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The first Christians experienced some unique and powerful things. They saw the Spirit of God moving in a fresh and special way. He was doing many wonders and signs through the apostles. Miracles were regular occurrences. This was an exiting and worshipful time.

The purpose of these miracles was to demonstrate the Spirit’s power and the presence of God’s kingdom on earth. That makes sense, doesn’t it? But, they had a further purpose too. They were to give the apostles an opportunity to explain the gospel of the kingdom of God. The miracle took place, and the apostles explained it. Wonder and awe then came upon the people.

This sign/explanation process is exactly what we find in chapter 3. Peter and John healed a lame beggar at the temple gate. Then Peter preached a sermon (and it was a bold one) in which he explained the gospel and the healing that had just taken place.

The Healing

This is a straight-forward story of God’s healing grace. The man asked the two apostles for alms at the temple gate. They responded by telling him that they had no money. Then, Peter said, “…what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (3:6)! The man did! He got up and walked. He leapt for joy and praised God. Many recognized him as the man at the gate, “and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (3:10b).

The Sermon

Naturally, the people ran to Peter and John. They needed to know what had happened. They needed to see these two men who had wrought such a change in this man’s life. They wanted to get the skinny on what had taken place. You can imagine the excitement, the chaos. And, Peter was ready to give them what they thought they wanted.

He preached a powerful sermon that emphasized two things: the greatness of Jesus and the necessity of faith and repentance. Take a moment to note the references to each of these points in the sermon. Verses 13, 14, 15, and 17 refer to Jesus’ greatness in six qualities.

He is the divine servant of a covenant keeping God. He is Holy. He is Righteous. He is the Author of Life. He is raised from the dead. And, he is the suffering servant about whom the prophets prophesied.

Notice also verses 16, 19, and 26 where Peter emphasizes the necessity of faith in the “name of Christ” (16) and repentance from sins. True conversion to Christianity is only possible where there is faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ coupled with repentance, a turn from “wickedness” (3:26) and a “turn back” (19) to God through Christ. Both are essential.

Wrap Up 

Paul wrote to Timothy that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Acts 3 profits me in all four of these aspects. But, I think it is most helpful in teaching and correcting me. It teaches me that the main purpose of miracles is to demonstrate God’s power so as to draw me and others to himself (Jesus taught the same). And, it teaches and corrects me when I fail to keep faith and repentance in the proper tension and relationship when it comes to my understanding, communication, and living of true biblical Christianity.

Acts 2 has been one of my favorite chapters in the Bible for a long time. As a pastor, it is my “go to” chapter. It has everything I point to when challenging our congregation and my own pastoral leadership. The apostles are gathered and waiting for the Holy Spirit (presumably in fellowship and prayer). Peter preaches a Christ-centered sermon. And, it describes the communal life of the first Christian congregation. Add to that the salvation of some Pharisees and you have a gripping start to the church’s unfolding narrative.

Holy Spirit

At the conclusion of chapter 1, the apostles are waiting on the promised Holy Spirit. The tension is think as their anticipation mounts. What will it be like when the Spirit arrives? How will the Spirit affect their lives? What will the “power” be like? How will they be witnesses? How will it all play out?

Luke doesn’t make us wait long. In verse 2:2 he writes, “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Wow! Talk about a dramatic scene.

The Holy Spirit arrived and there was no question that He was there. The result of His presence among the apostles was no less dramatic. “And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Take a moment to imagine that scene. What a spectacle!

These utterances had a purpose too. Their purpose was to testify to the reality of Jesus Christ in a way that people could understand the gospel message. It’s that simple. God had providentially chosen to communicate his message of grace and mercy through the apostles as they were led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The apostles would be “powerful witnesses” for the purpose of communicating God’s message to people. That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He testifies to Christ.

Boldness

Peter not only received the gift of a tongue to be communicate Christ’s message, he received boldness. Can you believe that Peter, the man who denied Jesus three times, stood before a multitude and proclaimed Christ by explaining the prophecy of Joel and the Psalms? Can you believe that he spoke so directly and boldly to the crowd? I can’t. But, he did it. Why? Holy Spirit boldness.

