Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share “What happens now?” (Acts 1:1-11)
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
“What happens now?” (Acts 1:1-11)
There are three words that have been uttered many times throughout human history, perhaps in your own life.
Perhaps after a pivotal leader leaves an organization. Perhaps after a baby is born. Perhaps after a tragedy happens in your life. Perhaps after you graduate high school or college. Perhaps after the arrival of a global pandemic. Perhaps after your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
After those moments (and others), you may hear these words: “What happens now?”
Today, we are starting a new series in the Book of Acts.
In the New Testament, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) contain the life and ministry of Jesus on the earth, and the Book of Acts follows right after that. It describes the ministry of the apostles after Jesus left the earth. In fact, the full name of the Book is “The Acts of the Apostles.”
Keep in mind that after Jesus died on the cross, the apostles already had a “What happens now?” moment. Then, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them. Now, we’ll learn in today’s passage that Jesus is leaving the earth altogether to go back into heaven, and I can just imagine the disciples thinking, “What happens now?” Well, Jesus will answer that question for them.
So, let’s look at the passage, and then we’ll jump in.
Read Acts 1:1-11:
1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
(prayer)
Before we dive into the passage head first, let’s learn a little bit about the Book of Acts.
It’s commonly accepted that Luke was the author of the Book of Acts. Luke was a physician, who also served as a historian by recording the life and ministry of Jesus and the apostles.
Luke was not an apostle himself, but he was an eyewitness of the work of the apostles. Further, he was a companion of many of the apostles, and he was a close friend of the apostle Paul.
We read these words in Luke’s gospel, in Luke 1:3 “So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus.”
So, in his Gospel, Luke is trying to write an investigated and organized account of the life of Jesus.
Then, we read in Acts that Luke is picking up where he left off. He recapped what he wrote about the first time, then he goes right into the Book of Acts.
By the way, we don’t know exactly who Theophilus is. His name means “Lover of God,” which is a
View all episodes
By First Baptist Church Bartow
5
22 ratings
There are three words that have been uttered many times throughout human history, perhaps in your own life.
Perhaps after a pivotal leader leaves an organization. Perhaps after a baby is born. Perhaps after a tragedy happens in your life. Perhaps after you graduate high school or college. Perhaps after the arrival of a global pandemic. Perhaps after your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
After those moments (and others), you may hear these words: “What happens now?”
Today, we are starting a new series in the Book of Acts.
In the New Testament, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) contain the life and ministry of Jesus on the earth, and the Book of Acts follows right after that. It describes the ministry of the apostles after Jesus left the earth. In fact, the full name of the Book is “The Acts of the Apostles.”
Keep in mind that after Jesus died on the cross, the apostles already had a “What happens now?” moment. Then, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them. Now, we’ll learn in today’s passage that Jesus is leaving the earth altogether to go back into heaven, and I can just imagine the disciples thinking, “What happens now?” Well, Jesus will answer that question for them.
So, let’s look at the passage, and then we’ll jump in.
Read Acts 1:1-11:
1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
(prayer)
Before we dive into the passage head first, let’s learn a little bit about the Book of Acts.
It’s commonly accepted that Luke was the author of the Book of Acts. Luke was a physician, who also served as a historian by recording the life and ministry of Jesus and the apostles.
Luke was not an apostle himself, but he was an eyewitness of the work of the apostles. Further, he was a companion of many of the apostles, and he was a close friend of the apostle Paul.
We read these words in Luke’s gospel, in Luke 1:3 “So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus.”
So, in his Gospel, Luke is trying to write an investigated and organized account of the life of Jesus.
Then, we read in Acts that Luke is picking up where he left off. He recapped what he wrote about the first time, then he goes right into the Book of Acts.
By the way, we don’t know exactly who Theophilus is. His name means “Lover of God,” which is a