Preparation for the Mission
Acts 1:4-11
A question you must answer as you read the Book of Acts is, "how do you account for the change in the disciples?" In the gospels, the disciples were confused and cowardly. They understood very little what Jesus was teaching them. They abandoned the Lord out of fear when he was arrested. After Christ died they become despondent; convinced Jesus had failed his mission.
In the Book of Acts these same disciples are full of joy, bold in the face of opposition, and able to teach clearly the message Christ imparted to them. The Apostle Peter of Acts hardly seems like the same man as the Apostle Peter of the gospels. What happened?
Well, there were a few watershed moments where the light turned on for the disciples. The initial watershed moment was when Christ first appeared to them after his resurrection. The disciples realized then that Jesus had not failed, and that he was truly God in the flesh.
Another watershed moment is found in our passage this morning. You see from our passage that there remains some confusion and immaturity among the disciples that Christ must address before their official mission as Apostles can begin.
First let's consider the Old Testament background of our passage. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord promised that one day he would send his servants to the ends of the earth as his witnesses to advance his glorious kingdom. In those days God would pour forth his Spirit on his witnesses, and as a result his witnesses would boldly proclaim that they belong to God, and that he is the only Savior.
The key verse of our passage, v.8, picks up on two key phrases in those Isaiah prophecies; "witnesses," and "ends of the earth." We are now in the time of fulfillment. Christ says, you are my witnesses to advance the kingdom the Old Testament promised; that kingdom that would cover the earth. You might note that in Isaiah, Jehovah promises that a redeemed people will be "his" witnesses. Here Jesus calls the Apostles "my witnesses," demonstrating that Jesus is indeed God.
But the disciples are not quite ready to be Christ's witnesses. Even though for forty days after the resurrection Christ spoke to them of the kingdom, the disciples still were confused about the nature and timing of the kingdom. So our passage contains the disciples' final preparation and corrections before being officially commissioned as Apostles.
Christ had instructed the disciples to remain in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father; that promise being the Holy Spirit. Why Jerusalem? Why couldn't the disciples go back home to Galilee and receive the Spirit there? Well, according to the Old Testament, the glory and kingdom of the Lord would shine first in Jerusalem and work its way outward. Also, the fact that the disciples could do nothing on their own, but needed to wait for the Lord, reveals their utter dependence on God to fulfill their mission.
In v. 6, Luke, the Author of Acts, records the final appearance of Christ to the disciples before ascending to heaven. The disciples' question in v. 6 reveals their continued confusion and immaturity. Is it at this time you will restore the kingdom to Israel? Though the disciples understood that Christ's kingdom included forgiveness of sins, they still thought of that kingdom in terms of a geopolitical victory for Israel.
Note that in the Lord's answer, he does not address their misunderstanding of the place of national Israel. When Christ ascends to heaven it would be clear enough that he would not rule from an earthly Jerusalem, but from a heavenly Jerusalem.
Instead the Lord corrects their desire to know the times of full restoration, revealing a selfish impatience among the disciples. It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and unto the ends of the earth.
In asking if the kingdom would be restored to Israel now, the disciples wanted to know if now was the time for God's final rewards and blessings to be bestowed upon God's people. The Lord's answer; now is not the time to think about your rewards. There is work to be done. You must become the Apostles of the New Covenant church and spread my kingdom to the ends of the earth.
Note well Christ's command not to speculate on when this age will end. I cannot think of a command more disregarded by the American church than this. It is not for you to speculate if we are in the so-called last days. Yes, many prophecy conferences and books on how the events of our day signal the end are direct violations of our Lord's command here. You are not to speculate about the times of his return. And no, you cannot get away with saying we may not know the day of his return, but can at least discern in which generation he will return. The Bible is clear; it is not for you to know when Christ will return.
Instead of speculating on the time of his return, focus on your mission. You are to be my witnesses unto the ends of the earth. You are to be so busy with this mission that you do not have time to speculate. If you are fulfilling your calling to be God's witnesses you will not have to worry about being ready for his return. You will be ready!
So the disciples needed correction on the timing of his kingdom, but also on the nature of his kingdom. You see by the term "witnesses," that God's promised kingdom would advance through the Word of the gospel. From this point on the disciples understood that God's kingdom would not come through force or politics, but through the preaching of the gospel.
