Acts Chapter 1: Preparing for the Day of Pentecost

The ascension of Christ and the selection of Matthias

        Luke, in his prologue to the book (vs. 1-3), emphasizes—as he did in the introduction to his gospel—the historical nature of his writings.  Jesus “presented Himself alive” after His suffering and resurrection by “many infallible proofs” (v. 3).  “Infallible proofs” is a bit redundant actually; if something is “proven,” then it is “infallible,” but the word Luke uses simply enforces his meaning—as in the “more perfect union” in America’s constitution.  Something that is “perfect” can’t be “more perfect.”  Luke is accenting the certainly of what he is writing, that Jesus’s resurrection could not be historically denied.

        He further emphasizes this by saying that Jesus was seen by His apostles for “forty days” after His resurrection (v. 3), “speaking” to them.  Interestingly, the four gospels do not record all the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus; they only present enough to convince the open mind.  Paul, in I Corinthians 15:5-8, lists 12 appearances of Jesus, including His being seen “by over five hundred brethren at once,” most of whom were still alive (go talk to them yourself, Paul implies, if you don’t believe me).  So, I cannot stress enough, that we are dealing with history here—“infallible” history by a man who “traced the course of all things accurately from the first” (Luke 1:3).  His testimony cannot be rebuffed, except by those who simply refuse to accept the evidence, for various reasons.  And we will see many of those in the coming chapters of Acts.

        The last thing Jesus did before He ascended into heaven was to tell His apostles to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them (v. 4, something that would happen ten days later, Acts 2).  This was the promised “Holy Spirit baptism” that John the Baptist had mentioned (v. 5).  The apostles, still not quite emptied of their Jewish cultural upbringing, asked Jesus if He would then “restore the kingdom to Israel”—obviously, still expecting a literal, earthly kingdom (v. 6).  Jesus didn’t directly answer the question (vs. 7-8), but indicated that they would soon understand and become His witnessed “to the ends of the earth” (v. 8).  They’d understand soon enough.

        He then left them, rising to heaven in the clouds, a manner of departure which will be repeated at His second coming (vs. 9-11).  We have no indication when that event will take place; God moves in His own time, but we need to always be ready and “watch” (Mark 13:37).

        The apostles then returned to Jerusalem and selected a replacement for Judas, the one who had betrayed the Lord, was remorseful, went out and hang himself but, apparently, the rope (or tree branch) broke, and he fell and “burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out” (v. 18).  Not an especially pretty vision.  The Old Testament predicted both Judas’ death (Psalm 69:25) and his replacement (Psalm 109:8).  Two men were nominated as replacements, and after a prayer, a man named Matthias was chosen (v. 26).  We know nothing more of him from Scripture.

        So, the stage was now set for one of the greatest events in history—the first preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Christian dispensation and the establishment of His church.  This is one of the three great events to which all previous history had been pointing (the death and resurrection of Christ being the other two).  Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, and Joel 2 will all be fulfilled in Acts 2.  Now, the terms of salvation will be announced to man.  Redemption, promised in Genesis 3:15, is about to be accomplished.