A Rushing Mighty Wind

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

I've noticed something about the Holy Spirit in Scripture. Whenever you read in the Word that "The Holy Spirit" comes upon somebody, you know something big is about to happen. Often, something world-changing.  

In Numbers 11, Moses needed to make a point. 

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. (vs 24-26)

In Judges 3, the Spirit of the Lord comes to the judge Othniel to deliver Israel again. In fact, the entire book of Judges is filled with references to the Spirit empowering men to deliver God's chosen people. 

In Judges 15, we read about Samson:

Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands.  He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. (vs 14-15)

Samson already had great strength already, but it took the Spirit to put him into action.

In 1 Samuel 10, Saul is annointed with these words (in verse 6): "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man."

Time and again, throughout Scripture, we read about the Spirit of God -- the Holy Spirit -- empowering man to do God's will. Indeed, it was by the power of the Spirit (Luke 1:35) that Mary conceived the Savior of mankind, Jesus Christ, in the flesh.  

So, we come to Acts 2, and the Spirit coming upon the Disciples in the upper room. For what purpose? As we shall see, for the purpose of accomplishing God's will. The Holy Spirit has a specific mission. This is the testimony of Scripture, in passage after passage: that the work of the Holy Spirit, in each of us, is that we might be empowered to accomplish God's will.

What About That Justus Guy?

“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen  to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”  

And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:21-26).

After the original Apostles cast their lots and determined who would take Judas's place, they chose a man named Matthias. Matthias had much to recommend him, apparently, because from among all the men who accompanied Jesus during his ministry (As you may recall from Luke 10, Jesus had a number of regular followers from whom he also chose to do His work), he was one of only two chosen as a possibility.  Ultimately, he was just as qualified for the role as a man named Joseph (AKA Barsabas), with the surname of Justus. From a human perspective, it really could have gone either way...  but ultimately God chose Matthias. So Matthias accepted a leadership role among the 11 remaining original Apostles, a place of prominence among the growing church.

But what about Joseph, AKA Barsabas, surnamed Justus? We honestly don't know what happened. We do know, because Scripture tells us, that he was a part of the extended circle of Disciples who followed Christ. But after that? After Matthias was chosen over him to replace Judas? We just don't know.

There is a church tradition suggesting he became Bishop of Eleutheropolis, and was ultimately martyred. On the strength of this tradition, he is venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Justus of Eleutheropolis.

What I don't believe happened, however, is that this Joseph Barsabas walked away from the fledgling church. See, the selection of an office isn't the final word on a person's worth. Barsabas wasn't rejected from the body of Christ; he simply wasn't chosen for a position. He was still a disciple of Christ, still an original member of the church, still a worker for the Kingdom of God.

I like to think -- though we don't know for sure -- that Joseph Barsabas rejoiced with Matthias and the rest of the church after the choice was made, and then got back to work serving God in whatever ways he was needed. God had a plan for Joseph. We may not know now what that plan was, but that doesn't matter. Like so many Christians since, the work of Joseph Barsabas wasn't about him, but about the Kingdom.

Like Barsabas, you are chosen. You have work to do. Maybe you weren't chosen for a prominent role on earth, maybe you were. Remember, this world is temporary; the Kingdom of God is eternal. You are chosen by God to be one of His. And that's the choice that really matters.

Judas's Grisly End

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;  for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

‘Let his dwelling place be desolate,
And let no one live in it’;

and,‘Let another take his office.’ (Acts 1:15-20)

As an aside, in what seems like almost a throw-away passage in Acts 1, the author describes the horrifying death of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus. Matthew 27 tells us Judas's suicide was the result of his deep remorse over his betrayal. 

I often think about Judas. The simple reality was, somebody had to turn Jesus in. But did Judas have to be condemned? The answer, I think, tells us something about God's relationship with us. Though we have an all-knowing God who sets the course of all things, our actions remain our choice. God didn't force Judas to turn on Jesus; that was Judas's choice, and his alone. But even then, I believe Judas could have been redeemed. 

This is not unprecedented; indeed, you might say the story of Joseph parallels with that of Jesus almost perfectly. Betrayed by his brothers -- those in whom he ought to be able to trust with his very life -- Joseph was sold into slavery. But, we discover, this act of betrayal was ultimately vital in the salvation of Jacob (Israel) and his sons. In fact, without this horrific act on the part of Joseph's brothers, the nation of Israel would not exist. Joseph himself recognizes this fact when he forgives his remorseful brothers:

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:20)

So, just as Joseph forgave his brothers and reconciled with them, I believe even Judas was not too far gone for the grace of God. He, unfortunately, allowed his remorse to lead him to death instead of the arms of Grace. If only he could have learned the lesson of Joseph's brothers! If he'd only known the truth: we can't sin too big for God. 

