Day 1

Readings and Thoughts for Sunday, February 3, 2008

Acts 1:1-5 The Promise of the Holy Spirit

It is interesting to compare the first words of Acts with the first words of the Gospel of Luke, which was written by the same person. Both books are addressed to “Theophilus,” which could be a real and specific person by that name or may be meant to signify any number of those who are “God-lovers” as the name means (theo = God + philus = lover). Perhaps this book is addressed to you!

In Luke, the author promises “an orderly account” based on eye-witness descriptions of the ministry of Jesus. The author himself (we’ll call him Luke) does not claim to be an eye-witness to the life of Jesus, but rather to have completed a thorough investigation into it, “from the very beginning.” The purpose of his effort? “So that you will know the truth.” The first verse of Acts tells us that this book is a continuation of Luke, so we should expect another “orderly account” that has been carefully researched, if not directly observed by the author. (In later chapters, the author is, apparently, an eyewitness to the ministries and travels of Paul, but we’ll get to that in a few weeks.) The Gospel of Luke tells us the story of Jesus’ life through his ascension; Acts will tell us the story of all that happens to Jesus’ followers after he ascends into heaven. If we read Acts with a view back toward Luke, we will see many parallels between the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel and the ministry of the Apostles in Acts – what Jesus has taught during his lifetime, his followers are now to do in his name.

Twice in these first few verses, Luke mentions the Holy Spirit. First, he says that Jesus gave instructions to the apostles “through the Holy Spirit.” Then he quotes Jesus as telling them “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” In the Gospel of Luke there are 15 references to the Holy Spirit, more than in the other three gospels combined. In Acts the Holy Spirit is mentioned 42 times! One result we can expect from the study of this book is a better understanding of God’s presence and work in the Holy Spirit.

What image or story best describes how you understand the Holy Spirit?


Acts 1:6-11 The Ascension of Jesus

The Gospel of Luke ends and The Acts of the Apostles begins with the very same scene – Jesus ascending into heaven. In Luke, the ascension seems to take place at the end of Easter day, the very same day Jesus’ rose from the dead (Luke 24). In Acts, however, we learn that Jesus continued to appear to believers during forty days (Acts 1:3). The forty days reminds us, of course, of the forty days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by Satan and the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.

The last words of Jesus are not recorded precisely the same way in Luke and Acts, either. In both, however, Jesus tells his followers to wait. “Stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Jesus does not leave them without providing a clear assurance of his continuing presence in a new form, which is the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of John also tells of this presence of the Holy Spirit, to be expected by the disciples only after Jesus’ departure from earth: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

Do you recall a time when an important leader or mentor left your life and you had to carry on without him or her?