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THE DIFFERENCE A LOVING PROMISE MAKES
Acts 1:6-8
Bob Bonner
December 6, 2009
Every life is like a unique book, filled with chapters that transition from one event, experience, victory, and failure to the next. Each chapter is filled with reasons for one to be afraid or to be filled with hope. It has always been that way for everyone. But with each new chapter, we can choose to live under the wing of our affectionate heavenly Father, counting on His presence, power, and promises to take us forward; or we can pull off the road of life, huddle in the corner with fear, and refuse to face the future, choosing to live in the past and gaining nothing more from life.
Most teenagers I know can’t wait to grow up. These emerging adults eagerly anticipate their freedom to experience more of the world with less parental oversight. However, it is quite typical of those graduating from high school to seriously consider the immediate reality of their coming emancipation. And when they do realize that it is time to grow up and take responsibility for all of their decisions, they can become a little overwhelmed. Whether they like it or not, they will one day have to take full responsibility for their lives and possibly the lives of others. If they stop too long to think seriously about this specific reality, they will experience a variety of emotions such as excitement over the new freedoms of choice that responsibility brings, depression over their limitations and the possibility of not reaching their goals, feelings of anticipation over all the possibilities that lie ahead, anxiousness over the fear of failure and of being rejected, and a little confused by questions like, “What’s life really all about after all?” Growing up is not an easy proposition. But if you know that you are not alone, and that there is One who loves you and desires for you to know His affection toward you and His plans for your life, there is hope and a sense of thrill in the challenge of growing up.
Facing middle age is no different than being challenged as a teenager with the realities of growing up. When most adults reach middle age, they understand that some of their dreams and expectations about life were really more fantasy than reality. Reaching middle age means you will have had to come to grips with the truth that some of your desires or goals will never be realized, possibly because of limitations beyond your control. But with faith in a God who cares and knows what is true and profitable in life, we move forward making new positive discoveries. Because we allow Jesus Christ to direct our lives, we don’t feel abandoned or that we live a life without purpose. Rather, we come to discover more and more our real purpose, and that adds meaning and satisfaction to what we are doing.
But without faith in God, growing older can easily lead to despair and disillusionment. Obviously, when approaching middle age, you realize that you no longer are the physical specimen you once were. Out of nowhere, new aches and pains show up to keep reminding you that you are no longer a spring chicken. Yet, because God has promised you eternity with a new resurrection body, you learn to adjust and apply yourself to those ventures that He deems best, and, to your surprise, you discover in new ways that He does love you and has wonderful plans for your life.
Then comes that third stage in life when you realize that you are no longer growing old, you are old! Just when you have the answers to some of the serious questions concerning life, no one seems to be interested in asking “the antique” what you think. You may experience the reality of being alone for the first time. Close friends or a spouse becomes ill and the reality of your mortality sets in in new ways. Like dominoes, those nearest you begin to die, and you are left to carry on. It is in times like these that you need to experience a fresh affection for God and to remember that He is ever present with you, that you are not alone or abandoned in the midst of what may look like difficult days ahead. You still have a mission in life.
All in all, whatever the life stage, if you know that God loves you and has a plan for you, you will find meaning and satisfaction. If you allow God, the One who loves you with an immeasurable affection, to direct your life through new territories, you will face your days with hope and boldness, rather than being paralyzed by past regrets and living in the fantasy world of the past. Without knowing or being reminded of God’s promises and loving presence, moving forward with boldness will be difficult if not impossible.
This morning we will see a sample of a new chapter in eleven men’s lives, one that was mixed with tremendous life-threatening obstacles as well as a meaningful assignment, accompanied by the presence and promises of a Savior who loved them and who had never lied to them or let them down. These eleven men were faced with the new challenge of growing up and at the same time the realization that they might never reach old age. As we will see, Jesus Christ charged them with a mission that would surely end up costing them their earthly lives. You probably know how the story ends, but what we want to focus on as we examine the details of their story is the basis of their success. What enabled them to overcome their fears and to fulfill their purpose in life?
In preparation of our study of Acts 1:6-8, I’d like us to first capture the greater scriptural context of these verses by reading Luke’s closing words of his gospel and the opening first eleven verses of Acts. In doing so, you will be reminded that Acts is not a totally separate work of Luke. It is not his second work, but rather the continuation of his first work, the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Gospel, if you will, is volume one, dealing with Christ’s ministry while physically present on earth. Acts is volume two of the same work, describing Christ’s work on earth while enthroned in heaven. As we read both passages, notice the similarity of content: specifically that they each include a reference to the Kingdom of God, the promise of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s ascension, and his command for the apostles to return to Jerusalem.
Luke 24:44-53:
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I
was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of
Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He
opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them,
“Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the
dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be
proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You
are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise
of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed
with power from on high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He
lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He
parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after
worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually
in the temple praising God.
