The Acts of the Apostles 35

Subtitle: The Gospel Goes to Ethiopia?  Part 1

Acts 8:26-33.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on February 12, 2023.

We have seen how God used Philip, Peter, and John to take the Gospel into Samaria, north of Jerusalem.  It appears that the main impetus that made Philip go to Samaria was persecution in Jerusalem.  Of course, we can preach the Gospel in jail, but Philip gets out of town and preaches in Samaria.  Clearly, the Holy Spirit was leading him.

In our passage today, Philip is going to travel southwest of Jerusalem on the road to Gaza in order to help the Gospel on its way to the continent of Africa!  That's right.  It is most likely that the Gospel went into Africa before it ever made it to Europe.

What happened in Jerusalem is now spreading to the ends of the earth.  Hmm...it is interesting that we are here, hearing the Gospel at the ends of the earth.  You are an answer to the Lord's prayer, his purpose, and even prophecy.

Amen.  Let's look at our passage.

God causes a divine appointment (vs. 26-29)

God has a divine appointment for Philip on the road to Gaza with an Ethiopian eunuch. 

You may have heard that phrase before now.  There is a sense where a parent has a divine appointment every day, even every minute, with their children.  God wants you to train them in His Word and in His ways.  However, in a case like this, you know it, and it is on your "appointment calendar."

There are times that God has something out of our normal routine, or schedule.  It is not on our calendar, not on our radar, but it is on God's calendar.

It is important to recognize it when God is bringing us to something that we were not expecting.  When it happens, we need to learn to quickly shift gears, and focus on what God is doing.  A good prayer to pray is, "Help me, Lord, to be used of You in this situation!"

In this case, Philip is told by an angel of the lord some of what he is to do.

The term angel simply means a messenger, and this is what an angel does, but this was a heavenly messenger.  We are not told exactly how this meeting happened.  Was Philip in prayer alone?  Was he back in Jerusalem?  Regardless, Philip has an angelic visitation and now the divine appointment is on his calendar.

In reading the Bible, we may come under the impression that angels should be showing up every day in our lives.  This is not an accurate reading.  Sometimes it was hundreds of years between a clear visitation of an angel in the Bible.  In fact, Hebrews 13:2 tells us that some people have entertained angels without knowing it.  Have you ever had something happen that later you thought to yourself that the person who helped you may have been an angel?

One of the men in our church, Joe Pyott, was driving at night outside of Spokane.  As he was going through a snowy pass, he slid off the road in a remote area.  He was a bit worried because it was late at night, and he did not figure anyone would be driving by for a long time.  However, in short order, three different people showed up and helped him in different ways.  One guy had a shovel and dug out the snow around his vehicle.  Another man had a truck and a chain.  He was able to pull Joe back on the road.  Even better, Joe was able to drive the car all the way home.  Praise the Lord! 

We might wonder if one of those people were an angel, or even all of them.  But, ask yourself this.  Does it really matter if you were pulled out of the ditch by an angel, or by a human being who was quick to do God's will in the situation?

Scripture details increased angelic visits during periods in which God is doing something critical for His plan of salvation.  We see this around the birth of Christ, and then later around the death of Christ, even the beginning of the Church in this passage.  The situation is so critical that God gives heavenly assistance so that the moment is not lost.  Now, notice that this doesn't seem to be how God led Philip to Samaria.  So, why now?

There seems to be something about this man.  He was a critical man, at a critical juncture of God's plan of salvation, with a desire to know God.  He needed to hear the Gospel, and God could see that he would go back to Ethiopia never having heard the Gospel.  That is, unless God did something out of the ordinary.

Just know this.  God can lead us through supernatural methods, but we should not be stuck on only being led by angels.  God is a big God, and creative too.  It is up to Him how we are to be led, and we need to be aware of those ways.

Philip's instructions from the angel are to head down the road from Jerusalem to Gaza through the Judean wilderness, i.e., no one is out there.  There is no indication that Philip is told what will happen.  Of course, since it was an angel, he has a pretty good idea that it has something to do with spreading the Gospel.  Is he going to preach in Gaza?  What will he find?  He doesn't know.

