Notes

1 Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν, 2 ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἀνελήμφθη. 3 οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις, διʼ ἡμερῶν τεσσεράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ• 4 καὶ συναλιζόμενος παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρὸς ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου, 5 ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν πνεύματι βαπτισθήσεσθε ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. 6 Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἠρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες• κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; 7 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς• οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ, 8 ἀλλὰ λήμψεσθε δύναμιν ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς καὶ ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ [ἐν] πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. 9 Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. 10 καὶ ὡς ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν πορευομένου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο παρειστήκεισαν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν λευκαῖς, 11 οἳ καὶ εἶπαν• ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε [ἐμ]βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναλημφθεὶς ἀφʼ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οὕτως ἐλεύσεται ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Acts 1:1-11 NA28 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Theophilus probably an official, seems to have an upper-class decription in Luke 1. ... ἤρξατο ... emphatic. He began; Acts continues. Combination of word and deed; a 'holy knot' - Calvin. Acts 1:1 NA28 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Having given (a) commandment to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 'Continuing the teaching He had given them before His death' (Bruce) The future age of the reign of God has broken through into the present age through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Not with them constantly for 40 days, but He appeared at intervals within that time. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; lodging/staying with them. The promise: Joel 2.28-32, Isaiah 44.3, Isaiah 32.15. John's baptism was 'an eschatological, preparatory washing. Participation in it meant that one was ready for God to come. The gift of the Spirit, however, was the sign that the Messiah had come and the new era had begun (Luke 3.1-17, Mark 1.8, Matthew 3.11) (Bock, p57). 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Their last meeting with their master, on the Mount of Olives. Still expecting/misunderstanding an earthly, political, nation of Israel? But Bock (p62): 'No indication in Jesus' reply...that anything they asked was wrong except that they are excessively concerned about when all of this would take place.' No mention of the land in the NT? Not surprising, since Israel is in the land at that point, and the rule of Messiah is anticipated to extend to the ends of the earth, so why focus on just the land. 'Jesus' reply doesn't reject the premise of the question, that the kingdom will one day be restored to Israel, but it does change its focus.' ...'in fact, it is not that the definition of Israel or that expectation for Israel changes, but rather that being blessed of God is now centred in the figure of the eschaton, Jesus, rather than in an ethnic or legal emphasis. Throughout Acts, Jesus is preached as the mediator of blessing.' (Bock, p62) 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. lit., 'it does not belong to you to know'...'which the Father has appointed by His own authority/jurisdiction'. 'What Judaism had believed would come all at once is split into two parts, with a mission in between.' (Bock, p60) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” cf. Luke 24.49. Witnesses; i.e. speaking the facts about the death, resurrection, ascension, and giving of the Spirit. Summary of the whole book. 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 'The resurrection and ascension of Jesus represent one continuous movement and together constitute His exaltation. It is not implied that His enthronement at God's right hand (Acts 2.34) was deferred for 40 days after His triumph over death. The fortieth day was not the first occasion when He disappeared from His companions' sight after His resurrection (cf. Luke 24.31). Nor is it suggested that the intervals between His resurrection appearances were spent in some earth-bound state. These appearances, in which he condescended to His disciples' temporal conditions of life, were visitations from that eternal order to which His "body of glory" now belonged. What happened on the fortieth day was that this series of intermittent visitations came to an end, with a scene which brought home to the disciples the heavenly glory of their risen Lord.' (Bruce, p103) The cloud: Jesus is enveloped in the divine presence. Mark 13.46, Luke 21.27, Mark 14.62, Mark 9.7, Luke 9.34 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, White garments: Matthew 28.3, John 20.12, Luke 24.4 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” cf 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 Bock: 1. Jesus is alive and functioning at God's right hand. 2. The promised Spirit will come and enable the new mission in fulfilment of divine promise. 3. The message of the Kingdom is to go out into all the world, starting from Jerusalem. 