Let me say that another way: there is only one sin in all of Scripture which Christ has declared unforgivable, and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). Speak against Me, He says, and you'll be forgiven. So, in fact, Jesus declares in plain language that even Judas could have sought, and been granted, forgiveness for his actions. 

No matter what you've done, who you've hurt, where you've been... you aren't too far gone for Grace. God is bigger than your sin. He is an infinite God with infinite stores of grace. Judas's final sin was despair -- despair too great for him to escape. Judas chose that despair over the loving gaze of God. You needn't make that mistake. God's grace is big enough for me, and it's big enough for you. All you need to do is let go of your pride, and let Him take the guilt away. 

You've held onto it long enough.

Praying Together

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:12-14)

Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus left the disciples with instructions: first, to wait on the Holy Spirit, then to go into the world and make disciples. It was a big job, and there was a lot of risk involved. After all, their leader had been murdered for what they were about to do. So instructing them, He left, ascending into Heaven. 

And the very first thing they did, knowing what was ahead, was gather together in prayer. Acts says they continued "in one accord," that is, they were united in will and purpose. This highlights the importance of coming together before God: that in Him we might be united, and those bonds strengthened, and that He be our central focus in what we do.

So often, we get so busy serving God that we neglect including Him in what we're doing. I'm blessed to work for a ministry that makes prayer a priority, where they have developed a culture of giving our day and our work into the hands of the Lord. We invite Him into our weekly meetings, and we pray again at the close. We pray for one another, united in Him, and for the work we're doing in His name. Throughout the week, it's not unusual to see two or three together in prayer. It's that important. 

Jesus said, "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Mt 18:20)." And that's really what it's about: recognizing that God isn't just waiting in Heaven for you to occasionally turn your eyes His way. He wants to be in our midst, working alongside us as we work for the Kingdom. And prayer is how we invite Him to do exactly that.

The Ascension: Sign of Christ's Divinity

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)

The Ascension of Christ is important for several reasons. His ascension tells us something about His nature. A lot about His nature, in fact. That Christ was born of flesh, died in the flesh, rose again, and then ascended to Heaven reiterates His dual nature as both God and Man (Philippians 2:5-8). So God -- who created the universe (John 1:1-5 reminds us the Word was God, was with God, and created everything), allowed Himself to become low, to become like us, in order to bring us back in relationship with the Father. By His ascension, we see that, really, He could always come and go as He wished. But He chose to be born of woman. Why is this important? 

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

That says it all, really. He came as one of us, so that His call to be Holy, to be Perfect, was not hollow or hypocritical. He defeated sin as a Man so that Man would be empowered through Him to claim that victory. Then He, as a Man, bore our sin -- became our representative -- and was crucified in our place. 

The Ascension, then, reminds of what Christ left behind when he descended to our level. It also reminds us that He is the King over all creation, and that He will be coming back. 

(The main body of today's post was copied from an earlier post, Why The Ascension Matters, published May 9, 2013)

When Will You Restore Your Kingdom

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)

Right before Jesus left His disciples for the last time, they asked, finally, about His kingdom. Some speculate the reason for Judas's betrayal of Christ was that it had, in fact, become clear that He did not intend to immediately establish His kingdom on Earth.

This makes a lot of sense, really. When you're in captivity, you long for freedom. When you sit under the reign of conquerors, you want a nation of your own.

But, Jesus was making it clear in Acts, this was the small picture. For these men, a nation for Israel was the outcome they were waiting for. It was the big -- and really, only, picture. I love the way Jesus gently corrects this view in verse eight. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea..." and here's where he drops the bomb on them: not just Israel, but "... Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

His Kingdom is -- and has always been -- so much larger than just Israel. Israel remains His chosen people, to be sure; but they are a piece of the puzzle. They were the beginning of the Redemption, but not the end.

The point is not to sit and wait for the King to establish His throne. Scripture tells us that day will come. But Jesus tells us the point -- the big picture -- is that we make certain everyone else knows the Kingdom is coming, too. And that it's coming for them.

Baptism: Water AND Spirit

"... for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5)

Sometimes, it feels as though you can never be clean, doesn't it? 

I spent some time looking at this verse, trying to figure it out. We know that John baptized with water -- Jesus says "Truly baptized," which I take to mean John's baptism was right before God, and truly signified cleanliness before God. So why does Jesus make the distinction?

