I. JESUS' FINAL CHARGE TO HIS DISCIPLES

VERSE 1 - "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,"

A. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus"

1. This book that Luke was writing was really a continuation of he had written in the book of Luke. It was an explanation of what Jesus had began and what he was continuing to do through his apostles and other Christians.

2. Theophilus literally means "friend of God."

B. "of all that Jesus began both to do and teach"

1. Notice that Jesus set a great example for us. Jesus not only taught his truth. He put it into action in his own life.

A. "Until the day in which he was taken up"

1. Luke takes up where he concluded his gospel- with the ascension of Christ.

B. "after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles"

1. It is accurate to speak of Jesus working "through the Spirit" since he was in possession of the measureless gift of the Spirit (John 3:34).

2. It is likely the commandments that Luke had in mind were the great commission and the instructions to remain in Jerusalem until the pouring out of the Spirit upon the apostles and the coming of the kingdom of God.

C. "To whom also he showed himself after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days."

1. There were some 12 occasions on which during the forty days after Jesus death and resurrection that Jesus appeared to his disciples. 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 states that he appeared to over 500 brethren at one time. It was more than a one time event. It was on numerous occasions over a 40 day period.

2. The ASV simply uses the word "proofs" and drops the word "infallible." It is significant that, while the word infallible is not specifically in the greek, it's equivalent is found in the greek word for proof. It literally means, "a criterion of certainty, infallible proof." The NASV is to be preferred over the ASV, translating it "convincing proofs." Jesus' appearances were completely convincing to all who saw them.

3. Jesus spoke to them of the "things pertaining to the kingdom of God." There are some things we can be sure that Jesus told them.

a. Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Luke 24:44, 45, 47)

b. All men would be part of Jesus' kingdom. (Matthew 28:18-20)

c. Jesus would always be with his church (Matthew 28:20)

d. From what we shall see, Jesus did not answer the question that was on the minds of all the apostles, when the kingdom would be established.

A. "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."

1. This is the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus made on the night which he was betrayed.

2. See John 14:26; 15:26,27; 16:12,13

3. Jerusalem was promised as the starting point for God's kingdom

a. Isaiah 2:1-4

B. "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

1. There are five baptism spoken of in the New Testament.

a. The children of Israel being baptized with the clouds and sea (1 Corinthians 10:2).

b. Baptism of John (Luke 7:29-30).

c. Baptism of suffering (Mark 10:38-39)

d. Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5)

e. Baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11-12)

f. Baptism of the Great Commission (Acts 2:38)

2. The first three have either come to pass, the baptism of fire will take place on Jesus' enemies in Hell. Only the last one will last until "the end of the world."

a. Was commanded to all (Acts 2:38)

b. Paul says that there is only one baptism (Ephesians 4:5)

3. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was promised to the apostles.

a. It was given to the apostle Paul to qualify him as an apostle "born out of due season."

1. Note - Although the New Testament does not record the giving of the baptismal measure of the Spirit to the apostle Paul we can conclude that he received it just as the other apostles did. Paul said that he was not inferior to the "chiefest apostle" (2 Corinthians 12:11). See also 2 Corinthians 12:12

b. It was given to the household of Cornelius as a special case to convince the Jews that the Gentiles should be accepted as part of the body of Christ (Acts 11:15-18).

A. "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

1. Even at this late date in the ministry of Jesus the apostles did not have an understanding of the nature of the kingdom of God.

2. They still believed, like most of their countrymen, that God would establish earthly Israel to a exalted position in the world.

a. See Matthew 20:20-21; John 6:15

b. It is significant that after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were enlightened as to the true nature of the kingdom.

3. Even their misunderstanding proves that the kingdom had not yet been established before Jesus ascended to Heaven.

B. "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

1. It was not important for the apostles to know the "when" of the kingdom; the Father knew and had power over the timing.

2. Jesus was not overly concerned about the apostles misunderstanding concerning the kingdom at this time. The Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance, starting in ten days, of all that Jesus had said concerning the subject (John 14:26).

3. If the apostles were not allowed such dating, why do we believe that men today can tell the date of Christ's second coming.

a. See Matthew 25:13

A. "But ye shall received power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."

1. Jesus said that the kingdom would come in the lifetime of some of his disciples.

a. Mark 9:3

2. The Holy Ghost coming upon them is synonymous with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

B. "and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem..."

1. This is the same promise as Luke records in Luke 24:46-48.

2. The greek word for witness carries with it the idea of a witness at a judicial proceeding. The apostles could be witnesses of Jesus' resurrection because they had seen it. No one today can be witnesses in the New Testament sense because they have not seen Jesus personally.

C. "unto the uttermost part of the earth."

1. Before the apostles were finished with their ministry, they had taken the gospel to all the know world.

2. See Colossians 1:23

VERSES 9-11 "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

A. "And when he had spoken these things..."

1. This is another link between Luke and Acts. Luke ends his gospel with the ascension (Luke 24:51).

B. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven has he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel"

1. While the "men" here are not specified as angels, it is logical to assume that they were.

2. Their sudden appearance, their clothing in white, and their deep spiritual insight are all evidence that they were no mere men.

C. "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven..."

1. All the apostles, with the exception of Judas from Judea, were Galileans.

2. The purpose what to get these men to not be obsessed with the fact that Jesus had left them, but to look forward to the great task ahead and to have confidence that Jesus would come back some day.