Church 

I love the way Luke describes the communal life of the first Christian congregation. Isn’t it a beautiful description of what must have been a sweet communion? They loved Jesus and each other. They spent time together. They hung out in each other’s homes. They shared their belongings. They met each other’s needs. They prayed together. They worshipped together. They studied together. Simply put, they just did life together. And, they did this life on a mission. (We’ll talk a lot about this mission in the coming chapters.)

Wouldn’t it be great if we were a part of a congregation that modeled that first one? Wouldn’t you love to be a member of something like that? What can you do to help make it a reality?

Finally, I do not want us to fall into the temptation of romanticizing this congregation. They weren’t perfect. They had issues. Some of them came out of self-righteous Jewish backgrounds. Others came from licentious pasts, and even paganism. Yet, they came together to share the common life that they had in Christ. Could it be that the struggles of their varied backgrounds were the things that made their common bond in Christ so strong?

Let me challenge you to be realistic about your struggles. Share them with others. Make yourself available for others to share their struggles with you. And, then cement yourself in the life we have in Christ.

The next stop on our journey through the New Testament is the book of Acts. Acts picks up right where Matthew left off. At the end of Matthew, Jesus sent the disciples out into their world to live daily lives that were dedicated to him and his kingdom. That’s what they did. Acts is their story.

If I could sum Acts in one sentence it would be, “Acts is the story of a group of people who believed personally in the Lord Jesus Christ and who expressed their individual and communal lives in such a way that was powerful, graceful, and attractive.” In short, Acts is about the power of God at work in and through the lives of his people, the Church. And, it was something to behold.

Luke begins his account of this early band of believers with a scene in which Jesus instructs his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Father’s promised Holy Spirit came upon them. He moves quickly to the story of Jesus’ ascension into Heaven where it is clear that Jesus was present and received his ascension in bodily form. From there two themes stand out that I’ll note this morning.

Promise

In verse 4, Luke records Jesus reiterating the reality of the Father’s promised Holy Spirit who would come upon them. Then, in verse 8, he tells them that they will receive power when the promised Holy Spirit comes upon them. I think this is important.

The Holy Spirit’s presence with them was a promise that Jesus initially made prior to his arrest and crucifixion. He had told them that he would not leave them alone, and, in fact, he told them it would better for him to depart and send the Holy Spirit. Now, the promise is closer to coming true. Jesus is leaving them, but he has not left them as sheep without a shepherd. He is giving them his Holy Spirit. However, they would have to wait in faith a little longer. He would be faithful.

He still makes promises to us. Are we willing to wait on him to fulfill those promises. That’s where we get in the most trouble, isn’t it? Our desire to rush things gets in the way. Our desire to “know” what life will be like gets in the way. But, Jesus calls us to wait on him, to trust him.

Power 

The apostles were to receive power. This isn’t just any power. It is the power of God himself, the power of the third person of the Trinity. They were to receive Holy Spirit power. That’s huge! Why? because it is Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We’ll come back to this power often in Acts. For now, let us think on the nature of such power in the gospel of Christ.

I chose not to comment on chapter 27 because I wanted it to speak for itself. There is much to say about Jesus’ sufferings, rejection, and crucifixion, and we will cover those things in great detail later in our reading of the New Testament. As you read chapter 27, my prayer was, and is, that the reality of the King’s humble sacrifice sinks deep into your soul and touches you with his amazing grace and love.

Chapter 28 is AWESOME! I can’t emphasize that enough. It is the story of our hope. It is the reason for which we live our lives. It is the reality of our everlasting confidence in our Great God! HE’S NOT DEAD! HE IS ALIVE!

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said” (28:5).

