You will be my witnesses [Acts 1a]

You will be my witnesses to the end of the earth

Acts 1:1-11

Key Verse 1:8*

Introduction:

V1 1

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach  until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen”.

Former book: The physician Luke wrote two New Testament books, Luke and Acts. In the introduction of the first book, the Gospel of Luke, he said that he was not  an eyewitness of the things that happened during the life of Christ but he investigated ‘everything’ from the beginning. Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul while he traveled through many parts of  his European missionary journey, as we see in  Paul’s letters [Col 4:14, 2 Tim 1:15; 4:11, Philemon 1:24.]    Luke’s Gospel was written to a particular person with a clear purpose, to help him understand what happened in the life of Jesus the Son of God, comprehensively.

In the Gospel of Luke, there was a recording of the period of Jesus’ work, from the beginning until he ascended to heaven. So Luke considered Acts  to be the second part of Jesus’ work, though Jesus was not physically present with the disciples. In place of him, as Jesus promised, God sent the Holy Spirit to carry out the work of Jesus through  his disciples. So it is called Jesus’ work, the second part. Some have said that the Gospel of Luke was the life of Jesus in the flesh and the Acts records His life in the Spirit; Chrysostom calls the book of Acts "The Gospel of the Holy Spirit."

As we look at today’s passages,  they are describing what Jesus taught during the 40 days after his resurrection and before his ascension. Also, it is noteworthy to look at the record of Luke 24:44-53 since Luke recorded Jesus’ teaching of the same period.  In both, three things are mentioned: receiving the Holy Spirit; disciples being witnesses to the world; and Jesus’ ascension. In Luke is a succinct description of what to give witness about. So in this message, I will be conferring on Luke 24:44-53.

Jesus taught his disciples for three years. But  in the end, he was condemned as a blasphemer and a man of rebellion, and was sentenced to  be crucified. His death crushed the spirit of his disciples. But three days later, he rose from the dead and showed himself among them for 40 days. During these 40 days, Jesus taught his disciples the essence of the work of God in him, and its meaning  for their lives. As  a result, the true significance of Jesus’ life began to be seen in the lives of his disciples. What is the essence or impact of Jesus’ teaching? In order to capture the full significance, it will be divided into three elements:  a. the essence of what Jesus did; b. the kingdom of God and c. the Holy Spirit.

A.      What to understand about the work of Jesus?

V3:

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God”

So today’s passages are about what Jesus did during the forty days after his resurrection and before his ascension to heaven. Jesus answered one question: ‘What did Jesus do during the three years of his life on earth?’ This is a very important and pointed question that the disciples had to answer. Also this is the question we have to ask ourselves. To answer this question, we have to have a comprehensive understanding of what God did throughout history. The book of Hebrews says it more succinctly-

Hebrews 1:1

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe”.

What is the essence of the message Jesus delivered throughout his life? Jesus is the final message and ultimate message from God for  the entire human race.

How can we summarize the message Jesus delivered through his teachings and  his life? In this passage, it is said  to be the ‘explanation of the kingdom of God’. The essence of this is summarized in Luke 24:44-47: 

 “He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,  and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”.

They were to understand two things about Jesus’ work:  

a.      “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
What did the OT say about the coming Messiah? We will take a peek into Israel’s history.  God chose one man, Abraham, in order to make a nation of  himself. His purpose was to use that nation to bring all nations of the world under  his blessing; his chosen nation was called to be a priesthood nation. God made  all efforts to create a kingdom, Israel, hoping that through this kingdom  He could establish His kingdom  to include the entire human race. But this kingdom failed to keep up with God’s blessing and sinned deeply.  It became obvious that this kingdom could not serve the will of God because of their sin.  God punished the nation for their sins  by sending them into exile. They never recovered the kingdom  once it fell [6^th century BC]. So during this time of the utter failure of the chosen nation, God promised to send a Messiah as their only hope.
So  two things are clear here: First, men’s kingdoms failed  despite their best efforts. This failure of God’s chosen nation means to be the failure of the human race in the sense that men, even though they were provided with all possible means to serve God, they failed to meet  His standards of righteousness and holiness, ultimately giving themselves to the idols of the world around  them. Second, the cause of failure is the sins in the depths of men’s hearts, which  cannot be controlled even if God provides all the means to do so.  In this time of utter hopelessness, God gave His promise to send the Messiah. That Messiah  was to be a king as well as a redeemer. The hope of the coming of Messiah is tightly attached to the restoration of the kingdom of God.

