You will be my witnesses

Acts 1:1-2:13

Key Verse 1:8

- Acts describes how the work of gospel which was accomplished by Jesus succeeded to his disciples, and extended by the work of the Holy Spirit. The gospel of Jesus was spread from Jerusalem to Rome, from Jews to gentile, to the end of world. it is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension all is culminating event, which the prophets had foretold. It would be recognized as the chief evidence that God’s kingdom had been inaugurated. After Jesus accomplished the gospel through his cross and resurrection as the Scripture said, he gave them the great commission. While risen Christ was staying for 40 days with his disciples, he told them to wait for the God’s gift. Today’s passage describes risen Christ’s commandment to stay until they received the Holy Spirit, his ascension, coming of the Pentecost, significant phenomena. The Pentecost is also historical one time event like Jesus’ cross, resurrection and ascension as the Scripture promised. We can see how his disciples prepared the gift of the Holy Spirit. They prayed with one heart and restored Holy vessel until the Pentecost came.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

A. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON

He is as much a divine person as is God the Father or Jesus the Son.

Many cults deny this. (John 15:26,13-14.Acts13:2,5:3, Eph4:30,)

B. The Holy Spirit is God. (1Cor3:16, 2Cor 6:16)

C. The Holy Spirit is the author of Old Testament (God said, the Spirit said-Acts 28:25, Isa 6:9)

D. The Holy Spirit displays all the perfections of God. ( Ge1:1-2, Job33:4,Ps139:7-12,Gal 5:22-23)

*Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God (1-5)

1. What did Jesus do for forty days after being raised (3)? What command and promise did Jesus give to his disciples (4,5)? Why did he tell them not to leave Jerusalem (Lk 24:49,Jn14: 16-20,16:7-9,13-15)? What do you learn about the Holy Spirit?

1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with£ water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

-Luke and Acts are same author. It is related together.

a) Jesus taught the kingdom of God for 40days. His first message was the kingdom of God (Mk1:15). After he was risen, His core message was kingdom of God.

a) To Stay Jerusalem would not be easy for them. Jerusalem would be the fearful city for his disciples. Jesus was crucified there. They didn’t know when the religious police arrested them and crucified them like Jesus. They earnestly wanted to leave as soon as possible. However Jesus’ point of view was different. It is the city the gospel was accomplished. Even though his disciples were really hard to stay there, risen Jesus helped them to start God’s work newly there. They should stay there.

b) The Holy Spirit resided to specific people until the Pentecost came. King, Prophet and Priest came to them when they were anointed in the Old Testament. However after the Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit dwell in anyone who is born again. (1Co 6:19,3:6,Rom 8:9). Regeneration comes by the work of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:3-5)

* You will be my witnesses (6-11)

1. What did the disciples hope at that time (6)? How did Jesus answer their question (7) What command did Jesus give to his disciples (8)? In what sense it the spreading of gospel a most urgent matter? How far were they to go with the Gospel? What is the source of power to serve this mission (Zech 4:6)?

6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

a) His disciples’ concern was political and social kingdom of God in this current world. Their earnest dream was to restore their nation from Rome Empire through Jesus. They thought that Jesus would be a king after they went to Jerusalem. They would be a second, third position in his kingdom. However Jesus was arrested by plot of religious leaders and was powerlessly killed by romans soldiers in Jerusalem. Their dream was completely gone. It was great shock for them. The Romans religious police probably were looking for Jesus’ disciples to arrest them and annihilate the sects of Jesus. They were so disappointed and frustrated under the fear of death after Jesus’ death. After they met risen Jesus, their worldly dream was raised up again.

b) Restoration of Israel was in God’s sovereignty. It happened 1948.

c) Jesus last commission was v8, Mt28:18-20. The Jesus’ commission is not to restore his nation as the first priority, but to witness Jesus’ cross and resurrection to restore God’s kingdom. If anyone loves Jesus, they should do it. It is his last commission he left to us. disciples should be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

d) They were so weak and fearful. Source of obeying Jesus’ commission is the Holy Spirit.

e) The power describes Dunamis as Hella, means dynamic power. If we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our fear and the power of darkness.

f) The Scope we should preach the gospel is until the end of the world. However you should be witness where you stay now. (From Jerusalem---to the ends of the earth.

g) The meaning of witness is included martyrdom. We should have that kind of attitude to preach the gospel. –the gospel is accomplished by precious blood of Our Lord, Jesus. somehow, it was not fully accomplished. The gospel should be preached to the end of the world. Jesus left this mission upon believers.

1. What happened after Jesus gave them great commandment (9)? What was their feeling after Jesus ascended? What hope did the angels tell the disciples (10, 11)?

9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

-Their earthly dream was gone. Jesus left his weak disciples and accented to heaven. They needed faith. Jesus will come back as he promised.

*The disciples made a holy vessel (12-26)

1. Where did the disciples go (12, 13a)? who gathered in the upper room (13b,14)? What did they do there? What was the significance of this prayer vessel?

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

- 120 numbers gathered together to pray according to Jesus’ commandment. They had various characteristic. But they became one according Jesus’ direction.

1. What problem did Peter bring up (15) Why was it a serious matter? How did Peter solve this problem? (16-20) who did they choose in place of Judas (21-26) What do you learn here about making a holy vessel?

15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—17he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”

- whenever they thought, it was deep wound for them. Judea’s matter was not failed. They interpreted that Judah’s betrayal was already prophesied in Ps 109:8,69:25.

1. What were they doing in Jerusalem (1)? What significant phenomena happened to them in the Jewish day of Pentecost (2, 3)? What did they signify (4)? What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What amazed the pilgrims from many countries who had come to Jerusalem to worship (5-12)? What was the significance of this event?

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 3 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

-It is not repeatable event. Pentecost brought to the apostles the equipment they needed for therie special role. Christ had appointed them to be his primary and authoritative witness and had promised them the reminding and teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Pentacost was the inauguration of the new ear of the Spirit.

PT is unusual visitation of God in which whole community becomes vividly aware of his immediate, overpowering presence. The conviction of sin, 3000 conversion.

Three supernational signs- a sound, sight and strange speech.

- Sound like the blowing of a violent wind,

-visibly what seemed to be tongues of fire,

all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.(All kinds of language. –glossolalia.

-When curse of language came to men? (Ge10) when the HP come to us, the curse of language.

The seed of gospel was planted upon all kinds of people who visited in Jerusalem. When the Holy Spirit came to them, Peter boldly delivered message and 3000 people were converted. (Act2), he raised paralyzed guy up by command of name of Jesus.

When the Holy Spirit came upon Apostle Peter who was not educated, he powerfully delivered lecture. He even wrote letter of 1,2 Peter.