Luke, who penned the third Gospel was also the author of Acts. The very first verse tells us so. Both accounts were written to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), who was likely a high government officer as well as a friend.
In the Gospel, we see Christ's works till His crucifixion and resurrection. Now in the book of Acts, we will see His works after His ascension and exaltation. In Acts 1:1-2 Luke summarised his Gospel account, where he detailed, '... all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen."
Verses 3-5 emphasize that the Lord has indeed risen from death. He proved so by His many appearances to different disciples, and convincing proofs. And over a period of 40 days, He taught the Apostles and His followers about the Kingdom of God.
While with them, Christ reiterated the call to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. By this, the Lord was referring to the Holy Spirit, Whom He had promised to send when He returned to the Father.
John the Baptist's baptism, He told them, was with water, but the baptism they were about to experience would be with the Holy Spirit. This experience is commonly referred to as the "baptism of or with the Holy Spirit."
Their narrowed Jewish mentality saw only the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. The Lord has a much larger goal: the whole earth. The Lord bypassed their question by telling them not to speculate. As the precise time and beginning of a new age, are entirely in the Father's control.
The reason the Lord chose not to answer their narrow-minded question was probably because He wanted His final words to reverberate in their minds. His final words were captured in Acts 1:8. He said, "..." but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
This is the key verse to the whole book of Acts. It captures His final words to His followers just prior to His being taken up to heaven. It explicitly lays down the terms for those who would follow Him. This every verse encapsulates the Apostolic Mission and the Mission of the Church of Christ.
This is a call to reach the whole earth. From Acts chapters 1-7, we will see the mission in Jerusalem; Acts chapters 8-11, the mission in Judea and Samaria; and Acts chapters 12-28, the mission to all the earth.
Just imagine the magnanimity of the scope - the whole earth! On the surface and by our strength alone it would be an impossible task. The Lord knows that. Hence He said, the power to accomplish it would be that of the Holy Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit, we, His disciples, today can also find the same divine power and dynamite to be His effective witnesses. In the Gospel of Luke, We saw how one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, lived. In the book of Acts, we shall see how imperfect men touched by Him and empowered by the Holy Spirit, should live.
Remember, we are called to witness and the Lord wants to baptise us with the Holy Spirit so that we will have the power to witness. In the Gospel, He gave us His life, in Acts, He gives us His power. Be committed! For that's the key to this fufilling life.
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