b.      Second, we have to answer the question: Did Jesus fulfill this promise? Is he the king and redeemer of Israel? 
Jesus came and performed many miracles, healings, and teachings of truth. The disciples believed that Jesus  was the coming Messiah and King. But in the end, Jesus suffered and died.  Out of all the works of Jesus, his suffering and death were the most difficult parts of Jesus’ ministry for the disciples to understand and accept.  So during this time, Jesus explained step by step in detail how OT prophecy was fulfilled in His suffering and death. Jesus’ suffering, death, and  resurrection  on the third day is the sum of what God promised to do through the coming Messiah, for the purpose of redeeming the sins of men. The focal point of this work is laying down the work of forgiveness and redemption of men! Jesus did this through his obedience to the Father, even to the point of death, the sacrifice of his life as a ransom for all sinners.  As we have seen in the history of Israel, the sins of men were responsible for this failure. So Jesus came and paid off the sins of men!
So in this way, Jesus is the king as well as the redeemer, as God promised. The fulfillment of this is Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross! So Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection are the proof of  both his kingship as well as his redemption of the sins of men. Simply, Jesus is the Messiah that God promised to send!

This is the message that  his disciples must know and accept in their hearts. But could they do that? Did they understand? It was a great difficulty for them to accept this. This difficulty was foreseen before Jesus was arrested. This was still the main obstacle for them during the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection. What was the main culprit? It was the sin that deeply resides in man’s heart which cannot accept death as the way of life. Let’s see how Jesus helped them.

B.      The kingdom of God and baptism of Holy Spirit

As the day of his ascension was approaching, Jesus said this:

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." [#11]

Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift of God. The gift was the Holy Spirit. When John baptized people,  he immersed people under the water. The whole body was soaked under the water. But this time, their baptism would not be by water. They  would be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Their whole being would be filled with or immersed by the Holy Spirit! Their entire being will experience the Spirit of God.

When they heard, they knew what  the difference was between being baptized by water and baptism by the Holy Spirit.  But they had never experienced this before and they had no idea what it might be like. So they became captured by apprehension and anticipation. A far more important  idea was if the coming of the Holy Spirit had to do with the coming of the kingdom of God. So they asked this question:

 “So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

They waited for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. When they met Jesus for the first time, the restoration of the kingdom of Israel was their hope. This was how Jesus presented himself and this was  what the disciples were to expect from Jesus. Actually, it was not just them but the entire nation of Israel waited for the time of restoration. When the Messiah came, he would surely restore the kingdom  of Israel. Since they became convinced that Jesus had done all the works of salvation, they came to sense that this might be the time to restore the kingdom of Israel. Most likely, they did not know yet that Jesus was going to ascend to heaven soon. But they sensed that this time of the coming of the Holy Spirit would be a big deal and would bring remarkable changes in the nation of Israel. Then was this the time to restore the kingdom of Israel? So much was anticipated and so much was wanted! But Jesus gave them a somewhat puzzling answer:

 “He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority”. [#12]

When we know the time of a big event, we are very anxious and do many things in preparation for that event. So it is true that if we know when God is coming in his full power and authority, we will eagerly prepare for it.

But here Jesus says that the time or date of the coming of the kingdom of God is set by his authority. No one knows except God himself. We are not to guess or predict the day or the time. Simply, it is God’s prerogative and our attention must be not on when and how but on something else. What would that be?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

What were they to do if not anticipate the time of the coming kingdom of God?

