Reading the Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 1

ACTS, Chapter 1
March 25-31
On the Journey


I highly recommend that you read or listen to Dr. Jack Levison's commentary by following this link:
http://blog.spu.edu/lectio/introduction-on-the-journey/

Be sure to spend some time with the Questions for Further Reflection at the bottom of the commentary.  You'll find new questions there each week.

________________________

Highlights...by Pastor Kurt

1:1 "In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did..."
Compare this to Luke 1:1-4.  It is primarily from the opening dedication of both books that scholars have concluded that Luke wrote both volumes.  The final chapter of Luke and the first chapter of Acts share some of the same territory...it's worthy of comparison.
Suggestion: Throughout Acts, be on the lookout for connections to the story of Jesus in the gospel of Luke.

1:4-5 The promise of the Holy Spirit...
Realized in Acts 2, powerfully enacted throughout the rest of the book...and throughout the history of the church.
What's your experience of the Holy Spirit?

1:8  One of the major verses on mission in all of scripture
"You will be my witnesses."  Acts documents the expansion of the witness to Jesus in the early church from Jerusalem, to Judea/Samaria, and to the end of the known world.
How have you been a witness for Jesus?  Whose witness led you to know and follow Jesus?  How might Jesus be calling you to give witness to him in your interactions with others?

1:9-11 Jesus' ascension into heaven
Answering the question: "where is Jesus right now?"  Yes, Jesus is spiritually present through the Holy Spirit, but the bodily resurrected Jesus is in heaven with God the Father ("at the right hand of" as the Creed says).  It is the bodily resurrected Jesus who ascended that we expect to return to earth one day to bring the fullness of God's eternal kingdom.  I've encountered a few contemporary theologians who say that the Ascension is perhaps the most under-appreciated doctrine of the church.
Why might the ascension be thought of as important?  How important is it to you personally?

1:12-26 Matthias chosen to replace Judas
Judas the betrayer is dead; now there are eleven (note the contrasting versions of the death of Judas in Acts 1:18 and Matthew 27:3-5).  Notice that the replacement needed to be someone who had been with Jesus and the original 12 throughout his earthly ministry.  He needed to be a witness to the full ministry of Jesus.  Two qualifying candidates were nominated, and they "cast lots" to make the final decision.
Are you in a time of your life where you're needing to choose between a variety of good options?  Consider customizing and praying the prayer the apostles prayed in verse 24: "Lord, you know (everyone's) heart. Show us what you have chosen."  What do you think of the "game of chance" in verse 26?  What does it show about the apostles' faith?


Next up...Acts 2 [April 1-7]

Luke 24 ... Week 11 of 11 ... March 18-24

Luke 24

Resurrection and Beyond

Jesus - crucified, dead, and buried at the end of chapter 23 – emerges alive in chapter 24, leaving behind an empty tomb and amazed disciples.  Luke wraps up his account of Jesus’ life and ministry by continuing along the same lines that we’ve been following throughout his gospel.  Let’s look at both of these major themes, as we keep in mind that the final chapter of Luke’s gospel is meant to transition us into the first chapter of his second volume, the book of Acts.

Jesus’ ministry to the marginalized

Who were the first witnesses at the tomb? Women!  Earlier in Luke we mentioned the women who followed Jesus, and how women were of lower status than men in that place and time.  Here women brave being there for Jesus until the very end (23:55), and “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them” come to the tomb on the first day of the week and find the stone rolled away from the doorway of the empty tomb (24:1-10).  The only way Jesus’ eleven disciples found out about his rising from the dead was from the women’s testimony.  They are essential to the story of Jesus’ resurrection, immortalized as the first Christian witnesses.