God doesn't always give us all the instructions up front.  He is wanting to see if we will trust Him and step forward.  At the right time, He will give you the next instruction.  Just be faithful.  Thus, we are told that Philip "arose and went."

How important it is for us to be quick to obey when God leads us to do something.  Philip isn't asking why.  He simply gets up and goes.  Better to muse in your mind as you are obeying, then to sit at home wondering what could happen.

Yet, it doesn't have to be just about obedience.  There is a higher level to all that God gives us to do.  Anything that God asks us to do will be a chance to participate in something live changing.  If we really understood that, then we would jump at the chance to do anything for Him.  "Alright, I get to see God do something great!  Let's get started!"  More than that, we get to participate with Him by faith!

Remember that all responsibilities require doing duties, but when we understand the heart of God, we will jump with joy at doing what He wants done.  If God is in it, then we can have joy in it because He transforms lives!

If we look at the story from the Ethiopian's view point, then it is quite different.  God is leading him too, but it is unknowingly.  Of course, we could say that he is not a Christian yet.  True, but he is a believer in Yahweh, a convert to Judaism, a God-worshiper.  Just as God can put something on our heart by His Holy Spirit, or lead us by an angelic visitation, so God can lead us without us even knowing it.  Sometimes God just likes to surprise us with a divine appointment.

So, Philip is traveling along the road, sees the chariot, and the Spirit tells him to overtake the chariot.

The man in the chariot is a eunuch from Ethiopia.  He was a eunuch because that was common practice for palace slaves and palace servants in much of the world throughout history.  It may not seem to be important, but by the end of this sermon, you will see that it is very important that he is a eunuch.

He is also an "Ethiopian."  This term was created by the Greeks to refer to Africans who lived anywhere south of Egypt.  This is a very general term.  However, the reference to the Candace, Queen of Ethiopia, gives us a bead on exactly where he was from.  If you look at a map, you will see Egypt.  As you travel south you will run into the country called Sudan today.  Southeast of Sudan is the modern country of Ethiopia.  Candace is not the name of this Queen.  It was actually a term like "Pharaoh, or Caesar."  In Greek, it is phonetically Cahn-'dah-kay, or better, The Kandake.  These African Queens ruled in what we would call northern Sudan today.  In the Old Testament, this kingdom is always referred to as the kingdom of Cush.

The Kandake ruled in a co-regency with her son as king.  They both had their own armies, treasuries, and palaces.  However, they co-ruled over the Cushites.  In fact, the king's son would not be the next king.  The Kandake's eldest son was king, but the first son of her eldest daughter (who would take her place upon death) would be the next king.

How had this man heard about the God of Israel?  The capital of the Cushite kingdom was over 1,500 miles from Jerusalem.  Notice that he had gone to Jerusalem to worship.  Perhaps, he heard about Yahweh through a servant.  Regardless, he believed in the God of Israel, and went to worship.

The fact that The Kandake would let him travel that far, either means that she values him very highly, or that she is interested in this religion of his, or both.  God was leading this man, whether he knew it or not.

Whether you know it or not, God is leading you.  That doesn't mean that we never make mistakes.  In fact, we can be resisting God like Saul of Tarsus was doing.  God will always be faithful to lead us into opportunity for repentance.  This man had repented and believed, and so God put him on a path to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

A man is puzzled by the Scriptures (vs. 30-33)

As Philip approaches the chariot, he hears the man is reading the prophet Isaiah.  This scroll may be a gift to The Kandake, or it may have been purchased by him.  Philip asks him a clear question that is not insulting, but also opens the door for discussion.  "Do you understand what you are reading?" 

Let's not jump past this simple point.  God wants you to understand the Scriptures, and they have been written in such a way that they can be understood.  Of course, our spiritual state will make a big difference whether or not we can understand the Scriptures.  Only a person who approaches the Word with faith can begin to understand.  Yet, anyone who is really looking for Truth will find it in the Scriptures.