1.      They  would receive power when the Holy Spirit came.. [#15]

Jesus said that in a few days,  they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit [5]. In Luke 24, it is said in this way:   “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

First, it is described as a passive mode. In the same way, it is described in Luke:  they were to be clothed with power from on high. That means that for these disciples, receiving or not receiving the baptism of Holy Spirit is not of their will or choice, but of God’s will.

Second, it is a promise and in this promise, receiving the Holy Spirit is a certainty for these disciples.  Jesus said this in John 1:15-16 "If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever”.

So it is not a matter of my choice or what I do or do not do but rather God’s grace and mercy on those who follow Jesus. Here particularly ‘if you love me , keep my commands’ refers to what they had to do during the time of Jesus’ suffering and death; if they would stay with Jesus in his suffering, then they were assured of receiving the Holy Spirit. Simply speaking, when we love the cross of Jesus, receiving of the Holy Spirit is not a matter of if’s but is a guarantee.  In addition this guarantee is not a temporary thing; the Holy Spirit will be with you forever!

Third, you will receive power: the most prominent outcome of receiving the Holy Spirit is the power of God coming upon the person! What does it mean to have the power of God? Does it mean to have power to heal the sick? Possible! Power to see the future and to prophesy?! Possible! But John describes something different.
John 14:25-26 says "All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”.

Among what Jesus taught them, the most difficult thing to understand and to accept was about Jesus’ suffering and death. Why should he suffer so much even though he was the Son of God, innocent and so powerful? But when they received the Holy Spirit, they would come to know by heart, without a trace of doubt that Jesus died for their sins and resurrected for their victory. As Jesus overcame the power of death, so will they overcome the power of death! This power is anchored in the knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.  Through this, the full power of Jesus’ resurrection became theirs!

So this power is not of man, but purely of God though it is with them! The power is in  knowing fully what Jesus did for us in forgiving all our sins!

If receiving the Holy Spirit is a certainty, then what  will happen next? Why, or for what reason, does God empower them with such power?

2.      “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

When they received  power from the Holy Spirit, they  became Jesus’ witnesses. When they  went to witness, they had to have two things clear: First, they saw with their eyes. Second, they had to understand correctly why and how it happened. Simply, a description of what happened may not mean much. What God did in His will is buried in a series of events that many saw. But not all of them understood  or accepted these happenings. [#15]

Jesus’ disciples saw all aspects of  his life for three years. They all saw how Jesus was tried and sentenced to death. They saw how  he suffered on the cross and died. They saw the risen Jesus and had personal  experiences with him beyond the  shadow of a doubt.

But what all these works of Jesus meant was left unanswered. They remained as enigmas or vague ideas.  The disciples could put very few pieces together to make any sense out of all these events. Though Jesus’ disciples accepted and understood some of  God’s perspective, they could not comprehend it fully. Before they became witnesses of Jesus, the fullness of understanding must come to them through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth!

But when they received the Holy Spirit, they came to grasp fully what God did in and through Jesus; the center of this is the work of saving sinful man. Ambiguity disappears and certainty and clarity of God’s will and purpose sets in!  Finally they could say, ‘It makes sense!’ All the pieces match! Paul called it the unsearchable wisdom of God!!! The absolute truth of God that no one has known!

God imparted this truth to his disciples in and through the Holy Spirit!

The primary goal! It is to make redemption perfect in each of their lives. When the Holy Spirit comes, the forgiveness of sins is not a conceptual understanding but an actual power to nullify the power of sin in and among us. Also, it is God’s warranty to accept us as his children, holy and righteous though we are not. So it says:

2 Corinthians 1:21 – “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come”.

So we are firmly assured that we are children of God. We have become a citizen of the kingdom of God. Jesus is our Lord and is coming in power and glory. This relationship is so important in order for the disciples to be  witnesses of Jesus.

