“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You led us wonderfully in the study of the Gospel of Luke. We have learnt many lessons and our lives have been enriched. We look forward to this study of the book of Acts, as to what You will teach us that we may apply to our lives and be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
We continue with the study of friend of God. Dr. Luke is writing to his friend, Theophilus. The name Theophilus means, friend of God. Part I of friend of God is the Gospel of Luke and Part II is the Acts of the Apostles. As the title of the book tells us, this book is about the lives of the apostles and the growth of the early church. The initial part of the book has Peter as the main player, but as we progress, Paul becomes the central figure in the narrative.
Let’s begin with the study of the first paragraph, which is Acts 01:01-05. We have titled this paragraph, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Luke is connecting Theophilus to his first book, the Gospel of Luke, which was all about the life of Jesus. The life of Jesus was both his action and his words.
The life of Jesus was always both action as well as teaching. This was the harmony of his life. This is fundamental for us, as his disciples. Our lives must harmonise in our actions and words. If there is dissonance between our actions and our words, we have failed as disciples of Jesus.
Teaching is about always building, equipping and nurturing people, into faith and walking with Jesus. We are always multiplying ourselves. We are always sowing seeds into the lives of people so that there will be a rich harvest in their lives. To sow into the lives of people, our life must have both actions as well as words. This was the life of Jesus. It was doing and teaching. Luke is reminding Theophilus that this was the principle that he had sought to communicate through his first letter.
Peter is speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem. Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know. Peter was reminding the Jews of the life of Jesus, which were actions as well as words. God was revealed through the life of Jesus. This is how our lives need to be. God’s stamp must be on our lives. Our actions and our words, both in private as well as in public, must be an attestation of God.
Matthew 4:23-25 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (24) Then his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. (25) Great multitudes followed him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
What were the seeds that Jesus was sowing into people’s lives? He was reconciling people to God, to come into the habitat of God, which is his kingdom. The good news is to bring people back into the habitat of God, which is his kingdom. People must grow into all the fullness that God has intended for them.
People were weary and distraught. They needed healing from various issues that plagued them. Jesus healed them but it was to bring them into the habitat, the kingdom of God, where they would be complete in him. We are here on earth for the very same reason, which is to bring people to be reconciled with God and come into his kingdom. People need not be distressed and troubled, but people can have life, in all its fullness, which is in Christ.
John the Baptist was having doubts if Jesus was the Messiah. John sent his two disciples to find out. Matthew 11:3-6 And said to him, “Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?” (4) Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: (5) The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (6) And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.”
Jesus told the disciples of John that his life consisted of the teaching, which they could hear, and the action, which they could see. The teaching and the action were always in harmony. The harmony was that Jesus was reconciling people back to God, from their places of sadness and dismay. Jesus has modelled ‘ministry’ for us. Our action and our words must be in harmony, to bring people from their state of sadness into the wellness of the kingdom of God, which is man’s habitat.
Question to Jesus:
“Lord Jesus, am I fulfilling the ministry the way you have demonstrated? Please correct me.”