THE DIVINE INTENTION
1. In Luke 24:47 we're told that Jesus said the good news of "repentance and remission of sins" should be preached in his name to "all nations" beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel was never meant to be the privilege of a select few or even one race of people.
2. In Acts 1:8 Jesus assured the disciples that the Spirit would empower them and they would be witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." In some ways this is a useful outline of the book of Acts. God intended to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and he does it by beginning in Jerusalem and Judea. It then goes to Samaria and from there to the ends of the earth. Not by accident! By divine intention.
THE FIRE TAKES HOLD IN JERUSALEM & JUDEA
3. The Church began with a handful in Acts 2. and before we know it, the Spirit has convicted about 3,000 who take on them the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:37-41). In Acts 3. we find Peter and John back at the temple where they heal a man who had been crippled from birth (3:1-8).
4. The response of the multitude was amazement (3:10-11). Peter quickly removes himself and John from the picture by giving glory to the Lord Jesus (3:12,16). He proceeds to link what Jesus was doing through the apostles to the OT promises made to the fathers (3:13,21-26). It's very important for us to understand that the miracles wrought by the apostles were the work of the Christ these men said was very much alive. The miracles were proof that Jesus hadn't been defeated by death! Note 3:12,15-16. The authorities grab the apostles but they were too late—another 2,000 people gladly received the thrilling truth (4:4).
5. The high priest who had led in the murder of Jesus Christ demanded to know by what power or name the apostles had worked this miracle (4:5-7). There was no denial that the miracle had been done (see also 4:14-16). Peter, once intimidated by a servant-girl, now speaks boldly to the supreme court of his land about Jesus the Christ, whom the leaders had crucified. The leaders had rejected him and said so by brutally killing him but God overturned their decision by electing him and raising him from the dead (4:8-12).
6. The nation's high court had a hurried meeting and then ordered the men not to preach any more in the name of Christ (4:15-18). But they were wasting their breath! The two men insisted they had higher orders, orders which out-ranked the Sanhedrin's and orders they would not disobey (4:19-20). The jurists threatened them some more and the apostles left—not fearful, but bold and unrepentant!
7. Back with the fellow-believers they had a fervent prayer session and trusted themselves to the sovereign Lord who created all and who foretold of this rejection by the pagans and the priests (4:24-30). They realized what was happening—the rejection of the message by the leaders—was not unexpected. They ask for boldness and for God's continued testimony to the truth about Jesus, the holy servant of God (4:29-30). The shaking of the building was the proof that their prayer had been heard and they spoke with boldness by the Holy Spirit (4:31).
go to Part II