All Authority Is Given to Me

Because Jesus was raised from the dead he has all authority on heaven and earth. It has been “given to him” (28:18). That means he has authority over everything in our lives, that he has authority over our lives. There is nothing outside of his authority. And, there is no limit to his power. There is no need for us to fear life. There is no need for us to question his presence in our lives. There is no need for us to wonder if he can do all that he has promised, or if he has the authority to do what he has promised. He does! Trust and submit to him.

As You are Going

Verse 19 is the most familiar verse in chapter 28. It is the beginning of what we know as “the Great Commission.” Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” We often read this as an imperative telling us to “go” into all the nations. But, Jesus actually instructs his disciples (and us) to be about the business of disciple making “as we are going” into all the world daily.

Jesus assumes that we will be out and about in the world in which we live. He assumes that we will have jobs, have neighbors, have families, etc. And, he instructs us that while we’re living our lives among our families, our co-workers, and our neighbors to be about the king’s business of making disciples, of interacting with people for Jesus. This isn’t just a “missionary” command, it is a “disciple” command. It is for everyone who calls upon the name of Christ and follows him. Jesus says, “As you are going (living your daily lives) make disciples of all people.”

Are we fulfilling this command with our lives? Are you living your life daily in such a way to introduce people to Christ and encourage them to come to him? What an amazing privilege and call we receive at the end of Matthew’s Gospel! It demands a response. What is yours?

Over the span of 75 verses, Matthew narrates the events of Jesus’ final hours with his disciples prior to his arrest. This action packed narrative contains a number of significant stories about Jesus and his disciples. I want to highlight two .

Jesus is Anointed

The story of the woman anointing Jesus in Bethany is fascinating as she breaks social protocol by entering the room where Jesus reclined with his disciples and pouring expensive perfume over the Lord’s head. This action brought the ire of the others in the room. One disciple even protested, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” Others were more confused than angry. We may join them and ask, “Why would she do this?”

The answer is quite simple — she was only concerned with giving the Lord Jesus her best.  She didn’t care about the other men in the room. She didn’t care about the cost of the perfume. She simply wanted to worship him. She wanted to please him. She spared no expense. She counted the costs and found him worthy. And, she is both an example and challenge for us. Do we worship our King in the same way?

Jesus Prays

After celebrating the Passover with his disciples, Jesus takes James, John, and Peter into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He instructs the disciples to remain steadfast in prayer and then leaves them behind as he enters into communion with his father in heaven. The prayer that follows is one of great sorrow and agony. He prays, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (26:39).

A Submissive King

These two stories connect two themes that run through the Gospel. Jesus is the long promised King. He is the King of the Nations. Jesus is also the obedient and submissive Son of God. The woman anoints Jesus as her King. Jesus willingly submits to the will of the Father. He is the Submissive King that invites you to come into his kingdom of grace through the work of his cross.

“And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, form now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven'” (26:63-64)  

Chapter 25 is the continuation from chapter 24 of Jesus’ final instruction to his disciples. This instruction is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus was sitting on the Mount Olives outside of Jerusalem when he taught it. The discourse, as we discussed previously, has one main theme and that is to give the disciples an understanding of the events that are to take place prior to the return of Christ in the future.

Here, in chapter 25, Jesus tells three parables that illustrate the manner in which they are to prepare for the return of Christ and their their need for such preparation. And, he concludes the discourse with a fourth parable on the judgement that is to come.

Good and Wicked Distinction

All of these four parables emphasize the difference between the good and the wicked servants of God. The good servants will receive the blessed reward from the Lord Jesus at his return, while the wicked will receive only judgement. Jesus defines the good and the bad servants in a very important way.

The Good — The good servants of God are those who respond to Christ’s call on their lives by trusting him with their lives, turning unto him in repentance from sins, and actively following him. They put their faith into action. For Jesus, faith is always active. It always breeds action in the lives of his followers.

The Bad — The bad servants of God are those who do the exact opposite of the good. They  respond to Christ’s call on their lives by rejecting him, continuing to live unrepentant lives, and actively serving themselves, not God. Their actions prove the absence of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their actions prove their rejection of him as their Savior.