Yes, there are parts of the Scripture that are not as clear to us.  The Bible itself speaks of some parts being "milk" as opposed to other parts that are "meat."    The picture has to do with development.  A baby only digests milk at first.  However, as it grows on that milk, it will be able to digest more and more complex food.  If I read something today, and I don't know what it means, then I should just pray this simple prayer.  "Lord, I love you, and I want to know what this means.  Please help me to understand at the level that I can for now."  In fact, it doesn't matter if you have been a Christian for 70 years.  There is always stuff to learn about God's Word.  He is the God of the universe.  Anything that He has written is bound to keep us busy for a life time of understanding.  However, that is the beauty of God's Word.  You don't have to understand everything in order to understand the most important things.

Believers need to take the Word of God seriously.  He wants you to understand, and understanding will take devotion to reading, studying, and discussing the text with other believers.  We blow a lot of time with entertainments when we could be reading the words of the Creator of the universe!  Don't squander the wealth of Truth and knowledge that God makes available in order to go after the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life.

Some may feel like studying the Bible is the pastor's job.  Don't rely upon another person for your understanding.  They won't be there on that day that you stand before God and give account.  He has written this Bible to you as much as to anyone else.  If you really love Jesus, then you will take His Words to you seriously.

The Ethiopian eunuch's response lets us know that he was having trouble understanding.  He needed a guide, a teacher.  Self-study is the bedrock of understanding the Bible.  However, on top of this, God provides guides or teachers.  This man was isolated.  How many years would it take for the Gospel to make it to Cush without some assistance from God?  God saw his desire to understand the Scriptures, and He sent him a good guide.

Of course, there are many "guides" in the world today who want to lead you astray.  They are false guides, even anti-guides, false teachers, and false apostles.  Jesus warned that Israel's leaders had become blind guides leading the people into a ditch.

So, how do I protect myself?  You protect yourself by being a person who is devoted to reading the Word, and praying to God for understanding.  You protect yourself by being a person who is committed to being led by the Holy spirit.  Such a person will always find that God provides exactly what they need.  Thus, the Bereans of Acts 17:11 searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things that Paul was preaching were really so.  Such a person will be very hard to deceive.

This brings us to the passage that the man was reading.  You may have recognized the verses.  They come from Isaiah 53.  This is the most important section of Isaiah, which reveals God's suffering servant who would save Israel, and the Gentiles, from their sins.  Of course, it is talking about the Messiah, Jesus.

During those days in Israel, it was acceptable to see this passage as talking about Messiah, but after the cross and Christians preaching Jesus, the rabbis began developing arguments against the passage speaking of Messiah.  Today, the typical rabbi will say that the passage speaks about Israel saving the world through her suffering.  However, this does not make good sense of the flow of God's arguments from Isaiah 40 to 53.

In fact, the argument is precisely that God made Israel to be a servant to the nations, but Israel had become a blind and deaf servant, i.e., useless.  God himself would rise up and bring forth His perfect servant who would not only save Israel, but also save the nations.  Isaiah 53 shows Jesus carrying the sin, and the curse of sin, of the nation of Israel and the Gentiles upon himself.  He would be punished in our place and provide forgiveness through his wisdom.

I don't think the Ethiopian eunuch was reading this by accident, and Philip is not there by accident either.  However, there is one more "accident," or should we say coincidence that we should give our attention.

No doubt, the eunuch not only knows that Isaiah 53 is talking about Jesus, and what Jesus did for him, for all of us, he will keep reading.  Guess what he will find only three chapters later in Isaiah 56:3-8?  Here is the text.  As you read it, you should weep for joy as that eunuch no doubt did when he read it.

3 Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the Lord Speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.”

4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant,

5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.

 6 “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant—

7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

8 The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “Yet I will gather to him Others besides those who are gathered to him.”

How must that have hit him.  The Lord is essentially telling this man through Isaiah (written 700 years before this), "Don't say that you are a dry tree!"  In the natural, he was a dry tree.  He was never going to have a family to pass on his love and knowledge.  Yet, he now had a treasure within him that was Jesus, the Lord of Life!

