Lesson #03

ACTS 1:15-26
LESSON #03
WAITING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

• MEMORY VERSE: EPH 1:4
  • THERE WERE 120 FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WAITING IN THE UPPER ROOM IN JERUSALEM FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
  • THE NUMBER, 120, DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WERE ONLY 120 TOTAL BELIEVERS AT THAT TIME.
  • REMEMBER THAT JESUS APPEARED TO 500 WHO BELIEVED AFTER HIS RESURRECTION. (1COR 15:6) MANY OF THESE REMAINED IN GALILEE WHILE 120 GATHERED IN JERUSALEM FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
  • READ ACT 1:15-26 THE END OF JUDAS ISCARIOT AND THE CHOOSING OF ANOTHER DISCIPLE:
  • PETER ANNOUNCES THE FULFILLMENT OF SCRIPTURE REGARDING JUDAS ISCARIOT.
  • THE PROPHECIES FULFILLED IN ACT 1:
  • READ PSA 69:24-28 THE PROPHECY REGARDING THE DEATH OF JUDAS
  • READ PSA 109:6-9 THE PROPHECY REGARDING JUDAS’ REPLACEMENT.
  • JESUS GAVE PETER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE GROUP. (mat 16:18-19) THAT IS WHY WE SEE HIM IN CHARGE HERE IN THE UPPER ROOM.
  • EXACTLY HOW DID JUDAS DIE?
  • READ MAT 27:3-10
  • THE DETAILS ACCORDING TO ACTS 1:18:
  • JUDAS PURCHASED THE POTTER’S FIELD WHERE HE WAS BURIED.
  • JUDAS FELL OFF A CLIFF AND HIS FALL CAUSED THE INTERNAL ORGANS TO BURST.
  • THE DETAILS ACCORDING TO MAT 27:3-10:
  • THE TEMPLE PRIESTS PURCHASED THE POTTER’S FIELD AFTER JUDAS RETURNED THE MONEY.
  • JUDAS COMMITTED SUICIDE BY HANGING. (MAT 27:5)
  • BECAUSE INSPIRED SCRIPTURE DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF, BOTH ACCOUNTS MUST BE ACCURATE.
  • JUDAS RETURNED THE MONEY TO THE PRIESTS BUT THEY COULD NOT LEGALLY ACCEPT IT, SO IN REALITY IT WAS STILL JUDAS’ MONEY. THE PRIESTS PURCHASED THE FIELD IN JUDAS’ NAME.
  • JUDAS HANGED HIMSELF BUT IN DOING SO, THE ROPE PROBABLY BROKE CASTING HIS BODY OVER A CLIFF AND BURSTING HIS ORGANS ON THE ROCKS BELOW.
  • HOW DID GOD PUNISH JUDAS’ BETRAYAL OF JESUS?
  • GOD LET THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUDAS’ SIN WORK THEMSELVES OUT. HIS PERSONAL GUILT WAS MORE THAN HE COULD BEAR, BUT HE WAS NOT WILLING TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS.
  • THE FIELD OF BLOOD
  • JUDAS WAS BURIED IN A PAUPER’S GRAVE IN A FIELD IN THE VALLEY OF HINNON. THIS FIELD WAS PURCHASED WITH THE 30 PIECES OF SILVER THAT JUDAS RETURNED TO THE TEMPLE PRIESTS. IT WAS BLOOD MONEY THAT BOUGHT THE FIELD, SO THE FIELD WAS CALLED THE FIELD OF BLOOD.
  • PETER ANNOUNCES THE NEED TO CHOOSE A DISCIPLE TO REPLACE JUDAS.
  • WHY WAS THERE A NEED TO REPLACE JUDAS?
  • PETER SAYS IT IS TO FULFILL PROPHECY. (PSA 109:6-9)
  • PETER SAYS THEY NEED ANOTHER DISCIPLE TO CARRY THE WITNESS OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION TO THE WORLD. (22)
  • THE SPECIAL NUMBER, 12:
  • FROM THE BEGINNING IN GENESIS, WHEN GOD BEGAN TO WORK WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE, HE CALLED OUT THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CARRYING GOD’S WORD TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
  • IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, GOD CALLED OUT 12 DISCIPLES TO CARRY CHRIST’S WORDS TO THE WORLD.
  • THEREFORE, THE NUMBER 12 IS A SYMBOLIC NUMBER THAT REPRESENTS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, CHOSEN FOR A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
  • ACCORDING TO PRECEDENT, IT SEEMS TO BE GOD’S WILL AND THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROPHECY THAT THERE BE 12 DISCIPLES TO FULLY REPRESENT GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE.
  • THERE ARE MANY THEOLOGIANS WHO ARGUE THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO CHOOSE A NEW DISCIPLE.
  • THEY ARGUE THAT THE DISCIPLES WERE TO DO NOTHING BUT WAIT FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THEY SAY THAT TO PERFORM THIS TASK OF REPLACING JUDAS WAS PREEMPTIVE.
  • THEY ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE CHOICE OF MATTHIAS. THEY SAY THAT THE BIBLE NEVER MENTIONS MATTHIAS AGAIN. THEREFORE, HE MUST HAVE BEEN A DO-NOTHING DISCIPLE.