Acts 1:1-11:
The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do
and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by
the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 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. Gathering them
together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what
the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for
John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not
many days from now.” So when they had come together, they were asking
Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel
?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the
Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power 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.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while
they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as
they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men
in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “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.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount
called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
It appears from both of these texts that Jesus’ two main topics of conversation between his resurrection and his ascension were the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It seems that in our passage of study, the question the disciples ask in verse 6 and Christ’s answer in verses 7-8 specifically deal with these two topics of the Kingdom of God and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
As we begin with verse 6, looking at the Apostle’s last question they asked Jesus this side of heaven, I would have you note at the outset that their question was not foolish, strictly selfish, or one by which they were seeking to put themselves in a more authoritative position in the Kingdom; but rather this was a very appropriate question, considering all that they had been taught and were discussing, and considering where they were actually standing.
For years, I used to think that these men still had not gotten the idea that ministry was not about self glory, but rather service to their King, Jesus. I used to think that even up to the very last moment before Christ ascended into heaven, the thing that most occupied their minds was who would get to sit at Christ’s right hand in a privileged position. After a closer study of the scriptures concerning Christ’s post-resurrection life on earth and His ministry with the disciples, I no longer see the disciples’ question in verse 6 as one driven by selfish motives for several reasons. First, after they had abandoned Christ following His crucifixion, I sense from Peter’s response that he and the others were so humbled by their failure to stand with Christ, their abandonment of Him, and their lack of belief that He had actually risen from the dead, that they didn’t feel particularly worthy to sit at Christ’s right hand. Post resurrection, we don’t hear any such self-aggrandizing talk from the disciples. At this point in their lives, their focus was more on their loyal service to their King, not self service.
Second, if their motive for having asked this question had been strictly selfish,
Jesus would have rebuked them, which He did not.
Third, as we will see, this question came as the result of these Apostles correctly thinking theologically about the Kingdom based upon what they had been taught thus far. The only issue on which Jesus corrects them was timing concerning the Kingdom. In addition, Jesus’ answer reflects some further needed teaching concerning something they had never thought of before and had as yet not been introduced to--the basic concept of the church, that mystery whereby both Jew and gentile would become equals and brothers and sisters in the faith.
So what was it that led to the disciples asking this question at this point? The heart of the disciples’ question is wrapped up in their belief in the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. The term “to restore” simply means to bring back something or to put something into its former situation. In its present context, and as this term is used in the Old Testament, it technically refers to the restoring of a political situation. What was the political situation they believed was going to be restored?
The apostles were brought up and schooled in the Old Testament. The Rabbinical teachers of their day taught regularly about the prophecies concerning an earthly temporal Kingdom in which a Messiah, a deliverer from the family line of David, was to be sent from heaven, who would reestablish the promised Kingdom of David on earth. They had heard for centuries about the former state of freedom and prosperity that existed under King David and Solomon, and they deeply desired to see those conditions return. However, for the previous 600 years, Israel had been under the rule of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and now the Romans. They were tired of being oppressed, and presently they wanted to be free from the bondage of the Romans.
Because many Old Testament prophecies pointed to the reality that their Messiah could show up literally at any moment to establish His kingdom, many Jews believed and hoped that the Messiah was alive at the time and ready to take over. Some even knew that Jesus was the Messiah. There are many instances in the Gospels where we see these expectations referred to, and the crowds even tried to make Jesus their king.
By the time the disciples asked this question, they already knew Who Jesus was. He had proven to them that He indeed is the Messiah. Not only that, but within the previous fifty days, Jesus had been teaching them that the Old Testament prophecy of the outpouring of the Spirit was just about to take place. In fact, that is the subject matter of Christ’s last words in verse 5.
In other words, the Apostles at this point knew that the Old Testament promise of the outpouring of God's Spirit was a promise for the last days when God would establish his kingdom on the earth and restore his people. For example, in Ezekiel 39 God says, "I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel . . . I will not hide my face any more from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God." (verses 25, 29) (Also see Isaiah 32:15; 44:3–5; Joel 2:28; Zechariah 12:10.) So when Jesus says that the long-awaited outpouring of the Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, is just a few days away, they would naturally ask for a clarification. "Do you mean that the coming of the Kingdom is that close? Is it about to take place in matter of weeks or months?"
Now put that together with a second prophecy that quite possibly was also staring them in the face, or maybe it would be better stated that it was a prophecy that they were literally standing upon. According to Acts 1:12, Jesus the Messiah and his disciples were standing upon the Mount of Olives, just outside the city of Jerusalem. This is the very same spot of which Zechariah the prophet said concerning the Messiah, “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4). Right where they were standing at that moment, the Mount of Olives, was the place where the future King would return to establish His Kingdom on earth. His disciples knew this prophecy and had put it together with the prophesied coming of the Spirit, and this drove them to burst forth with the question concerning the timing of the coming Kingdom.