He would take this treasure of God's love through Jesus with him back to Cush as an ambassador of the Lord.  We don't know the rest of the story of this man.  How many people did he share the Gospel with throughout his life?  On the day that he would lay his head down in death, he was leaving behind a spiritual heritage that the God of Israel loves Cushites, and whosoever.  He died so that you can be forgiven and live with him eternally.  It didn't matter that he was a foreigner to Israel, or a "dry tree" in the natural.  He would pass on the faith to spiritual offspring by the power of Jesus. 

And, so will you, if you put your faith in Jesus. If you follow the world, you will be a dry tree.  I don't care how many kids you have.  But, in Christ, the Spirit of God will give you life, and that life will overflow you and impact others!

Ethiopian Eunuch audio

The Acts of the Apostles 20

Subtitle: Run-in with the Law #2

Acts 5:17-32.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 9, 2022.

In today’s passage, the leaders of Israel are going to haul the apostles in because they continue to preach salvation and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus.

It is important to pay attention to the attitude of these men as they disobey earthly authorities in order to obey God.  Some people use the idea of obeying God rather than man as a moral cover for selfish reasons.  The fruit of their life bears out the message that they are simply using it as a license for immorality. 

May God help us to be led by the Holy Spirit, rather than man.  But, may we also understand that His plan is always to give a witness to all those who are watching, whether leaders or not.  This is a holy matter and we should be careful not to muddy the waters of what God wants to say to others.  If we attempt to use this as an excuse, we will one day stand before Him with no excuse.

Let’s get into the passage.

The apostles are imprisoned (vs. 17-21)

The first arrest of any of the apostles was at the beginning of chapter four.  Peter and John were arrested, questioned, threatened and then released.  Now we have a second arrest.

It is the high priest of Israel and his religious party, the Sadducees, are filled with indignation that these men continue to teach in the name of Jesus.  The word translated “indignation” is often translated as “zeal.”  It refers to the heat and passion to defend or pursue something.  In this case, they are going to defend their actions with Jesus, and pursue the goal of shutting up these disciples of Jesus.

We must always hold our passions in check before the Lord to determine whether they are motivated by righteousness and His Spirit, rather than by our own flesh and the world around us.

The phrase “they laid their hands on the apostles” simply means that they had them arrested, most likely by the temple guards.  It is most likely that all of the apostles are arrested this time since Luke made it clear in chapter four that it was only Peter and John.  He only says “apostles” in this chapter.

The apostles are held over night in the common prison.  However, God has different plans in mind.  He sends an angel to release them that night.  The angel simply “opens the doors,” with no mention of the guards in these verses.  In a bit, we will see in verse 23 that the guards are still outside the jailhouse and don’t know that anything has happened the next morning.  Most likely a spiritual sleepiness came over them because there is no mention of them being afraid and running away as in the case of the resurrection of Jesus.

Of course, angels don’t need keys.  In Acts 12, an angel will rescue Peter from prison and it basically says that the “chains fell off his hands,” and that a large iron gate opened “of its own accord.”  The word is the Greek term automate that has the idea that it opened by itself, without the intervention of something else.

Thus, the disciples found themselves freed late at night without the soldiers and the high priest knowing what had happened.

The angel then gives them a message from the Lord.  They are to go to the temple, and “speak to the people all the words of this life.”  It is most likely a reference to the eternal life that Jesus promised to his followers and those who believed upon him through their preaching.  However, we should not separate this eternal life from the here and now.  Christian believers already have the eternal life of Christ welling up in them like a spring.  The Christian life is itself an expression of God’s life flowing through us day by day, and will climax at the resurrection when this mortal flesh is overwhelmed by the power of God’s eternal life!

When it comes to angels, the bible is clear that angels are ministering spirits on behalf of those who are being saved (Hebrews 1:14).  Their work is generally unseen.  However, from time to time and as it suites God’s purposes, they operate in a way that enables people to see them, or recognize after the fact that they have been active.  We shouldn’t address them, pray to them, or try to direct them.  We pray to God and let Him decide how we should be helped!