'The Father is active through the Son by means of the Spirit to enable Jesus' followers to proclaim God's forgiveness.' Where God guides, He also provides. He instructs them to wait until they are given this promise, Who will enable them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. 'There will be a day when Jesus returns from heaven to complete what God has started through Him. The introduction to Acts not only highlights key themes of the book; it also proclaims with assurance that God's program is on track. This is the major application of the unit; Jesus' resurrection and the coming of the Spirit assure us that God is at work and the plan of salvation is intact. The Spirit's coming and indwelling guarantee this conclusion. It is a central goal of the Spirit operating in the church that God's community be committed to mission.' (Bock, p58) 'Acts will stress that the point of the resurrection was not merely to vindicate Jesus' claims and show Him to be alive but also to bring Him to the side of God to indicate His current and future authority. Such executive power involves the distribution of salvation's benefits now (Acts 2.32-36) and the exercise of judgment in the future (Acts 3.18-22; 10.40-42). The overriding reassurance is this: God will complete His plan! Jesus' departure doesn't lead to inactivity, but an effectual presence in the interim. Responses and applications (random notes while working): Make it clear: God's plan is intact God's plan is the Kingdom of God, v1-3 God's promise has been given by Jesus, v4-5 God's plan uses us as His witnesses to the ends of the earth, v6-8 God's plan is guaranteed by the ascended Jesus, v9-11 Make it real: The Bible's not about me, and whether I'll get married or buy bigger house. It's about the Kingdom of God. But when I realise that, those other questions fit into place. Getting treated cruelly by people for being Christian doesn't really need to affect me, since my life really is already now in the presence of God, in Jesus. I'm ok with waiting maybe all my life and never seeing the fruit of those prayers, since it's not for me to know the timings. But I do know the final outcome; Jesus will reap the harvest He has sown. Being a witness is not about me and my amazing, or not so amazing, testimony. It's about telling the true facts which were witnessed about Jesus: His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. If a true witness writes their ccount down and then dies, it remains truthful. Make it felt: Our issue: we demand to know more than is ours (like timings). Our issue: we doubt that God's plan really is intact. But understanding the meaning of the ascension solves these issues. We have utter confidence in God's plan. The gift of the Spirit transforms our lives and witness. Evangelistic question: I'm interested to know people's views about Jesus. What do you think Christians believe Jesus is doing now? Sermon outline Jesus has guaranteed the completion of God's plan (Acts 1.1-11) FCF: We doubt that God has a plan, or that He really will stick to it. We doubt God by nature, ever since the garden. We continually choose to doubt God - we choose instead to orient life around our own plans. Even after being a Christian for years, things can niggle in our minds to make us think, 'is this all really going anywhere?' 1. God's plan is the Kingdom of God (v1-3) -having commanded. What did He command? -forty days of appearing. -Kingdom of God the shorthand for God's rule fulfilled, achieved, made accessible to us in Jesus. [is this the centrepiece of your entire life and feelings? If not, you are living a lie. The universe is not orbiting your plans and hopes, but the certain and glorious plans of God to sum everything up in Jesus. To miss this is also to miss out on the greatest joy and freedom] 2. God's promise has been delivered by Jesus (v4-5) -John's baptism preparatory; Jesus' baptism with the Spirit the promised marker of the new age. [The Spirit mediates the presence of Jesus. Let us never forget the privilege in which we stand; free recipients of this long-awaited gift] 3. God's plan uses us as His witnesses to the ends of the earth (v6-8) -what's right and what's wrong about the question [people still obsessed with timelines; the great danger of being drawn away from Jesus-centrality] -power: to make His church effective...at telling the facts about Jesus. Sometimes remarkable, often unremarkable, but effective. 4. God's plan is guaranteed by the ascended Jesus (v9-11) -resurrection and ascension are one 'package'. The cloud representing divine presence; the intersection of heavenly and earthly realms. -There is a man in the presence of God right now, and He will return. -All is set for the Eden-ification of all the ends of the earth. Mankind back in God's presence, accepted, approved, delighted in. Free to live and work to His glory without condemnation. In joyful community with Him and one another. The church is the showhome of this Kingdom! The church plays out its heavenly reality, on the earthly stage. [Is it all headed somewhere? Is this all really true? YES; not only because of a set of historical events - the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection. But also because of an ongoing cosmic reality: Jesus, the Son of Man, is now in the presence of God. Right now He is guiding and empowering His church, by His Spirit, to make His rule known to the ends of the earth. We see exactly this in the book of Acts - through victories, and apparent failures & frustrations. And the same is now true 200 years later. Is your life oriented underneath and within God's rule? Are you bowing to His King Jesus today? Is Jesus the big idea of your life?] It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2.20) Acts 1:1-11 ESV

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