The time between Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost
This Sunday, we start studying the Book of Acts together as the church. I’m sure that there will be alot of good questions and answers and discussion when we dig into Acts 1 in a few days.
But, as I’ve been thinking about Acts 1, a question keeps popping into my mind:
How important is the time between Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost for the church today?
In the Book of Acts, Jesus ascends into heaven in Acts 1:9. The Holy Spirit descends on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:2.
What can we as a church learn from the 17 or so verses between those two events?
Okay, here’s what I got:
1:10-11: Don’t stand around idle looking into the sky –(made me think of the currently popular new escapism eschatology) – Jesus is coming back we can be certain of it, but we’ve got work to faithfully perform while He has gone away to receive His Kingdom.
1:12 – The Mount of Olives was about ¾ of a mile from the city of Jerusalem.
1:13-14: Prayer was a huge priority to the apostles and Christ’s other male and female disciples including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers. His brothers who once did not believe in Him now are gathered with the apostles and the other disciples.
1:15-25: The “believers†at that time consisted of a group of men and women numbering 120. Peter appeals to the “Brothers and Sisters†to nominate potential replacements for Judas Iscariot in order to fulfill the words of the Psalms to have another take his place. The criteria for being considered was being with the apostles during the whole time that Jesus was with them from John’s baptism to Christ’s ascension. Joining the apostles as a witness of His resurrection.
The “Brothers and Sisters†nominate Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias, indicating that the body of believers both male and female participated in decision making.
They then cast lots, appealing to God to make the decision for them, indicating that the apostles did not chose Judas’ successor. The Body of Christ under the direction of the LORD Jesus Christ chose Matthias.
Alan-
Thanks for making me look hard at these verses. What a beautiful example of consensus decision making in the Body of Christ under the leadership of Christ. The men did not make the decision, the apostles did not make the decision, the entire body of believers both male and female participated in decision making as led by Christ. The leaders participated and facilitated but they did not make the decision.
Does ἄνδÏες ἀδελφοί mean “brothers and sisters”?
Hutch,
Yes, I think it’s important too. 🙂
Brian,
Are you asking me or Hutch? I would say it would just be “brothers” in this instance, and in the few other occurrences in Acts.
-Alan
Alan,
I was asking whomever would answer. I always assumed it was “brethren.” The question to me is whether in this situation the women were part of the decision making or not.