[Since Luke wrote both the Gospel and Acts, I felt it was more in line to go with Acts and then come back to the Gospel of John.]
It was a two-folded message. I’m sending you to the nations, starting with Jerusalem and then to the ends of the earth. But before you go, wait a few days. Wait for the power of the Holy Spirit.
Talk about wild times they were in. Jesus, their rabbi and very close friend had been crucified before their eyes. Then he was raised to life and they almost could not believe it. He then tells them they will go to the nations but first, wait for the Holy Spirit to come. At the very end he was raised up in the clouds.
Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
So their last message was wait. Wait for the Holy Spirit to come but they had no idea what that looked like. Would they recognize the Holy Spirit when he came? There was no paradigm or past experience or framework they could resort to. Sure there were miracles and theophanies, but Jesus made it sound like something different.
So what to do when you don’t know what to do?
You gather the believers together and pray. Prayer was the first, the last and the default response. How I wish churches could come back to this practice of the gathering of the saints for extended times of prayer. Some churches try but the attendance is thin.
While they were gathering together to pray, they also had to take care of matters. As one who has recently just lost my mother, there is a lot to take care of. Even though Jesus had been resurrected, he was gone now and they, too, had matters to take care of. The main one being replacement of Judas.
It’s strange how they felt the need for him to be replaced and not just stay with the number Eleven. It’s stranger still that even after they chose Matthias as a replacement through prayer and lots, that Peter still referred to “The Eleven” (Acts 2:14). Definitely there is more to the story than we know.
What is even more fascinating is that Peter, who had become the leader, by this time had a real clear sense that Jesus and all the events unfolding were the fulfilling of prophecy. So much so that he referenced from the Psalms the betrayal of Judas (Ps 69:25; Acts 1:20) and the need for his replacement (Ps 109:8; Acts 1:20).
These were epic times. And they were riding the wives of fulfilled prophecy at every turn. But before they would be catapulted into the world, he wanted to go with them.
And while in the past God had shown upon them in ancient Israel, then walked among them with Jesus, now he would dwell with them. In power.
It was a new day.
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them 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. 4 On 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. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But 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.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They 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.”
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. 13 When 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. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
“‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’and,
“‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.