  • HOWEVER, THE BIBLE NEVER AGAIN MENTIONS MANY OF THE OTHER DISCIPLES…LIKE BARTHOLOMEW, OR PHILIP, OR THADDAEUS, FOR EXAMPLE.
  • THE NEW TESTAMENT DOES NOT TELL US EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERY DISCIPLE, BUT ONLY SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVE DETAILS. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THESE MEN DID NOTHING.
  • THEY CLAIM THAT THE REPLACEMENT FOR JUDAS WAS PAUL, DIRECTLY CHOSEN BY GOD.
  • PAUL, HOWEVER, DOES NOT FIT PETER’S CRITERIA FOR A REPLACEMENT.
  • PAUL WAS NOT AN EYE WITNESS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY FROM JOHN THE BAPTIST THROUGH THE ASCENSION.
  • PAUL WAS CHOSEN FOR A SPECIAL MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES WHILE THE OTHER 11 WERE SENT FIRST TO THE JEWS.
  • LUKE, THE AUTHOR OF ACTS, WAS CLOSE TO PAUL AND MAKES NO INDICATION THAT MATTHIAS WAS A WRONG CHOICE.
  • THE CHOOSING BETWEEN TWO QUALIFIED MEN:
  • ONE OF THE QUALIFIED MEN WAS JOSEPH BARSABAS, BUT THE ONE CHOSEN WAS MATTHIAS.
  • ACCORDING TO PETER, BOTH THESE MEN WITNESSED JESUS’ MINISTRY FROM THE TIME WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIST BAPTIZED JESUS UNTIL THE ASCENSION.
  • NOTICE THAT THE KEY REQUIREMENT WAS THAT HE BE A WITNESS OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST BECAUSE THE RESURRECTION IS TO BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE FAITH.
  • WHO WAS MATTHIAS?
  • THE NAME MATTHIAS MEANS = GOD’S GIFT.
  • OTHER THAN THAT, WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HIM.
  • THE MANNER OF CHOOSING: THE CASTING OF LOTS:
  • THE CASTING OF LOTS WAS A COMMON PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT TIMES. FOR EXAMPLE:
  • WE FIND IT IN THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS WHERE THE HIGH PRIEST CAST LOTS FOR THE SCAPEGOAT. (LEV 16:8)
  • JOSHUA CAST LOTS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PROMISED LAND AMONG THE 12 TRIBES. (JOS 18:8)
  • LOTS WERE CAST FOR JESUS’ CLOTHING DURING HIS CRUCIFIXION. (PSA 22:18 MAT 27:35)
  • THE CASTING OF LOTS AND GOD’S WILL:
  • NOTICE THAT THEY PRAYED FIRST BEFORE THE CASTING OF LOTS.
  • READ PRO 16:33
  • ALL OTHER METHODS OF CHOOSING A PERSON FOR AUTHORITY CONTAIN HUMAN FAILINGS.
  • ELECTIONS TEND TO BE POPULARITY CONTESTS OR SLANTED ACCORDING TO SOME HUMAN CRITERIA.
  • THE CASTING OF LOTS IS PURELY ACCORDING TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
  • SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
  • THIS FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS BRINGS TOGETHER THE FOUR GOSPELS. THE FIRST CHAPTER MENTIONS ALL THE EVENTS EXACTLY WHERE THE FOUR GOSPELS ENDED.
  • THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ENDS WITH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.
  • THE GOSPEL OF MARK ENDS WITH THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST.
  • THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ENDS WITH THE PROMISE OF THE COMING HOLY SPIRIT.
  • THE GOSPEL OF JOHN ENDS WITH THE PROMISE OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
  • THE PRIMARY WARNING IN THIS FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS IS RELEVANT TO US TODAY.
  • JESUS WARNED THE DISCIPLES TO WAIT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.
  • THE BELIEVER TODAY NEEDS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE HIM AND GIVE HIM WISDOM. HE, THEREFORE, SHOULD HEED THE SAME COMMAND, WAIT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.
  • WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT WHATEVER WE DO FOR CHRIST MUST BE INITIATED, GUIDED, AND EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR ELSE IT WILL COME TO NOTHING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
  • DISCUSSION:

  HOW DOES THE BELIEVER KNOW WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT INITIATES, GUIDES, AND EMPOWERS YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR GOD?