LESSON 2

Jesus Keeps His Promise

(1:2–2:47)

After Luke identifies his recipient and links Acts with his Gospel (Acts 1:1), he shares some facts about Jesus’ last days on earth, some of which he had mentioned in his Gospel’s last two chapters. But he also adds some information, especially about what Jesus told his disciples before he ascended into heaven.

Spirit-Filled Instructions

• Luke makes it clear in his Gospel that the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus throughout his entire earthly life. Read the following passages from Luke’s Gospel and write down what they reveal about the role the Spirit played at various times in Jesus’ life. You may need to read some of the surrounding verses of each passage to gain perspective on their context.

1:15–17

1:35

1:80

3:16

3:21–22

4:1–2

4:14–15

4:16–19

10:21

• Now turn to Acts 1:2. Through whom and to whom did the resurrected Jesus give his final instructions? What does this tell you about the Spirit’s role, even in Jesus’ resurrection life?
• Luke tells us that Jesus verified that he had risen from the dead through “many convincing signs” (v. 3). He also summarizes these signs. What were they?
• Review the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24 and write out the specifics about Jesus’ resurrection evidence that support the summary Luke provides in Acts 1:3.
• Luke records at least a summary of what Jesus instructed his disciples to do before he arose into heaven. Read the passages from Acts 1 listed below and summarize next to each one what Jesus told his disciples:

Verses 4–5:

Verses 6–8:

Jesus promised his followers that the same powerful one who had empowered him and his ministry—namely, the Holy Spirit—would also empower them and their mission (v. 5). What Jesus promised them would also be for all who put their faith in him (Romans 8:1–17; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5:16–26). The church is Spirit-powered because every believer receives the Spirit when they receive the Son by faith.

• What would you say the Holy Spirit does in the lives of believers? Be as specific as you can.
• Have you seen the Spirit work in your life in any of those ways? If so, which ones?

In Acts 1:6, the disciples showed that they still hoped that the coming of the Spirit would indicate the political liberation of Israel from Roman rule. But Jesus did not confirm this hope. Instead, he shifted the disciples’ focus to what he wanted them to do, starting in Jerusalem and eventually extending “even to the remotest places on earth” (v. 8). And then what follows in Acts shows the disciples engaging in this mission through the power and guidance of the Spirit.

Jesus’ mandate to witness not only gives

us the theme of Acts but also a basic table

of contents by the threefold reference to

“Jerusalem,” “all Judea and Samaria,” and

“the ends of the earth.” To be sure, Luke’s

development of the table of contents is

fuller and more subtle than its succinct

form here. Nevertheless, in what follows he

shows through a series of vignettes how the

mission of the church in its witness to Jesus

fared at Jerusalem (2:42–8:3), throughout

Judea and Samaria (8:4–12:24), and as

it progressed until it finally reached the

imperial capital city of Rome (12:25–28:31).22

Of course, this mission for Christ’s followers to be his messengers, his witnesses, has been going on ever since the first disciples were initially empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). The church has been carrying out this mission for two thousand years, bringing the good news about Jesus Christ to every people group on the globe. This needs to keep occurring because new people are born and raised, and they need to hear the gospel (the good news) too.

• Are you sharing with other people the good news about Jesus? If so, how? If not, why?

Heavenly Ascension

• After he had finished instructing his followers, Jesus ascended to heaven.23 Summarize this event below (1:9–11).
• Why do you think it was important for Jesus to physically leave his disciples rather than remain with them? For help, see Luke 24:45–49; John 14:15–26; 16:4–11.
• Do you realize that although Jesus is not physically with us, he is spiritually present to all of us through his Spirit? That he is working through us and in us by the Holy Spirit? Does that encourage you? If so, in what way? If not, why?

Replenishing the Twelve

• Right after Jesus’ ascension, what did his disciples do (Acts 1:12–14)?
• Along with eleven of the twelve original disciples, Luke mentions Jesus’ family members (vv. 13–14). Who were these family members? Why was having his brothers there significant (see note ‘h’ associated with verses 13–14 for assistance)?
• How many believers were gathered together, and what did Peter tell them they needed to do and why (vv. 15–20)?
• What qualifications had to be met for a new apostle (vv. 21–22)?
• Which two candidates fit those qualifications, and how did the disciples make their final choice (vv. 23–26)?

According to Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (NIV). In Scripture, casting lots was often used for making important decisions.

Aaron, on the Day of Atonement, chose by

lot one of the goats for a scapegoat to bear

the sins of the people into the wilderness

(Lev 17:7–10, 21, 22). The division of the

land of [Palestine] after the conquest was

accomplished by lot (Josh 14:2; 18:6; 1

Chron 6:54ff.). The service of the Temple,

including the music (1 Chron 25:7, 8), the

doorkeepers (26:13ff.), and the supply of

wood fuel for the altar were regulated by

casting lots (Neh 10:34ff.). The guilt of

suspected criminals was established by lot

(Josh 7:14; 1 Sam 14:42).24

Lots may have consisted of stones, wood, arrows, or animal bones. When the apostles decided to replace Judas, they may have written the names of Matthias and Barsabbas on stones, placed those stones “in a cloth bag or vessel, and then the first stone drawn out named the one selected.”25 With the apostles’ lot casting bathed in prayer and a selection process that included clear and justifiable qualifications for the candidates and a scriptural rationale for replacing Judas, they expected that whoever the lot designated would be God’s choice, and so it was. The Twelve were restored with the addition of Matthias.

Here Comes the Spirit!

The Spirit came to the one hundred twenty gathered disciples on “the day of Pentecost” in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1). Pentecost was a Jewish festival that came “fifty days after the first Sabbath after Passover (Exod. 23:15–17; 34:22; Lev. 23:15–21; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16:9–12). It was also known as the ‘Feast of Weeks’ or ‘Day of Firstfruits.’”26 Bible scholar Harold Hoehner gives the date for this event as May 24, 33.27

• How did the Spirit’s presence manifest itself to the gathered disciples (Acts 2:2–3)? Consult study note ‘c’ for verse 3.
• What did the Spirit’s presence enable the disciples to do (v. 4)?
• Who else witnessed the event, and what amazed them about it (vv. 5–12)?
• What was the counter-response by some doubters in the crowd (v. 13)?
• How would you assess the critics’ claim? What evidence would you point to that would undermine their claim?

Defense of the Spirit’s Arrival

The apostle Peter stands up as a spokesman for the other eleven apostles and defends (offers an apologia for) the genuineness and truth of what the gathered crowd had witnessed.

• Whom did Peter specifically address (2:14)?
• What was his direct challenge to the charge of drunkenness (v. 15)?
• What did Peter contend was the truth about what the crowds had witnessed (vv. 16–21)?

Peter then turned his attention to the last line of Joel’s prophecy, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v. 21; see Joel 2:32). Who is this Lord? That was the matter Peter addressed.

• What did Peter point to as the “facts” of the matter, and whom did they concern (Acts 2:22–24)?
• Peter then anchored his interpretation of these facts in a prophecy spoken by King David centuries before. Summarize this prophecy in your own words (vv. 25–28).
• What was Peter’s interpretation and explanation of David’s prophetic words (vv. 29–31)?
• Whom did Peter equate with the Messiah of...