The response of the eleven male disciples in 24:11 adds weight to this story of reversal.  Not only were the eleven not at the burial site in order to discover the resurrection, they didn’t even believe what the women were saying: “But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”  Only one of them was humble enough to break out of this stupor of disbelief.  Get ready for yet another reversal of status!  Who was it?  Simply the one who had shown the most weakness and offense to Jesus in his last days, the one “sifted like wheat” by Satan who had denied Jesus three times.  Yes, it was Peter who “got up and ran to the tomb…,” and he was rewarded with amazement as he joined the women in being a witness to the empty tomb.

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you think it means that the women who followed Jesus were the ones to discover the empty tomb?
2. How might this be a reversal of expectations, or an unexpected “twist” to the story?
3. Do you feel like women are listened to in today's church? Explain your answer.
4. Think of a time when you've learned something about Jesus from an unlikely person.  Were you initially open to the message?  If not, what changed?
5. Why do you think Peter was the only disciple who responded to the women's testimony?

An orderly account of a world-changing movement

...and the person and power at the center

Luke 24 can be considered the first chapter of Luke's account of the expansion of the church into a world-wide movement.  Note the connections between these episodes and the account of the early church in Luke's second volume, the book of Acts.

 

 

1. Meeting Jesus On The Road...The Road To Emmaus

 

Followers of Jesus travelling along a road.  Boy, will we see this a lot in the book of Acts!  These Christian travelers and evangelists are never alone; Jesus is with them on the journey.  The fact that the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to disciples as they go out is very important for the expansion of the church from Jerusalem outward.  The missionary impulse of the early church is fueled by an expectation that those carrying out the mission may encounter Jesus along the way. 

 

In this episode, we also see shades of the importance of hospitality in the early church, welcoming travelers into a home for the good of the movement.  We learn from Acts 2:42 that early church believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  There are parallels between the Emmaus encounter and these spiritual practices of the early church fellowships.  The breaking of bread (Communion) was of particular importance, and the Emmaus story gives us a reason why:  “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…They told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” [Luke 24:30-31, 35]

Question: How has Jesus revealed himself to you in the breaking of the bread?  Who were you with when this happened? 

2. The Foundation of Early Church Preaching

Jesus’ resurrection appearances in Luke are mini-sermons about who Jesus is and why people should believe that he died on the cross and then rose from the dead.  These resurrection appearances are filled with preaching points employed by early church evangelists (referred to as the "Kerygma," from the Greek word for "preaching").  Key to New Testament preaching about Jesus is that his death and resurrection is a fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy.  We’ll see this in detail in the preaching of Peter, Stephen, and Paul in the book of Acts.  There are four mini-sermons in chapter 24, two of them offered by Jesus himself!

A. The Message of the Angels at the Empty Tomb … Luke 24:4-8

“Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. Then they remembered…”

B. The Explanation of Cleopas and His Friend on the Road to Emmaus ... Luke 24:18-24

“…the things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place…”

C. The Teaching of the Unrecognized Jesus on the Road to Emmaus ... Luke 24:25-27

“'How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?'  Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.”

D. The Teaching of the Recognized Jesus with his Disciples ... 24:44-49

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled….Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.”

Questions: Why do you think there is so much talk of the Old Testament (Moses, prophets, etc.) when people are discussing Jesus' resurrection?  How important is the Old Testament to you?  How important should the Old Testament be in the church, in its teaching and preaching?

3. The Ascension

Luke offers the only reliable testimony about Jesus’ ascension up to heaven (not covered in Matthew & John, and Mark includes it in the optional ending), true to form for a gospel undertaken as an “orderly account” of the story of Jesus.  The ascension also serves as a bridge between volumes.  The brief treatment in 24:50-53 is covered more completely in the first chapter of Acts.  Right before the ascension, in verse 49, Jesus alerts his disciples to a major Holy Spirit sighting that will happen soon:  "I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”  This power charges up the opening act of the world-wide movement…we look at that in Acts 1-2.

Questions: How important do you think the ascension is to Christian belief?  Why did Jesus ascend to heaven?  How is it personally meaningful to you?