I think this goes back to the beginning. Genesis 2:7 says

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

We are both physical and spiritual beings. God first formed man's physical body, and then breathed His own breath to give him life. So while it makes sense that baptism -- the washing with water -- symbolizes the cleansing of our physical sin, this second baptism carries it a step further. 

When we sin, we sin in the flesh. This point is made in the New Testament on several occasions. And so a physical baptism of water cleanses that sinful flesh. Yet, Jesus also makes the point that sin begins in the heart. 

 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire....  

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28)

In other words, it's not enough to be clean on the outside. Instead, Jesus gives us His spirit -- not only to empower us to do His work, but to sanctify us and make us clean before Him. As Paul says in Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

 Thank God for baptism of both water and spirit. Thank Him that, no matter the strength of our own sin, He can wash it away, from the inside out!

Waiting On God

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5)

Waiting. It seems like so much about following God has to do with waiting on Him. The Israelites waited in captivity, waited for the Promised Land, and waited for the Messiah. The Disciples waited for the promised Holy Spirit. We wait now for Christ's return. 

Sometimes, it makes you wonder: why the wait? The Disciples, for example: couldn't Jesus simply have baptized them in the Spirit right then and there?  Why make them wait for it? 

Well, for one thing, the waiting builds us into stronger people. It builds up our patience. It changes our character. Waiting builds anticipation, which makes us even more grateful for that which is to come. Waiting helps us to reflect on what's coming, on our own motives for wanting it. Waiting, in short, transforms us from those merely waiting into those who are ready. 

And finally, waiting builds reliance on the Giver. When we wait on God to come through on His promise, we also rely on Him to get us through the waiting.  

There's a good chance you are waiting on God today. There's a chance you're waiting on a decision from a prospective employer or perhaps on a bank loan. Maybe you're waiting on word from a doctor. Maybe you're waiting on God to provide any number of things. That's good. Keep waiting. And as you wait, take the time to reflect on the Giver of all that is good, thank Him for the waiting, and allow Him to prepare you for whatever He has in store. 

Last Days With Jesus

Like many who love Jesus, I often find myself envious of His Disciples. Though their lives weren't easy, particularly in the latter days, under persecution, I am, I'll admit, jealous that they were able to sit at Jesus' feet, learning directly from Him, witnessing firsthand His miracles. But perhaps the part of which I am most envious is that about which there seem to be the fewest details.

The former account I (Luke) made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

Imagine: You have spent nearly three years of your life with a great Rabbi. A teacher and a prophet. You have witnessed His miracles, and by His words and deeds have come to suspect -- even believe -- that He is the long-awaited Messiah. It tore your heart out when He was killed, and made you question everything you thought you knew. But then, three days later, He comes forth from the Grave, leaving an empty tomb behind Him. 

Would you not look at Him, even now, with entirely new eyes? Would you not finally understand what you had already believed: that this Man was indeed the Son of God? 

Luke says in the opening to Acts that Jesus spent forty days between His Resurrection and Ascension with His disciples. We'll learn more in later verses about the last of those forty days, but imagine! Imagine forty days in the presence of God -- now knowing, having the proof of your belief, that God is exactly who He is!

Some day, you and I will stand in that very same presence -- and not for a mere forty days! Some day, you and I will be rewarded for our faith just as Christ's disciples were: by finally sitting at the feet of our Messiah!

My Dear Theophilus

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

The apostle Luke is known for having written two books of the Bible: the first of course, the chapter named for himself. The second being the book of Acts. In both of those books is a dedication. A salutation, if you will, to the mysterious Theophilus. Scholars have questioned the identity of this individual for centuries. There is no further record of a church leader, or anyone to whom these letters would have been written, with that name.

But in fact, Theophilus may not be a name at all, but a title. The name is derived from the Greek for the words God and Love. Theophilus: Friend of God or, alternatively, One Who Loves God. So perhaps the question is not to whom was Luke addressing these words, but, was he writing to you?

Are you a friend of God? How can you know?

Jesus described the greatest of God's commandments like this:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

What does that look like? Jesus said (John 14:15), "if you love me, you'll keep my commandments." One chapter later (15:14), He said, "you are my friends if you do whatever I command you." Friends -- and not servants, because "a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

In John 13, Jesus made it easy for His friends to identify one another -- and for others to know us too!

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

So, are you Theophilus -- a Friend of God?  It's easy enough to tell: Friends of God love Him enough to trust Him and do as He says. We love Him enough to spread that love to others. If this is you, Luke's book of Acts has some amazing things in store: tales of God's movement in this world, of the creation of His church, of the works of His Spirit. This is a book written so friends of God could know Him through His apostles. And it's written just for you, one who Loves the Lord.