Now many have rightly noted that the geographic places of v. 8 form the outline of the Book of Acts. Chapters 1-8:3 occur in Jerusalem; 8:4 through 12 occur in Judea and Samaria, and chapters 13 through 28 record the gospel advancing to the ends of the earth.
But these geographical signposts also reveal the nature of the true Israel. The Book of Isaiah promised that the blessings of this final kingdom would fall on the true Israel. Many groups within Israel in Jesus' day claimed to be that true Israel.
But the true Israel, the Israel who would become God's end-time witnesses, would be Jews and Gentiles who believe the gospel preached by the Apostles; Jews and Gentiles from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth. You in Christ are the true Israel of God; heirs of all the Old Testament promises to Israel.
Note that the power the Holy Spirit would bestow is the power to be witnesses for God. The disciples may have still considered power as power in ruling from thrones in Jerusalem. We too often consider the power of the Spirit as the power to perform miracles or to create emotional experiences.
But the power the Holy Spirit bestows is the power to live for Christ in word and deed before an unbelieving world. We as God's redeemed become God's testimony, we become living proof that God saves and sanctifies. By our words and deeds we testify to the world that we belong to the Lord.
This leads us to v. 9. The disciples behold Jesus being lifted atop a cloud of glory into heaven. This is the same glory cloud throughout the Old Testament that signified God's presence. The disciples are so filled with awe beholding this sight that they do not notice two angels in the form of men standing near them.
Not only are the disciples filled with awe as Jesus ascends, they are filled with confusion. The angels address the disciples' confusion. Why are you standing there gazing into the sky?
The question haunting the disciples would be, where are you going? Are you not staying to establish your kingdom to the ends of the earth? The angels assure the disciples that Christ indeed would return in clouds of glory to bring in the full consummation of his kingdom.
Now the light turned on. For the first time the disciples realized that Christ's kingdom would come in two stages. In this age Christ would work though the church to advance his gospel kingdom. In his absence Christ would pour out his Holy Spirit onto his church to be spiritually present with them for that task. In a sense Christ would be with his church through his Spirit in a more powerful way than when he was with his disciples physically. After all, now Christ lives inside you by his Spirit.
But lest the mission become overwhelming or discouraging, the disciples, and you through this passage, receive a glimpse into the end of the mission. No, you do not know when Christ will return with his rewards, but be assured, he will return. Let that motivate you as you fulfill your mission in this fallen world.
Note then the similarity between Christ's mission and his church's mission. Before Christ began his mission to be God's witness he was anointed with the Holy Spirit. He then fulfilled his mission though discouragement, sufferings, and opposition. At the end of his mission he died and rose again to be with the Father.
In Acts, what happens to Christ happens to his church. The church is given a mission, but first they are anointed with the Spirit to be able to fulfill this mission. After being witnesses through discouragement and opposition, God's people die and rise again to be with the Lord. Jesus said, as the Father has sent me, so I send you.
Once you were blind, but now you see. God has opened your eyes through the gospel. You have been given the glorious privilege and responsibility to be God's witnesses of his grace and glory. Beloved, you are the fulfillment of those ancient prophecies in Isaiah that God would open the eyes of sinners and make them his witnesses to the ends of the earth.
How do you fulfill your calling as witnesses? The Apostles had their role, and you have yours. First, remember that the church witnesses as a body. By doing your part to help the body of Christ function, you are God's witnesses.
Second, you are witnesses in all you say or do. You might think, I have so many problems in my own life to deal with that I don't have time to be God's witness. But remember, how you deal with your problems testifies that you belong to the Lord. Do you pray for help? Do you seek to serve the Lord through your trials? Do you admit your weaknesses? In all these you testify that Christ is your Savior and you now belong to him. Your testimony is not a dramatic event, nor is it the story of your conversion. Your testimony is a life-long, humble obedience to God through the ups and downs of this life.
Now, often times, people assume that the role of the preacher is to apply the Bible to your life and concerns. But just the opposite is true. You are to see the truth in the Bible and adjust your life and concerns to these truths.
So, Beloved, adjust your lives a round these truths. Your every day life is much grander that you think. As Christians you were called from eternity to bear the name of God; you are called to be God's witnesses of his salvation in all you say and do. God has poured his Spirit into you to give you the strength to be his witnesses. After testifying through your service and devotion that you belong to God, Jesus Christ will return for you and bestow on you the full rewards and blessings of his Kingdom. Amen