Challenges For Our Lives

From the Parable of the Tenants (25:14-30): Are you using the gifts God has invested in you for the advancement of his kingdom? Are you a being a good steward of those things God has given you? Does your management of time, talents, and resources prove that you are actively following him? How can you be a good steward of God’s grace today?

From the Parable of the Seep and Goats (25:31-46): Are you putting your faith to action by caring for those God cares for? Are you feeding the hungry? Giving water to the thirsty? Clothing the naked? Visiting the sick and imprisoned? How can you put your faith in action by caring for those around you today?

Matthew 24 is one of the most discussed and famous chapters in the Gospel because Jesus gives his disciples “the signs of the end of the age” in the first half of his Olivet Discourse. His followers have sought to interpret these “signs” and predict his second coming and the establishment of his earthly kingdom ever since.

His teaching follows a progression from the beginning signs and general characteristics of the age before he returns to the reality of the tribulation his disciples will face to the promised certainty of his return.

Some Signs and a Challenge

Jesus lists numerous signs that will characterize the age prior to his return. To a large degree these signs characterize the entire age from the time of his ascension to the time of his return. However, there is a sense that these signs will intensify and come with increasing frequency the closer we get to his glorious return.

Though many of these signs are difficult to interpret, Jesus does give one definitive sign that will precede his return — “the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (24:14). If we wish to hasten the return of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom, we should get busy proclaiming to gospel to all peoples throughout the world. We should be focused on testifying to the greatness of the king who is to return. We should also be about the business of preparing folks for his return.

The Promise of Grace (24:13, 22, 31)

I want to make one final note about chapter 24, and that is the promise of grace that Jesus gives to his disciples and us. Three different times he highlights the grace of God which is given to the elect in Christ. Verse 13 says, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Then, verse 22 reads, “…But for the sake of the elect those days (the days of tribulation) will be cut short.” And, again, in verse 31, we read, “…he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Talk of the end of the age, of the end of the world can be troubling, confusing, and even scary. But, the promise of Jesus is true — there is hope for the elect, those whose lives are hidden Christ. If you are in Christ, if you have chosen to follow him, then you should be encouraged by his promise. There is no way for you to choose him if he has not chosen you. You have been elected by his grace from eternity; therefor, you are sealed in his everlasting grace. Do not be afraid. You are his, and you will not suffer the judgement of God because he has suffered it for you.

Intense is the only word that I can come up with to describe Matthew 23. Jesus holds nothing back in his instruction to the people and in his rebuke of the Pharisees.

Instruction (23:1-12)

Jesus instructs his hearers to be on their guard against the false teachers of the scribes and Pharisees. This is a radical instruction given that these two groups comprised the religious leaders of the day. They were the ones to whom the people went for guidance, instruction, and counsel. The scribes were the interpretive experts on the Torah itself, and the Pharisees were experts on theological issues that the Torah raised.

The people were to reject the teachings of these religious leaders because both the scribes and the Pharisees did not practice what they preached. “They tie up heavy burdens, had to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to them with their finger” (23:4). Belief drives behavior, and behavior has to match belief. Be on your guard against false teachers. Make sure their actions validate their message.

Woes (23:13-36)

Beginning in verse 13, Jesus turns his attention directly to the scribes and Pharisees. He condemns them because they have “drawn the people away from the kingdom of heaven instead of leading them it.”* The seven woes are:

1. The closed door to the kingdom — “For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (23:13-14).
2.  The penned in converts — “For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves” (23:15).
3. The blind guides — “‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold of the temple that has made the gold sacred” (23:16-17)?
4. The neglect of doing what God requires — “Fo you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (23:22).
5. The outwardly clean dishes — “For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (23:25).
6. The whitewashed tombs — “For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and uncleanness” (23:27).
7. The murders of prophets — “Thus you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets” (23:31).

Examine yourself before the Lord. Make sure that you are not a whitewashed tomb. Clean from the inside out. Jesus calls us to develop a hatred of sin and to live a life of righteousness.

*ESV Study Bible