Acts 1:1-5

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

 

In these first five verses, Luke sets the stage for the book of Acts. And in these first five verses, Luke makes it abundantly clear that what we will see in Acts flows from ongoing ministry of the risen Jesus Christ. He does this by summing up the gospel he has already written (by the way, these five verses should give us a few clues about what Luke wanted us to notice as we read his gospel). So here is Luke’s summary of the gospel of Luke:

 

1. The gospel was about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven (after He gave instructions through the Holy Spirit to His chosen apostles). – The gospel of Luke tells us about Jesus’ deeds and teachings. It gives an account of His earthly life, beginning even before His birth (Luke 1:1-2:5) and continuing through His life, beyond His death and resurrection, to the day when Jesus rose into heaven (Luke 24:51). It includes His instructions to His chosen disciples, His apostles. But all these things are merely the beginning of Jesus’ story. So as we read Acts, we should expect to keep seeing Jesus at work.
2. The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus suffered, but we should also come away recognizing that Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:6-7). He is alive! He appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days, and several of these appearances are recorded in the gospel (Luke 24:13-32; 33-35; 36-43). Jesus gave many convincing proofs that He was alive – to men who had watched Him die and had seen Him buried. After His resurrection, Jesus spoke to His disciples about the kingdom of God (Luke 24:44-48). And He left His apostles with some final instructions: They were to stay in Jerusalem waiting for the Father’s promised gift, the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). The way Luke describes this gift in Acts is as a baptism, contrasting with John’s baptism. John’s baptism was with water, but the baptism that will mark Jesus’ followers is baptism in the Holy Spirit.

 

Father, thank You for this reminder of the gospel in the first five verses of Acts. Thank You for sending Jesus to do Your works and teach Your words. Thank You that Jesus suffered, and that after He suffered and died He rose again. Thank You that He did not do this secretly, but appeared to His disciples for forty days and convinced them that He had truly risen. Thank You that He spent those forty days teaching them and clarifying to them the truths of the kingdom of God – truths centered in the gospel. And thank You that when Jesus left, He reminded the disciples to wait and receive their promised gift – the Holy Spirit. Thank You that Jesus’ followers are baptized not merely in water, but in the Holy Spirit. Thank You that we who follow You now receive the Holy Spirit, our Counselor and teacher, our reminder that You are fulfilling Your promises to us.