The apostles then waited until the temple opened that morning.  They then boldly marched up onto the temple mount, no doubt setting up in Solomon’s Colonnade, and began to declare the words of life through faith in Jesus!  At this point their lives are totally surrendered to what Jesus has for them.  There is no discussion about what is wise and what is foolish.  If the Lord gives a command, then we need to obey.  May God help us to develop and walk in such courage.

There is a sense of humor that the apostles are preaching in the temple as the Sanhedrin is gathered in order to question them, and determine their fate.  God doesn’t always do things the same way.  These men are sprung from jail, whereas, Daniel was protected in it.  Others went on to be executed, and have their heads cut off.  We need to learn to trust Jesus, to exercise our faith in him no matter what may happen.

The apostles are on trial again (vs. 22-32)

As we see, they are going to be arrested again and brought before the council of Israel, but first, there is the question of where they are.  When the council sends for the apostles to be brought before them out of the prison, the officers cannot find them.  They go back to the council and report that everything looks like it should, officers are still guarding it, the doors are locked, and yet there are no apostles.  Wasn’t that nice of the angel to lock up after they left? 

This leaves the council wondering what was going on.

At this point, someone comes from the temple and reports that the apostles are preaching on the temple grounds!  Of course, this can’t be allowed to stand, so they are arrested again “without violence”, mainly because they were afraid that the people might stone them.

This is a common problem among those who stand in the place of the law.  The power to arrest is supposed to be done in service of righteousness, and doesn’t always require violence.  However, some men do require strong force to bring them into custody.  Yet, at the same time, power can go to people’s heads, even law enforcement officers.  Those giving arrest orders, and those carrying out the arrests, can completely overstep their proper authority when their ego gets over-involved.  Thus, you can lawlessly execute a lawful order, or even lawlessly execute a lawless order.

The apostles are set before the council and the high priest addresses them.  He reminds them that previously they had been commanded not to teach “in this name.”  Apparently, he doesn’t even want to say the name of Jesus.   Yet, they have gone out and filled Jerusalem with their teaching, and appear to be intent on making “us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Think about it this way.  A lawful execution of a wicked man is not murder.  This is what the leaders want to be the official narrative.  However, the apostles are saying that the execution was not valid and that God had overturned it through resurrection.  This means that the leaders are guilty of the blood of Jesus.  His blood is on their heads in the way of guilt.

Peter serves as the spokesman for the group and gives their answer.  You can compare this answer with the one that he gave last time in Acts 4:19-20.

In Acts 4, he used the verb “listen,” but here, it is “obey.”  Also, in chapter 4 it is put forward as a question for the council to decide upon, but now Peter makes a statement.  Here are both forms.  Chapter 4: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!”  Chapter 5: “We must obey God rather than human beings!”    The question should never be, “What do men want me to do?”  Rather, it should always be about what God wants!

Peter then details what God has done and what He is doing just as he did in chapter 4.  God raised up Jesus whom they murdered by hanging.  Of course, the Romans did the killing, but it would not have happened without the rulers pushing it.  To add insult to injury, they chose hanging to be the form of death knowing that the Law of Moses claims that a man who hangs on a tree is cursed of God.

God then exalted Jesus to His right hand in order to make him two things.  First, it is in order to make him to be Prince.  The word prince is used here in the sense of the principal leader of a something and is synonymous with king.  This is connected to Daniel 9:25 where Messiah the Prince is prophesied to be executed.

Second, Jesus is raised to the right hand of the Father in order to make him to be Savior.  Remember that this term involves more than just dealing with sins.  It may better be translated as Deliverer- like the Judges of old.  Just as Israel needed a savior all those years ago, we too need a Savior today.  Praise God that He has already given us Jesus!

Jesus was also giving to Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.  That is a powerful statement.  How long had they gone as a society without repenting for their past and present sins?  It had been a long time.  Through Jesus God was granting them repentance.  I would that God would grant to the United States of America repentance and forgiveness of sins for it seems that we are bent on doubling down on our sins.

