Unit 3: The Birth of the Church
(“The Ascension” by Jesus Mafa)
Key Verse:
Acts 1:8a NLT
8 … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
What you need to know
Colossians 4:14a NLT
14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings
In this final unit of the Spring 2023 Sunday School Session: The Birth of the Church, we will explore the birth of the Church and some of the key figures who played a part in its inception and the establishment of the principles that still govern it's (The Church’s) operation to this present day. Among the principals to whom we will be introduced is the writer of the Book of Acts, Luke, the beloved physician. Luke was a doctor by profession, but his was a holy calling. He was tasked by the Holy Spirit with documenting the story of Jesus the Messiah in the Book of Luke and, In the Book of Acts, the inception and growth of the Ecclesia; the Church which Jesus promised in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew…
Matthew 16:18b NLT
18 …upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[g] will not conquer it.
Luke 1:1-4 NLT
1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.[a] 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.
Luke was called to write to Gentile (non-Jewish) believers, primarily from Europe, who had grafted into the Body of Christ, and now needed much more information concerning Christ. He employed his professional training as a physician to carefully investigate and record all that he could concerning Christ. He did the same in writing the Book of Acts. In doing so, he carefully recorded the actions and activities of the Holy Spirit as He led and inspired the burgeoning Church.
Isaiah 60:3 NKJV
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Interestingly, Luke’s Gospel was heralded in Isaiah 60:3, where the prophet writes that the Gentiles would come to His (Christ’s) light. I have mentioned in previous writings that Luke’s name, Loukas (Greek), is derived from the Greek word Lucanus, which means ‘light-giving.’ It is the same word from which we derive the word illuminate. So while Christ is the light given to the Gentiles, Luke plays a part as a light-bearer.
Luke 24:46-48 NLT
46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations,[f] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.
Finally, one more thing came to my attention via the Standard Lesson Commentary (the commentary from which I have taught for my years as a Sunday School teacher.) As it turns out, Luke is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. When combined, the Book of Luke and The Book of Acts total 37,932 words in Greek across 2,158 verses. By comparison, Paul wrote 32,408 words(Greek) across 2,033 verses contained in the thirteen epistles that he is responsible for. Who knew?
The Lesson
Acts 1:1a NLT
1a In my first book[a] I told you, Theophilus,
A couple of items to note as we begin. First, in the opening of the Book of Acts, Luke makes mention of the first book that he wrote, titled The Book of Luke. That book recounts the life from His birth to His Resurrection and Ascension. Luke is one of two gospel writers to document the lineage of Christ. Matthew is the other. While Matthew’s gospel documents Christ’s lineage back to Abraham as proof to the Jews that Christ is their beloved Messiah, Luke’s gospel goes all the way back to Adam, providing hope to Gentile believers that God’s Love and Salvation is available to them (us) as well.
The second item that I would like to address is the seemingly anonymous person to whom Luke is writing. Theophilus is a compilation of two Greek words: ‘Theo’ meaning God, and ‘Philus’ which means ‘friend’. It is derived from the Greek word, ‘Phileo,’ which means ‘brotherly love.’ Thus, some theologians believe Theophilus to be a code name for a high-ranking Roman official who may have commissioned the writing of both books. The alternative for many theologians is that it is a term of endearment to all of Luke’s Gentile audience, who he may have lovingly been referring to as ‘Friend of God.’
Acts 1:1b-2 NLT
1b …about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.
Luke begins this great tome, The Book of Acts, by briefly referencing his first written offering, The Book of Luke. This serves to connect the two narratives together into one over-arching narrative that still serves today to teach believers worldwide about the great grace which God has bestowed on us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the subsequent formation of the Church by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:3 NLT
3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
This is the first mention of the length of time that Jesus remained on Earth after the Resurrection: forty days. In Scripture, the number forty represents a separation between epochs (large periods of time). As such, forty is representative of a significant change of direction or a new beginning. Thus, it appears that Jesus’ post-Resurrection presence for forty days foreshadows the significance of what is yet to come: The Church Age.