Pastor Kurt

...next week we look at the Acts of the Apostles, Luke's second volume

Reading Luke ... March 11-17 ... Week 10 of 11

Luke 22-23

Passover, Plot, & the Cross

The Descent of the King

Up to this point we’ve been following two of Luke’s major themes.  Here, at the cross, they converge.  Picture an intersection of two major highways heading the same direction that converge to form one road, and you’ll have a helpful image for understanding Luke’s overall purpose in writing his gospel.

We’ve mentioned that the two major themes are 1) An orderly account of a world-changing movement and the person and power at the center of it all, and 2) Jesus’ mission to the marginalized.  While we’ve made some connections between the two, we haven’t forced them to relate to each other.  Why?  Because Luke waits to bring them together at the cross.  The person and power at the center of this world-changing movement became marginalized in order to save the people of the world.

For Luke, the paradox of the cross is the heart of the gospel message.  Here the powerful king who represents the full authority of God is killed by the religious and political authorities.  How in the world is this possible…or even relevant?  And yet it’s the whole story!  The one at the center of it all has been marginalized.  He who was rich has become poor.  The Lord of all is now a servant of all, even unto death.  All of Jesus’ teaching and actions related to lifting up the lowly now can be applied to him as he humbles himself and goes to the cross.  The one who ate with "tax collectors and sinners" dies a sinner’s death to save those who are lost.

There are two main ways to find personal meaning in what is happening to Jesus in Luke 22-23:

1. Identify with Jesus as one who knows what it means to be marginalized.

To do this, ask yourself the question "Do I have suffering in my life that Jesus can identify with?"

Think about all the people who have a special connection to Jesus because of the abuse he received on the way to the cross.  Beaten? He knows what I’m going through.  Insulted?  He knows.  Unjustly accused and convicted? He knows.  Imprisoned? He knows.  Subject to mob anger? He knows.  To the poor and oppressed, Jesus' suffering and death make him seem more like one of them.  But to the rich and powerful, Jesus' suffering and death starts to make him seem not so respectable...and the cross becomes more of a scandal.  Note the Apostle Paul’s take on this in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18).

2. Marvel at how LOW Jesus had to go to save us from sin.

To do this, ask yourself the question "What difference does it make for my faith and life knowing that Jesus suffered so greatly for my sins?"

All of us can ask this question and discover an answer that changes how we look at life and transforms our relationship with God.  1 Peter 2:24 reminds us that our forgiveness has come at a heavy price that Jesus paid personally: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (emphasis mine).

 

Tracing the Descent in Luke 22-23

In Luke 19:28-40, Jesus is hailed by the crowds and welcomed into Jerusalem as a king.  Just four chapters later near the end of chapter 23, this same Jesus dies on the cross under the insulting inscription “This is the King of the Jews” as soldiers make fun of him by saying “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!

What follows is step-by-step account of Jesus descending lower and lower until he is at the mercy of all other powers and experiences the most profound marginalization in dying upon a cross.  At each stage, ask yourself these two questions:

 

1. Do I have suffering in my life that Jesus can identify with?  Am I aware of anyone who does?

2. What difference does it make for my faith and life knowing that Jesus suffered so greatly for my sins?  Substitute "my sins" with "the sins of others" and ask the same question.

1. The Leader who Serves Others at the Table ... Luke 22:14-30
2. Betrayal … Luke 22:1-6, 21-23, 47-48
3. Arrest … Luke 22:49-54
4. Denial … Luke 22:31-34, 54-62
5. Beating & Insults … Luke 22:63-65, 23:11, 23:35-39
6. Trial … Luke 22:66 – 23:16
7. Death Sentence … 23:18-25
8. Execution by Crucifixion among Criminals … 23:26-49
9. Burial … 23:50-56

We end this week on a very low note, because that’s how chapter 23 ends.  But like Tony Campolo famously says: “It’s Friday… but Sunday’s coming!”  Next week we will see just how powerfully God the Father lifts up the lowly and marginalized Jesus.

