Daily Thoughts From Acts: Informal Missionaries (Acts 1:1-3)

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  (Acts 1:1-3 ESV)

Luke begins his account of what Jesus now continues to do through the Holy Spirit in the church.  His first book was the Gospel of Luke which he describes here as what Jesus began to do and teach.  Theophilus is likely a believer of financial means who supported Luke as a patron so Luke could produce these books for the church.

Luke’s description is fascinating.  He describes Jesus as “taken up,” suggesting that the Father was responsible for what we typically call Jesus’ ascension.  We may assume that heaven is the destination since Jesus is henceforth depicted as being in heaven (Acts 1:11; 3:19-21; 7:56; 9:3,4).  This further suggests that the Father has approved Jesus’ sacrifice, first by raising him from the dead, because he did not personally deserve death but only took it in our place, and secondly by taking him up to heaven to be at his “right hand” (7:56), a further demonstration that Jesus is continuing his rule as sovereign Lord of the universe after successfully accomplishing redemption for the human race.

But before he was taken up Jesus gave his chosen apostles commands through the Holy Spirit.  Though we don’t see it mentioned in all of Jesus’ acts and teaching, we’re told often enough that what Jesus did he did through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; 12:24-28; Luke 4:14,18; 10:21; Mark 5:30).  Jesus wasn’t typically, or maybe even not at all, using his own deity to accomplish his great works and teach truth.  He was depending upon and acting with the aid of the Holy Spirit.  We know he wasn’t accessing his divine knowledge because he tells us that he didn’t know when he would return (Mark 13:32), at least that side of the ascension.  He was living just as we must, in order to be an example in every way of how we walk before God.

Jesus presented himself alive after suffering death on the cross, as Luke’s Gospel relates, and here Luke indicates that Jesus provided many proofs.  Faith in Christ is not all hard evidence, for there is an inner witness or evidence that the Holy Spirit provides us to help us believe, but there is value in hard evidence.  Apologetics, the defense of the faith, has been a part of Christian faith from the beginning.  This is due in large part because the Christian faith is based in historical events and because God made our minds to work on evidence as a basis for trusting.  God does not ask us to take a leap of faith, to ignore our doubts or concerns for evidence.  He gave the apostles convincing proofs.

Of course, we’re not told what all Jesus said to his disciples for those 40 days during which he appeared to them, or what all he did.  We’re told what we need to know.  We have some of it contained in the gospels and it is very instructive.  Most importantly Jesus told us to preach the gospel to the whole world, and that is what Luke is seeking to do through his Gospel and Acts.  And that is what the Holy Spirit is prompting us to do.  As we read through Acts we cannot help but be moved to share the same mission to which those early disciples were committed.

“The great mission of Christianity was in reality accomplished by means of informal missionaries.” (Green, Evangelism in the Early Church)