Acts 1:4-5 NLT
4 Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 28:16-20 NLT
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
I referenced Matthew 28 (above) because immediately following His Resurrection, Jesus instructed his disciples to meet Him in Galilee, where He restored Peter and commissioned all of them to preach the Gospel. Here, we witness additional instructions that Jesus provides, along with a significant change in venue. His disciples are to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promised gift of The Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39 NLT
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[e] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[f] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
Jesus promised the gift of The Holy Spirit to all who would believe in Him. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh has come to work in us, through us, and with us to seal us into the body of Christ and to grow the Church through our witness in the Earth in these last days.
Deuteronomy 16:9-12 NLT
9 “Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest. 10 Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest[b] to honor the Lord your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him. 11 This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you. 12 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be careful to obey all these decrees.
Jesus also commanded that the disciples wait for the manifestation of the promise of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (The Holy Spirit) in a few short days in concurrence with the observation of the Festival of Harvest. The Festival of Harvest or Shavuot, as it was referred to by the Jews, was celebrated seven weeks plus one day after the end of the celebration of Passover or ‘Pesach,’ thus the renaming of this Festival to ‘The Day of Pentecost in the New Testament. The Jews were commanded to assemble in Jerusalem for the celebration of the Day of Pentecost, just as they were for the Passover and the Festival of Shelters or ‘Booths.’ So then, what we can surmise from Jesus’ command to the disciples to remain in Jerusalem was his intent that this upcoming celebration of Pentecost be a new beginning where believers would no longer worship at the Temple in Jerusalem but rather, would become, singularly and collectively, living temples indwelt by The Ruach Ha’ Kodesh, the third Person of the Godhead.
Acts 1:6 NLT
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
Verse six represents a pivotal point in this final lesson that Jesus has to offer His disciples. It is here that the disciples ask Jesus, “What next?” The Standard Lesson Commentary expands the statement so as to give us some insight as to what the disciples are thinking. It goes something like, “Lord, now that you have demonstrated your absolute dominance over all powers and authorities on Earth, including Death, Hell, and the Grave, will you now gather your forces and take Jerusalem from that filthy Edomite, Herod as well as those unclean Roman dogs? Isn’t it time for you to re-establish ‘our’ kingdom of Israel? Jesus has so much more in mind, but first, he must offer more insight into the plan birthed by God, the Father, from before the beginning.
Acts 1:7 NLT
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
This short sentence reveals one of the great mysteries of the Godhead. Time is the sole purview of God, our Father. Jesus doesn’t say that He (Jesus) doesn’t know the exact date and time that His Kingdom will be established. Instead, what Jesus says is exactly what He intends to convey. The measure of Time is under the sole and complete authority of God. Selah - Pause and meditate on that. God, from outside of Time, started Time and sent His Son and The Holy Spirit into Time to establish Creation and ultimately, to redeem mankind and save Creation. He still resides in Eternity, outside of Time. From His vantage point in Eternity, God alone determines all of the boundaries of Time. Time is but an instant in Eternity. God observes both its beginning and its end from His Throne in Eternity. Time began with the sound of His voice by His own will and determination. Time will cease at God’s command, and we, His Church, will transition into Eternity.
Purview: an area within which someone or something has authority, influence, or knowledge.
Matthew 24:35-36 NLT
35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.[k] Only the Father knows.
Beloved, it is useless to try and determine all of the timing of the events of the last days. Simply trust God. He loves you. He gave you His Son. Jesus is all we need.
Acts 1:8 NLT
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus did not leave His disciples with a calendar. No sundials, hourglasses, or watches. However, He did promise them power. The Greek word is ‘dynamis,’ from which we derive the word dynamite. It is the explosive power of God, made manifest through the Presence of The Ruach Ha’Kodesh (The Holy Spirit). Beloved, Jesus performed no miracles without the Holy Spirit’s Presence. The Presence of the Holy Spirit within us empowers the Church. The very same Church that has continued to expand throughout the Earth since its inception. The prophet Daniel spoke of this when he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s vision.
