people, this will begin on the Day of Pentecost.

Open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 3 verse 16; what happened after Jesus was baptized by John; the Spirit of God descended from heaven like a dove and lighted on Him. When did the Spirit of God light upon Jesus; before He began His ministry? When will the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles; before they began filling the commandment to make disciples of all nations? Why do men and women think they do not need what Jesus and the apostles needed before they began their ministry?

Some background

During the Feast of Booth, although there is no reference to it in the Old Testament, the Jews would carry water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it into a silver basin by the altar of burnt offering each day for seven days. This was not done on the eighth day. In the Apostle John's account of the confrontations with Jesus, beginning in the Gospel of John chapter 5, John tells us, on the last day of the Feast of Booth, Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38 WEB). In verse thirty-eight of chapter seven, John tells, "But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified" (WEB), the receiving of the Holy Spirit will begin on the Day of Pentecost.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul told them, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free all are baptized into one body by one Spirit and made to drink of one Spirit. The drinking of one Spirit is a reference to the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within the true believer in Jesus Christ. It is not water baptism that makes us members of the church Jesus is building; it is baptism with the Holy Spirit.

What is the problem in local churches today? Is the source of the problem members have not been baptized with water; no. What did the Apostle Paul say; he said we are all baptized into one body by one Spirit. He also said we drink of one Spirit. The problem in many churches today is the clergy and laity has gone through the ritual of baptism, but they have not experienced the baptism with the Holy Spirit. They are not indwelled with the Holy Spirit. They have not been empowered and energized by the Holy Spirit. They are asking the questions and doing what the apostles asked and did up to the Day of Pentecost.

Note the question of the apostles, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (Quote from the World English Bible, Acts 1:6). What does this question tell us? They did not understand why they were to remain in Jerusalem and the promise of the Father Jesus was referring to. They want to know if the baptism with the Holy Spirit was a sign Jesus was going to restore the kingdom of Israel.

Note Jesus' response to the question. In the past Jesus rebuked the apostles for their unbelief and failure to understand what He was teaching and doing. In this response there is no rebuking but an explanation. Jesus had told the apostles when they ask Him why He was speaking to the people in parables that it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11). In His answer to the question was Jesus going to restore the kingdom of Israel Jesus tells the apostles it has not been given to them to know the times and season that the Father fixed according to His authority (Acts 1:7).

In verse eight of chapter one, so that there will be no misunderstanding why the apostles are to remain in Jerusalem, Jesus told the apostle they will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them and they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the remote parts of the earth. Was the land we now call the United States of America a remote part of the earth? Do we have any Biblical record the apostles came to this remote part of the earth. Really, sounds like this is evidence, as some interpreters of the Bible claim, Jesus did not know what He was talking about. If you are among them, if you have a Bible open it to The Gospel of Matthew or John and begin reading the eyewitness accounts of two apostles. Whether you want to admit it or deny it Matthew and John through their Gospels are witnessing to you. Now do you understand why the enemy wants to destroy the Bible?

Note what follows Jesus' instructions to the apostles and explanation of why they are not to leave Jerusalem; He ascended into heaven and out of their sight (Acts 1:9). In the past when the apostles had a question concerning Jesus' teachings they came to Him; now He is gone, what are they to do when they have a question. Open your Bible to John's Gospel chapter sixteen. In verse thirteen, John tells us Jesus told the apostles the Holy Spirit will guide them into all the truth. Jesus told the apostles when the Holy Spirit comes; He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, judgment, and will glorify Jesus (John 16:8-9, 14).

After Jesus was no longer visible what were the apostles doing; they were gazing up into the sky (Acts 1:10). What do you suppose they were looking for? Was it the return of Jesus? If He is somewhere in outer space how can the kingdom of Israel be restored? They continued gazing into the sky until two men dressed in white clothing appeared and asked them, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? Here is the great promise, "This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky" (Acts 1:11 WEB). Where did that promise come from? The answer depends on who you claim these two men were. If they were merely men who passed by the place where the apostles were looking into the sky their claim Jesus would return just as He ascended into the heaven was only an opinion or speculation. However, dressed in white implies these were not merely two men passing by they were messengers sent from heaven with a message of assurance. It was only after receiving this message of assurance the apostles returned to Jerusalem (Acts 1:12).

"When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers" (Acts 1:13-14 WEB).

Luke tells us, in these days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, according to Luke there was about one hundred twenty in the room (verse 15), and said, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas. In this statement Peter is applying what was written in Psalm forty-one verse nine by David that a close friend betrayed him to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

In verse twenty Peter quotes from Psalm 69:25; "Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;" and, Psalm 109:8; "Let another take his office." Psalm 69 contains one of the major themes of the psalms concerning undeserved suffering. In Psalm 69 the suffering comes from the psalmist's steadfastness in his commitment to the Lord. Verse 25 contains part of David's desire for punishment of his enemies. This Psalm can be applied to Jesus; His suffering was undeserved and was due to His steadfastness to the Father. However, verse 25 can not be applied to Jesus; His desire was not punishment but mercy and forgiveness. On the cross He asked the Father to forgive those who hung Him on the cross and had rejected Him and this would have included Judas. What did Jesus tell the Pharisees when they charged the disciples with violating the Law; He said, He desired compassion (Matthew 12:7). In using David's praying for his enemies to be punished we see the heart of Peter prior to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit; there is no evidence of mercy and forgiveness in Peter's heart.

Psalm 109 contains petitions for retributive justice. In his quoting of the Psalm Peter does not quote the first part of the Psalm that deals with the number of the wicked man's days. He quotes the part of the petition that deals with the office of the wicked man. In using this petition the wicked man is Judas and his office is that of an apostle. When Judas betrayed Jesus and killed himself he vacated the office. We need to remember the twelve apostles represented the head of the twelve tribes of Israel. Note what Peter recommends; the filling of Judas's office. There is nothing wrong with the praying for the filling of the office that has been vacated.

In the search to fill the vacated office two men are nominated (Acts 1:21-23) and then the apostles pray for the Lord's guidance and ask Him to show them which of the two men He had chosen.

Who chose these two men to replace Judas; the apostles? Did Jesus know who would replace Judas? Jesus had a man standing in the wings who, although he was not one of the one hundred and twenty present when Peter initiated the search for a replacement of Judas, will fill Judas' office.

Note verse twenty-six of Acts chapter one; the apostles drew lots. They probably used a white and black ball. Let us say the white ball represents Joseph called Barsabbas and the black ball represents Matthias. The balls were placed in a bag; each apostle drew one ball from the bag. After the apostles had drawn all the balls from the bag they were counted and Matthias won the lottery. He was to take Judas office. How was the decision made to fill Judas' office? There are those who claim the Holy Spirit oversaw the casting of the lots. Who chose the twelve apostles and who were with Jesus when He ascended into heaven? We know Judas was not present. Luke tells us the apostles with Jesus were chosen by Jesus.

Question, what were the apostles told to do when they returned to Jerusalem? Were they told to find a replacement for Judas? The apostles were told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Did the apostles wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit before appointing a replacement for Judas? What did Jesus tell the apostles; go back to John's Gospel chapter sixteen. Note what Jesus told the apostles, Jesus told them when the Holy Spirit comes (v 1). When did the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles; the Day of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension of Jesus? Matthias was not Jesus' choice or the Holy Spirit's to fill Judas' office. Matthias was not the apostle's choice. The adding of Matthias to the eleven was merely a matter of chance.

Peter and the apostles are guilty of what we often try to do; run a head of the Lord.

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

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