The third thought that pushed them to ask this question was Christ’s statement back in Luke 22:29-30. The scene is the last supper. Jesus said at that time, "As my Father assigned a kingdom to me, so I assign to you, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Keep in mind that this expectation of Christ’s imminent kingdom was checked and almost destroyed by Christ’s death. But when the King, their Messiah, was resurrected, suddenly their hopes of a restored kingdom were back on the front burner. And with Jesus’ continued teaching about the kingdom between His resurrection and ascension, the disciples thought Christ’s kingdom was imminent. For all they knew, the kingdom could take place at that very moment, in the next few days, or at the latest, when the Spirit comes. Hence, amidst this prophetic, geographic, and historical context, they are asking Jesus, “Since you have once again just talked about the Kingdom, you promised that the Spirit is about to come, and since we are standing right here on the Mount of Olives, does this not imply that the kingdom is about to come, too? Could it be here in the next few months?”
At this point, these disciples had no idea that Israel would be set aside as a nation for a time, that in the interval Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, would call out the Church to be His Bride, and after that Jesus would come again to restore the Kingdom and deliver Israel. The concept of the church was nowhere on these Jews’ theological radar. The “restoration of the kingdom” to the Jews meant one thing, a kingdom of Jews alone. They were not interested in a joint rule with gentiles. Up to this point, they despised the gentiles. To consider, let alone teach, that the Jews would join themselves with them in any way was an anathema.
Jesus knew this, and note that in Christ’s answer to their question in the verses to follow He does not say, “Forget about the Kingdom; the church is going to become spiritual Israel. I am all through with the nation of Israel. They will never be restored as a nation, and I am not going to sit on David’s throne and rule literally over Israel. Forget about the literal Kingdom.” Jesus said nothing of the kind! Neither does He deny that one day in the future He will set up His Kingdom on earth. But by His instructions in verses 7-8 and following, the disciples understood that the kingdom was going to be delayed. There were a few more things that must take place before the delayed kingdom comes, like the age of the church.
As mentioned earlier, Jesus does not rebuke them for asking this question or correct them about their theology of restoration (which we will see more of in Acts 3:21). What Jesus does do, in verse 7, is correct their assumption that it is their job to figure out the timing of when His kingdom will begin. In addition, in verse 8, He redirects their thoughts as to the present purpose for their lives. He says, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” The two terms “times” and “epochs” have different meanings. The term “times” is more general, denoting an indefinite period of time, one that is way off in the future and uncertain as to specificity. On the other hand, the term “epochs” is not uncertain or general. It denotes a fixed, specific, or definite time. Used together, Jesus is saying that it is not best for you, at this time, to know either specific or general signs of the coming of the kingdom.
Why is this so? Why couldn’t they or we be trusted to know exactly when God plans to bring in the Kingdom? Why can’t we know exactly the day when the rapture will occur and the age of the church will cease? The text does not specifically tell us, but human history gives us several reasons why it is not good for us to know exactly when certain planned events of God will occur. If we knew just when an event was to come to pass, and if that event were, say, 200 years away, we might be remiss to apply ourselves to the task. We and they might feel no sense of urgency to fulfill our God-given assignment. On the other hand, if we knew that Jesus was coming before next summer, that knowledge might so alarm and absorb our thoughts entirely that we might not pay attention to other important duties of life that involve others outside ourselves or our families. We could become so heavenly minded that for the next six months we wouldn’t be any earthly good to those around us.
Hence, Christ’s point is that knowing these things “is not your concern.” In other words, I understand Jesus to be saying here, “This bringing in the kingdom is not the job I have for you to do right now. What I have for you to do is . . .” stated in verse 8, beginning with the strong word “but.” “But you will receive power 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.”
First, Jesus points out to them that there is going to be this unique event, which He referred to as the “baptism of the Spirit” in verse 5. When this event takes place, Jesus tells them they will receive supernatural power that will change the entire focus of their lives. Their focus will no longer be on the coming kingdom, but it will be directed upon who they are and what they are to be doing. They will have a new life purpose that will literally change how they view themselves. Their new life purpose upon which they are to focus and which is to be the lens through which they view the rest of their lives is to be “my witnesses.” The Greek word for “witness” is the word from which we get our present English word “martyr.” The reason why this name was given to these early disciples was that they would bear witness to the life, instructions, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, even in the midst of their own persecution and death. In a way, this was a prophetic descriptive term for what would lay ahead for them--martyrdom.
Please note that a “witness” is not necessarily an advocate who is trying to prove something. We are not to be advocates of Christianity or doctrine, but witnesses to the reality of Jesus Christ: Who He is, what He has done, and what impact He has had upon our life. To be a witness of Christ is to proclaim the reality of the life-transforming power of Christ in one’s life.