The second goal is for them to be witnesses of Jesus to the ends of earth: God wants to let this truth  go out to all human races! Not just Jews, but to every nation on the earth.

As we know, the disciples asked about the time of the kingdom of God. But Jesus told them that the time of restoration of the kingdom of Israel is in God’s hand. No one knows.  The coming of the Holy Spirit was Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question  about the restoration of the Kingdom of God.  So everything other than knowing the time of the Kingdom may be answered when one received the Holy Spirit!  Though it does not deny the coming of the physical kingdom of God, there is a strong association between receiving the Holy Spirit and understanding the Kingdom of God, or meeting the need of each believer  in the kingdom of God. 
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God”. (Gal 5:18 NIV)

Though God’s plan for gathering people from all nations of the earth was foreseen by many prophets, this is the first time that it is commanded directly and explicitly. This means that God is ready and all the provisions  have been made for extending the salvation of all human beings, making it the  beginning of a new era where the world  became the focal point of God’s administration of His goodness on the earth. It is not limited to the nation of Israel anymore.  The coming of the kingdom of God has to do with witnessing.  Then what were they to give witness about?

It is said explicitly what they should witness about in Luke 24:44-48.
 “He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.[#17]
Here ‘these things’ denotes what is said just before, i.e. that Jesus’ suffering and death fulfilled the prophecies in Scripture. Men utterly failed to meet God’s righteousness because of their sins but His Son Jesus paid off all the demands incurred by sin through his death on the cross. So God is appeased. The sins of men are washed away and man is counted  as worthy of God’s kingdom.  In this way, the key message for the kingdom of God is Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection!  It must come in the form of a witness! I am the evidence! I am the living witness! In this way, repentance is demanded and forgiveness of sins is offered. This makes witnessing complete.  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."[#18]

Through the witness of his disciples, this offer of the kingdom of God will be made to first, those in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth! This message of the kingdom of God will go to the ends of the earth. God endured for so long with the sins and wickedness of men who rejected God’s sovereign will. But finally, God, in his grace, offers the membership of  His kingdom to the entire human race. He wants to be the king, as he was at the beginning of the creation of men. The long-held will of God is now being carried out finally. To do so, God even sacrificed his own Son Jesus on the cross. We can see God’s zeal and passion for this hope and goal.

It is delivered from person to person. The key engaging event is ‘witnessing how Jesus suffered and died for sinners like me’. The personal encounter with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is the center piece of ‘witnessing’. This is how the kingdom of God comes about. 

In this way what the disciples were to do was laid out. Is this the last word of Jesus? What happened then?

I remember the first time I witnessed to others; it was immediately after I received the Holy Spirit. My heart was so overwhelmed with joy in knowing  Jesus as my Lord that I talked about this to everyone, literally everyone I met. There are some who are not sure if he or she has to witness to others. Such thinking is proof that the Holy Spirit is with you; go and dare to witness about how Jesus has worked in your life! The Holy Spirit will be with you.

C.      Jesus will come as he ascended.

 “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight”.

We don’t know exactly where  this happened. But according to Acts 1:12, it was near the Mount of Olives.  If more than five hundred people witnessed the resurrected Jesus ascending to heaven, it was an amazing scene. The risen Jesus was being lifted up in their full view and eventually the clouds hid him  from their sight. The vivid nature of this scene  would remain in their minds for a long time. When their gazes were lost in this spectacular view of Jesus, two angels said this:

 “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them”.

Jesus totally disappeared from their sight; the clouds covered him and Jesus could be seen no more. The absence of Jesus left them with a void in their mind. But the angels said:

 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

He just disappeared! Just like this, he will also reappear exactly as they saw him disappear! It is just a matter of time. In God’s time, he will come back in glory! This became their hope as they diligently engaged in witness of Jesus.

We can find this hope in Paul and Peter:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

1 Peter 1:13  “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming”.

In this way, the ascension of Jesus became sure proof of his coming back in glory and power. In this vision and hope, Jesus is living with his disciple through his Spirit.