3. Jesus would come back in the same manner, "in the clouds", that he ascended.

a. Matthew 26:64

VERSE 12 - "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey."

A. "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet"

1. Mt. Olivet was just a short distance outside the gates of Jerusalem, well under a mile.

a. It did not tower above Jerusalem, being about 300 feet higher than the temple mount.

2. It was the site of Jesus great Olivet Discourse, in which Jesus tells of the destruction of Jerusalem and his final coming.

3. Jesus also went out from the upper room to it, where the Garden of Gethsemane was located (Matthew 26:30).

B. "which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey."

1. The "sabbath day's journey" was not found in the Old Testament but was a tradition that had become entrenched by the first century. It was about 2,000 cubits, or about 3/5 of a mile. It was based on the tradition that no place in the camp of the Israelites in the wilderness was 2,000 cubits. Hence it was thought that it would not violate the Old Testament law concerning work on the Sabbath.

A. "they went up into an upper room" (Three possibilities concerning where this was)

1. A room in the temple - would seem unlikely, owing to the fact that they were the disciples of Jesus, whom the temple authorities had just executed.

2. The room in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark - has the force of tradition behind it. Tradition, however has often been wrong concerning Bible places and people.

3. A room in the house of some anonymous disciple - possible.

B. "Peter and James, and John...." (Some thoughts on the apostles)

1. All the apostles were now gathered together now, no longer scattered as before.

2. Possibly Peter, James, and John were mentioned first because they had been closest to the Lord. Other than that, there seems to be no reason why the apostles were mentioned in the order in which they were.

3. This is the last personal reference to several of these apostles. We should not think that they did not do a great deal of spiritual work in the future. Tradition tells us that all the apostles, with the exception of John, were martyred for the faith.

C. "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

1. They were united with one purpose - the waiting for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem.

2. They were not "praying down the Spirit", as Pentecostals believe, but were simply waiting for Jesus' promise and naturally in prayer to God.

3. It is significant to note that this is the last time that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned in the New Testament. If she had the exalted position that the Catholic church believes she does, it would be logical to assume that she would have a more prominent place in the work of the New Testament church.

A. "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples"

1. It is not surprising for Peter to take the lead, since he often did so during the public ministry of Jesus and spoke for the other disciples.

B. "(the number of names together about an hundred and twenty,)"

1. Jesus appeared to over 500 brethren at one time during his post-resurrection appearances.

2. These included Mary the mother of Jesus, his brothers and sisters, and likely such disciples as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

A. "which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas..."

1. The prophecy spoken of by Peter is found in Psalm 41:9.

a. This falls in a category of Old Testament prophecies that were spoken at the time of writing to refer to a contemporary event.

b. While they were spoken by the writers as being fulfilled in their time, the Holy Spirit, who was guiding the writers, meant it to have a fulfillment in New Testament times.

c. This is usually referred to as a "dual prophecy."

2. Remember, when an inspired man give an inspired interpretation on a passage, it must be true.

3. Did God predestine that Judas would betray Jesus and be lost?

a. While God did not force Judas to betray Jesus, he had foreknowledge of Judas' greedy tendencies.

b. There was nothing, other than Judas' sinful heart that kept him, like the apostle Peter, from turning in repentance for his sin. Those on the day of Pentecost delivered up Jesus to be crucified, yet were willing to repent and be baptized.

B. "Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity"

1. This was with the funds that Judas had received for betraying Jesus.

2. twenty pieces of silver.

3. Some see a contradiction between Peter's account of Judas' death and Matthew's. Not really. Matthew describes the hanging of Judas, Peter records the result after Judas' rotting corpse had fallen from the tree and burst asunder.

a. Judas is an excellent example of "sorrow of the world that worketh death." Godly sorrow always leads to repentance. Judas' "repentance" led to a sin, his own suicide.

b. See 2 Corinthians 7:10

4. The location is thought to be the valley of Hinnom, which was a deposit for dead bodies. Matthew speaks of it as a potter's field because the part of it that was purchased had deposits of clay for pottery.

C. "For it is written in the book of Psalms..."

1. This is taken from two passages, Psalm 69:25 and 109:8.

2. David spoke theses in reference to his enemies, Peter refers it to Judas.

A. Peter gives the qualifications for an apostle.

1. He would need to be a constant companion of Jesus ("all the time").

2. He must have been with them "from the baptism of John."

3. He would have to be a witness of the ascension.

4. He would need to be a witness of Christ's resurrection.

5. It is important that we realize that no one can qualify as an apostle today.

6. Paul was specially chosen and qualified by Jesus after his resurrection.

a. See Acts 26:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:8.

B. There were two men who were appointed.

1. It is possible that these two men were the only ones in their company who met the strict qualifications laid down by Peter.

2. Justus and Matthias.

3. It is evident that the Lord was pleased with the selection of these two men, for after the apostles prayed for guidance, the Lord showed his choice - Matthias.

a. The casting of lots was a commonly accepted Old Testament practice. See Proverbs 16:33 and Numbers 26:55. It was accompanied with petitions to the Lord and an abiding with the decision as that of God.

4. Note that over 30 years after the events Luke records that Matthias was number with the apostles.