Final Instructions

Acts 1:1-14

Final instructions are important, whether it is for a school assignment, a work assignment, or instructions of how to put something together.  Getting those instructions wrong, or ignoring them altogether can really mess up a project.  Ask any cook who neglected the last few sentences of a recipe!  Today’s Scripture is from the opening passage of the Book of Acts, written by Luke.  The Book of Acts picks up Luke’s narrative from the final verses of his gospel.  In these verses from the opening chapter of the Book of Acts, Jesus gives His final instructions to the disciples, and then ascends back up to heaven, to the glory He had before He came to earth.

As the Gospel writer Luke records, during the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension, the disciples became thoroughly convinced of the resurrection (vs. 3).  Jesus also taught them about the Kingdom of God, and the Holy Spirit.  They were His eye-witnesses.  Before the resurrection they had all scattered.  They were disillusioned, and feared for their lives.  Now they were fearless, and risked everything to spread the Gospel message of salvation.  They would face imprisonment, beatings, and often martyrdom.

The Jewish religious leaders and enemies of the Gospel were never able to challenge the empty tomb, and the truth of the disciples words (vs. 3).  What better way to shut the disciples up than to produce Jesus’ lifeless corpse, if they could find it.  If Jesus had not risen, and the disciples had only hidden the body, as these religious leaders had asserted, they would certainly have found it.  However, they never found it, because there was no longer a dead body!  Jesus had risen!  They had no rebuttal to give to the disciples words and power.  There is a resurrected Christ, and He has given us His Holy Spirit.

Jesus was preparing His disciples to carry on the work of the Gospel, as He was to ascend into heaven, as we read in our passage.  If Jesus remained on earth, He could physically be in only one place at a time.  After His ascension, the Holy Spirit would be sent.  Jesus could be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within His followers after Jesus returned to heaven.

Jesus instructed the disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them (vs. 4-5).  The disciples had to wait for the Day of Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit, but from that day forward, all believers receive the Holy Spirit when they are saved.  Here is just some of what the Holy Spirit does for believers:  We cannot belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).  We are united with Jesus through His Spirit (I Corinthians 6:17).  We are adopted as His children (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:6-7).  The Holy Spirit brings us into the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13).  He also helps us change to become more like Christ (Galatians 3:3; Philippians 1:6).  He also seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

The disciples were given the final instructions to wait to receive the Holy Spirit (vs. 8).  He would then give them power.  Once they had this power, they were to go and witness with extraordinary results.  That was the order.  They weren’t to go out first, without the Holy Spirit and His power.  They were not to run ahead of God, and neither should we.  Wait for God’s timing and power.  When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, He gave them courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority, and He will give that to us, as well.  The Great Commission to take the Gospel all over the world still applies today.

The Ascension was Jesus’ visible departure from earth to heaven (vs. 9).  His next appearance on earth will be at the Second Coming, when Jesus visibly and bodily sets His feet upon the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).  Jesus hasn’t, and will never forget about us.  He will one day return for us (vs. 11).  I am reminded of the words of the great Chinese Christian, Watchman Nee (1903-1972), who said “Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the Resurrection”.