Also take note that here Jesus does not command us to do “witnessing.” The verb “shall be” is not an imperative or a command to be obeyed, but it is an indicative statement. It is not a recommendation as to what we should be, but what in fact we are. Obviously, to be a witness one must know the truth, have experienced the truth, and be able speak of the truth.
There have always been two aspects of being a witness. The first is 1 Peter 3:15 and points to the speaking up for your faith. Let me give you three different modern translations of it, just in case you miss the point. In the NASB, 1 Peter 3:15 reads, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” In the NLT it reads, “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” And then the Message puts it this way, “Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.” There is no question that Jesus Christ did not intend for us His followers to be silent or “secret service Christians.”
The second aspect to being a witness we learned from our study of Titus 2, which described being a witness to the transforming power of Christ by our lifestyle. We live in such a way that we do not discredit the message of the transforming power of the life of Christ in us.
In the balance of verse 8, Jesus outlined how we are to fulfill His program until He comes again. He gave a program that embraces the whole world, beginning at Jerusalem (or with the Jews) and ending in the entire world (with all non-Jews or Gentiles). The strategy is clear and all inclusive. First, begin locally in your own backyard, so to speak, in Jerusalem. But don’t be satisfied with just that. Keep in mind the rest of home missions, to the surrounding areas of your own country, which is Judea. But there is a second district deliberately mentioned that was also part of first century Israel, Samaria. Samaria was sort of a mongrel district. They were not real Jews. Its citizenry can be traced back to 2 Kings 17:5, where its people worshiped the God of Israel on certain days and then pagan gods on other days. The Jews hated these “want-a-bees.” Christ’s point of instruction was that the Gospel is for all people, partial to none. It is for your friends and enemies. Thirdly, your job is not done until you consider and become involved in foreign missions, until every nook and cranny of this globe has had a witness to Christ. And that has not happened yet.
This is not a corporate commission, but one that applies to every individual believer. We can’t say that it is up to the church to send missionaries and to give out the Gospel, and then sit back and let others do it. The all important question is whether you are living the Word of God and getting out the Word of God. Have you gone to the ends of the earth as a witness to the gospel? Or do you support a missionary or a radio program that does? Are you personally engaged?
Think about this: These were Christ’s last words on earth. They were meant to leave a lasting impact on His followers. They are words of challenge. They are words of preparation. They are words of responsibility.
What do you think was going through the minds of the Apostles at this moment when they realized they were facing a new chapter in their lives? When they heard Christ’s promise of the power and presence of His Spirit within them, as well as His program for the rest of their lives, as short lived as they may become? I don’t believe that suddenly all of their fears were gone and they jumped up and cheered about their upcoming invasion of the world with the Gospel. On the contrary, they knew that Jesus was leaving and the future of the ministry was going to rest on their shoulders. Having seen Christ get crucified and knowing that there were Jewish leaders looking for them, there were some very real fears staring them in the face. They must have struggled with not fitting in any more. They probably didn’t like being rejected or abandoned by those around them. They probably wrestled with Christ’s words that they would become martyrs.
Yet, they knew that Jesus loved them. And even though He would physically not be with them, He would never abandon them, for He had promised that on the very night that He knew that He would be betrayed. And the same day in which they did abandon Him, He still promised them, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18) Christ’s perfect love for them would cancel out those fears that would tend to cripple others. It later would do so for the Apostle Paul, for he would write in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “The love of Christ (not our love for Christ but His love for us) compels (or impels) us!” Earlier, Paul defined for us the Biblical lens through which the wise view their lives, the lens through which we view growing up and growing older. He writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet
our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light
affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all
comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but
the things which are not seen are eternal.
Christ’s promise in Acts 1:8 reminded these disciples that He cared for them. He would not leave them exposed. He did love them. As a result, they could face their immediate future knowing that their destiny with Christ was secure. They could fulfill His program’s commission, because He had promised His power to meet their needs. Somewhat anxious, but boldly, wrapped in his love and promises, they braved His calling knowing that for most of them, it would cost them their earthly lives.
How are you facing the new chapter in your life, your new “normal?” Are you crippled by your fears? Or have you found freedom in the truth of Christ’s presence, love, promises not to forsake you, and empowerment that you are willing to venture out into the unknown? If you have become entangled in your fears of the future and fears of being alone or left to you own means, I encourage you to look at the several scriptural passages I have given you today and wrap your heart and mind around their truths. For only then will God’s perfect love wipe away your crippling fears and grant you freedom to run with Christ.
How do you think the disciples would have felt if they had known that the kingdom they wanted to see right then would not be coming for over 2,000 years?
What difference would there have been in the disciples’ emotional reaction to Christ commission to be His witness if He had not promised to send His Spirit to live within them to empower them to get the job done? What difference did it make that they knew He loved them and would never leave them?
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