Pastor Kurt

"…The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. …I am among you as one who serves.”  - Jesus, in Luke 22:26-27

 

 

Reading Luke - Week 9 of 11 ... March 4 - 10

Luke 19-21 ... To Jerusalem and Opposition

As we read these chapters, we follow Jesus into Jerusalem and move closer to that place of destiny, the cross.  Jesus’ parables and his ministry actions establish his authority (King, Lord) and help us understand the fundamental paradox of the cross – that an all-powerful Messiah is rejected and killed by his own people.

An Account of a World-Changing Movement…and the person and power at the center of it

As you read, pay attention to this string of stories laid out by Luke:

• Parable of the Ten Minas 19:11-27
• Jesus entering Jerusalem as King 19:28-44
• The Authority of Jesus Questioned 20:1-8
• Parable of the Tenants 20:9-19
• Paying Taxes to Caesar 20:20-26

Each one contributes to our understanding of the authority of Jesus, the one hailed as King, fully representing God’s authority on earth.  But more specifically, they each offer a piece to the puzzle of understanding why this King might be rejected by his own people and crucified.

Simple reflection questions for all of these sections might be:

• How do I/we acknowledge Jesus’ authority?
• How do I/we reject his authority?

In these 3 chapters there are many links to the Book of Acts and the preaching of Peter and Paul in the early church.  Even armed with their testimony of Jesus rising from the dead, they had to answer the questions about how the powerful Son of God ended up being killed on the cross in the first place.  They continue Jesus’ message found in Luke 19-21.  Here’s a specific example: Psalm 118:22 “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” is quoted by Jesus following the Parable of the Tenants (Luke 20:17) and by Peter in his proclamation of the gospel (Acts 4:11).

The city of Jerusalem and its fate provides another rich connection between Luke & Acts in the account of a world-changing movement.  Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem (19:41-44) and his prophecy of the destruction of the temple (21:5-38) give a sense that Jerusalem’s rejection of God’s Messiah doesn’t work out so well.  When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, the fact that Jesus foretold it no doubt encouraged trust in his authority and further fueled the world-wide expansion of the Jesus movement.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70).  Of course, it was no longer a safe option to stay in Jerusalem and wait for Jesus’ return – they had to move out and be his witnesses “to the end of the world.”

A Note about Jesus’ Mission to the Marginalized…

This theme continues strong in Luke 19-21, even as Jesus moves closer to BECOMING one of the marginalized as a rejected ruler killed on a cross.

Zacchaeus (19:1-10)

In the Sunday School version of this story, the emphasis is on Zacchaeus being short, a status that reflects being on the lower end of a power imbalance (a point not lost on the children who hear the story!).  Others had a more privileged view, Z had to make extra effort just to see Jesus, and Jesus privileges him by inviting himself to Z’s home.  But the primary message of the story of Zacchaeus is to continue the storyline of Jesus eating and drinking with sinners and demonstrating the radical change that God’s kingdom brings.  The people notice this aspect when they mutter “he (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (19:7).  And after Zacchaeus’ commitment to give half his possessions to the poor (another marginalized group who benefit from God’s kingdom!), Jesus proclaims his mission to the marginalized once more: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (19:10).

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law (20:45-47)

Jesus again challenges the privileged – those “who have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.”  The punishment is severe for those who “devour widows’ houses.”

The Widow’s Offering

Speaking of widows, Jesus follows up by pointing out a widow who gives an offering of two very small copper coins – out of her poverty giving all she had to live on.  She is the hero of sacrificial giving…more so than the rich people who give gifts to the temple treasury out of their wealth.

____________________

"Lord Jesus, continue to speak your Word to us.  By the power of the Holy Spirit help us understand you, your cross, and your message.  By this same power direct changes in our lives that reflect the values of the kingdom of God, our heavenly Father.  Amen."

Pastor Kurt