Acts 1:1-11
Q.1. What further information did Luke add to his Gospel, written to Theophilos? For what promise were they waiting to be fulfilled? – (Acts 1:1-5 c.f. Lk.1:1-4; 24:49; Jn.14:23-25)
Dr Luke not only earned his doctorate in medicine, but also in theology. This becomes plain from both his introductory remarks in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, as he composed his thesis – 1 … about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven … and all He continued to do – by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen (Acts 1:1-2). He was meticulous, as he recorded the resurrection appearances of Jesus to His disciples – 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Though Jesus unveiled details of the coming kingdom of God, He also disclosed that they were going to be empowered for an intervening time, when there would be proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world – 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them … to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for … you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5). This was the promise Jesus had given them about the Holy Spirit, in the upper room in John chapters 14-16.
Q.2. How did Jesus answer the disciples’ question about the coming kingdom? How did Luke explain their new mission? What special assistance could they expect? – (Acts 1:6-8)
Some interpret the response of Jesus to the question by His disciples about the promise of Israel’s restoration and His millennial reign, to be a cancelation of the kingdom of Israel. However, Luke reported that in the initial teaching when Jesus – 45 opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem … that He was – … speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God (Lk.24:45-47 & Acts 1:3). Jesus did not negate the coming kingdom which was under the control of His Father – He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority (Acts 1:7). Christ had come to usher in a new era of salvation to all people, through the preaching of the Gospel – … when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). There would be a time lapse before the establishment of the Millennial Reign of Christ. During this time, there would be opportunity for countless people to believe in Christ and join His eternal Kingdom. All this would be possible, even though a group of disciples who had all but failed. This was because the Holy Spirit would fall upon them, remain in them, and empower them for the coming task.
Q.3. How did Jesus leave His disciples? What explanation was given to them? What promise was made? To whom was the promise made? – (Acts 1:9-11)
Jesus had appeared and disappeared before His disciples for some forty days. This event was different. Jesus was lifted up out of their sight into a cloud (Acts 1:9). Two angels brought the divine explanation – … “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). This formed the basis of the Early Church’s, and our belief in a separate PRIVATE return of Christ for His own. This will be independent of the PUBLIC second coming of Christ as recorded in Revelation 19:11-16. The only ones to see the ascension of Jesus were believers. Consequently, this declaration that Christ will return in the same way is a promise to believers consistent with the revelation that the apostle Paul gave to the Thessalonians – 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thes.4:15-17). The coming of Christ to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords is a separate and later event.