Chapter Twenty-eight

The week of July 29


New Beginnings

If you were God, how would start a new movement among your people? You had already dealt individually with people at the beginning of human history. You had from one couple already formed a nation that was to represent your values and draw the nations to yourself. You had already sent prophets to call that nation back to you. You had already sent Your Son to dramatically show Who you were and then He was killed on a cross. So…what would you do?

God raised His Son and seated Him at His right side. He then sent the Spirit of His Son to indwell individual people and groupings of people called out (Greek: ekklesia) to live together the life of His Son on the earth. That’s what God the Father through His Son has done in sending His Spirit to the church.

Pp 389-90 The remaining disciples did not know how many more appearances they would have of Jesus. They did not know the times of His restoration of Israel. But Jesus challenged them: they were His eyewitnesses in the ever-expanding circles of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria (remember the half-breed religion) to the ends of the earth (think Greeks and gentiles).

After promising His return, Jesus departed to be with His Father.

Pp 390-2 On the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, fifty days following the time of Passover when Jesus had died then was raised to life, the twelve apostles (one had been added to replace Judas) were joined by over 100 others, waiting on God. The sound of a powerful wind was joined with tongues of fire that rested on all of them. They all began to speak in other tongues, known languages. As they went outside they came across many Jewish people from around the known world. Communication of the gospel was in their own tongue, even though those believer's who were sharing the good news never took lessons.

This multicultural experience raised the question: What does this mean? Peter took the forefront and said it was a prediction of the prophet Joel: The pouring out of God's Spirit on all people. He then proceeded to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ: God had accredited His Son Jesus by raising Him to life. We were all eyewitnesses of His rising and the Holy Spirit now poured out. Jesus IS Lord and Messiah.

And what are the people to do? Peter: Repent, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And receive this same Holy Spirit. Over three thousand accepted the message, were baptized on the spot, and received the Holy Spirit. This large throng listened daily to the apostle's teaching at the Temple, met together in homes to share food, fellowship and prayer. Many more joined them. God had started His movement in Jerusalem.

Pp 392-7 Peter and John on the way to the Temple were accosted by a crippled beggar. They offered no money, but did offer him the ability to walk. Grasping their hands, the man could immediately walk and jump. The result was a crowd that provided another audience opportunity to preach the gospel. Peter was direct and personal in telling that they (a few weeks earlier) had killed Jesus, God's glorified servant. But their sins could be wiped away if they believed in Jesus.

The priests and other Jewish religious folk could hardly stand it. Jesus kept coming up again and again. Peter and John were arrested and asked for their authority to perform this miracle. Another eyewitness opportunity to preach what they had experienced. Peter: It is by the Name of Jesus Messiah, Whom you crucified (hold nothing back), but Whom God raised from the dead…that Jesus, the rejected Cornerstone, is the Name by which the man was healed and the Only Name by which we must be saved.

Here are these unschooled fisherman, out of their league with the intelligentsia, but powerful in their testimony because they had been with Jesus. Peter was not cowering now. But what can they do to Peter and John since everyone knew the healing had happened. The rulers tried to intimidate them to not use the name of Jesus. Peter and John could not agree; they would only tell of the Jesus they knew.

The encounter emboldened the believers and added new members to God's kingdom. This only brought more contention from the rulers. After all the apostles were arrested, God released them and sent them back to preach at the Temple. So they did. Arrested the second time the apostles presented a united message: We will obey God before we will humans. We saw what happened to Jesus…we were eyewitnesses.

A man Gamaliel intervened before the apostles suffered the same fate as Jesus. He said the council should take heed that they are not fighting God. The apostles were flogged and warned not to preach the Name of Jesus. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering for the Name and continued to proclaim Jesus as Messiah.

Pp 397-401 Other followers of Jesus bore witness to Jesus. Stephen was accosted by a certain synagogue stating he was against the Temple and the Law. Stephen preached to the high priest and others a chronological sermon about how God had lived in the tabernacle and temple. He said Jesus was in a long line of prophets, all of whom their leaders had not followed. These were the lawless ones, murdering the Righteous One, Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death but even that event was a witness to a young man, Saul, who approved the killing.

This led to a dispersion of the believers to Judea and Samaria (remember Jesus' words). Saul took up the cause to annihilate this message of the Way, securing letters to Damascus to take these people back to trial in Jerusalem. On this journey he was struck blind and knocked off his horse by Jesus, Who was being persecuted by Saul (remember, if a believer is at-risk, Jesus is hurt as well).

Simultaneously, the believer Ananias was alerted that he needed to commission Saul to the gentiles. He was brave to go to meet him. Saul learned from the Damascus believers, escaped from that town and began preaching in the name of the Lord Jesus. Ultimately he went to his hometown Tarsus, where he learned the gospel to the gentiles. He would be of great service to the Lord Jesus in just a few years.

Pp 401-3 Meanwhile, Peter learned through a vision that all animals, and all people, are clean if God calls them clean. He went to the home of a Roman centurion, Cornelius, preached the gospel and baptized the extended family. This was hard to swallow for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, and much talk took place. Peter gave his explanation: who was I to stand in God’s way? So God was welcoming the unclean gentiles into His kingdom!

Pp 403-5 The apostle James was killed by the sword. Peter was arrested again (a fourth time) and was guarded by 16 guards. An angel walked him out of prison and he went to the home where believers were praying for him. Some kind of answered prayer.

King Herod ordered execution for the 16. However, he too came to an ungracious life-end; God gave him his comeuppance because he took credit as being God, when he evidently wasn't.

Through it all the gospel of Jesus was preached & people came to Him.