Ron and Nick begin a weekly study through the book of Acts looking for and listening to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Notes:

First account... began to do and to teach

Luke has begun a research project that takes him from the birth of Jesus to the birth of the church. Along the way he ceases to be an observer/journalist and falls into the story. The “they did” will become “we did” (see Acts 16:10). Luke is meticulous. Of all the gospel writers he is the most detailed. He uses words precisely. When he says his first account was what Jesus began to do and teach we need to take note. 

Luke's first work is the gospel of Luke where Jesus is the lead character from start to finish, but in this second work, Jesus is going to make a brief appearance and strangely depart. How are we to understand the word “began”? Luke implies that Jesus is going to continue both doing and teaching. How?  The way this is written is supposed to make us lean in and look for the answer right at the outset. We are supposed to enter here looking over the shoulder of the Jesus Christ, the resurrection man; listening to a dead man teach about how to live now in light of his destruction of the laws of sin, death, and physics. He is going to continue doing things and teaching us things and we’d better pay attention. He is no longer the peasant prophet, he is now the ruler of life and death. We listen in to the conversation and find out that he is not planning on sticking around and that some other person is going to shape and guide the movement he has begun. 

It is the Holy Spirit. It is not an it but a He; a person. He is the Spirit of Christ. What does that mean?  It means we should look for and expect Him to act like Jesus; to do the kinds of things Jesus did and say the kind of things Jesus said. He is not unknown to us. The whole gospel of Luke tells us what to expect from Him. Now we wait to see how He will arrive on the scene and what the gospel of Acts will be.