Daniel 2:45-45 NLT
44 “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 45 That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.”
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Acts 1:9 NLT
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.
It is at this point that Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven begins. The disciples must have been filled with a mixture of awe, wonder, and probably more than a little uncertainty as Jesus began, first to levitate and then continued to rise up through the clouds, first out of the range of their hearing, then out of their sight. Surely, they were reminded of the great prophets of Israel’s past; Enoch, who walked with God, and Elijah, who was taken up into Heaven. But, almost certainly, Jesus’ sudden disappearance was unsettling, leaving His followers with more questions than answers. Note Elisha’s reaction (below) when his mentor, Elijah, was taken up into Heaven by God’s chariot of fire.
Genesis 5:23-24 NLT
23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day, he disappeared, because God took him.
2 Kings 2:11-12 NLT
11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
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Acts 1:10
10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.
The disciples are still standing there, squinting toward the sky in the direction where Jesus had last been seen. Seconds turn into minutes. Minutes turn into a moment, maybe several moments, as the groundswell of uncertainty began to rise among Jesus’ followers. It is in this moment that God providentially intervenes. A most timely intervention indeed. Two men dressed in brilliant white garments are suddenly found to be in their midst.
An Aside:
When my children were very young, I took them to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas one weekend. After spending most of the morning and some of the afternoon riding as many of the rides as possible, we decided to go indoors to take in the magic show. It was nice and cool inside; the air conditioning was working just fine. The magician and his assistant performed several impressive tricks that included saws, knives, pigeons, and rabbits. The most memorable trick for my children, though, was a disappearing act where, after the magician ‘disappeared’, we (the audience) continued to hear him speak. We all continued to stare at the stage as the anticipation built for what seemed to be his imminent return. Suddenly he appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, sitting right next to my daughter. He was so close, I could have touched him. My children were both startled and tickled. Well over twenty years have passed, and they still remember the day that the magician just ‘appeared out of thin air.’ We still laugh about it.
Acts 1:11 NLT
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
I am reasonably certain that the sudden appearance of the two angelic beings dressed in white did not have the same response that my children had with the magician at Six Flags. Were they startled? Probably. Were they amused or ‘entertained?’ Probably not. However, the angels were not there to add to their confusion. Rather, they were sent to encourage Jesus’ followers to follow through with the last instructions that He had given them: to go to Jerusalem and wait. To wait for the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised would come. Imagine how that might have felt. Yes. Felt. Might it have stung a bit, as the disciples were challenged to go, by faith, to Jerusalem to wait for the Promise of The Holy Spirit? Whatever transpired, the disciples found rediscovered their purpose and direction. They returned to Jerusalem and gathered with a number of other believers in a designated ‘upper room,’ one hundred and twenty souls in total. They remained there until the arrival of the Holy Spirit just a few short days later.
Epilogue
1 Corinthians 15:6 NLT
6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers[d] at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
Just a parting thought. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul records that Jesus was ‘seen’ by more than five hundred followers. They were witnesses of the risen savior, Christ Jesus. Might there have been more than five hundred followers present when Jesus ascended into Heaven? If so, how was it that only one hundred and twenty assembled in the upper room? Even if they didn’t witness the Ascension, why wouldn’t they have assembled in the upper room as the one hundred and twenty did? Beloved, Christ invites us to the ‘upper room.’ To a higher place that can only be attained through prayer and devotion, time spent with God. Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves with other believers in worship, nor private time spent with God in quiet and worshipful devotion and prayer. Don’t miss the visitation of God via the Presence of The Ruach Ha’Kodesh (The Holy Spirit.)
Selah,
wb
Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Psalm 27:7-8 NLT
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
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