Peter declares again that the apostles are witnesses of all of these things.  They don’t just have two or three witnesses, but twelve!  On top of that, there are two classes of witnesses.  The apostles are the human witnesses, but the Holy Spirit bears witness as well by healing powerfully through the disciples.

Peter ends with the statement that God is giving the Holy Spirit to those who obey.  In a sense, this is put before them laden with potential.  If they simply dropped the ego and admitted they were wrong, then they too could participate in the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit.  Alas, it was not to be so.

May God help us to make the choice today.  We will either be a part of the remnant that is receiving the Spirit of God and moving forward into blessing or we will be part of the larger group that is receiving the judgment of God and moving forward into His wrath.  Choose this day whom you will serve!

Run-in audio

The Acts of the Apostles 2

Subtitle: Jesus Ascends Into Heaven

Acts 1:9-14.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on May 01, 2022.

We pick up where we left off last week.  Jesus has given his final instructions and now he leaves them in a manner that has more of a finality to it.

The Ascension (1:9-11)

The term “ascension” is generally used of this event because Jesus used it in John 20:17. He tells Mary Magdalene that, “I have not yet ascended to my Father.”  The Apostle Paul also emphasizes this term in Ephesians 4:10. “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”  This word is also used of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11.  “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’  And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies say them.”

It is important to note that the ascension ends this transitional time of Jesus proving his resurrection to his disciples and focusing them on the task ahead.  He will operate from heaven from now on- not that he can’t appear for particular purposes at particular times as he did with Saul of Tarsus- until His Second Coming.  But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The disciples watch this whole event.  There is no slight of hand happening.  We are not told how quickly or how slowly the event happened.  It simply states that Jesus was “taken up.”  This taken up aspect reminds me of the prophet Elijah.  He was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot.  However, he was also in a mortal body at the time.  Jesus has an immortal, heavenly body that has powers that are essential that of angels.  He can appear and disappear, and even ascend into heaven in a fashion that they would be able to see.  He does not need a fiery chariot to carry him to heaven.  I believe that the ascension of Jesus has a greater majesty to it than Elijah’s.  Yet, even it pales in comparison to the descriptions of his Second Coming.

Jesus ascends until he goes into the clouds and is thus out of sight.  This way of leaving would help them to psychologically make the transition.  He isn’t going to appear again like he has been doing.  We need to focus on the task at hand.  It will also serve to encourage them that things are as he said they were.

The clouds are in important reference in this description.  It has Old Testament connotations to it.  Yahweh led Israel through the desert as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  Deuteronomy 33:26 tells us, “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.”  God riding through the heavens is connected to the clouds throughout the Psalms even referring to the clouds as God’s chariot (Psalm 104:3).  In Daniel 7, the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days “coming with the clouds of heaven.”

This is why the New Testament prophecies about the Second Coming of Jesus often mention Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:62).  Jesus is that Son of Man who would ride the clouds of heaven in order to receive the kingdoms of the earth from the Father.

There is no telling how long they were staring into the sky looking for another glimpse of Jesus.  We are told that two men in white apparel appear.  They are no doubt angels.  We have seen many such appearances of such “men” in connection with the resurrection of Jesus.  However, it is their message that is most important.  Essentially, they ask them why they are still staring at the sky.  The disciples are most likely somewhat in shock.  This question will serve to knock them out of this state and focus them on what they should be doing now.

They emphasize that this “same Jesus” will return in “like manner” to how he left.  This is important.  We are not waiting for another Messiah who will get rid of the wicked rulers.  It is this same Jesus who died on the cross for us.  The suffering servant has earned the right to be our Avenging Kinsman who will come to judge the earth.

Now, the second coming will be far more glorious than the ascension.  We are told that every eye will see the Second Coming.  However, we can make some comparisons.  Jesus will return to earth in bodily form.  It is not merely a metaphor for him coming into our heart at salvation.  It will be visible, and not an invisible return.  He will come on the clouds of heaven.  He will return at the Mt. of Olives first.  Lastly, the disciples of Jesus will all witness this event one way or another.

Let me take a moment to encourage us to remember that our Lord is coming back, and this earth will not continue forever, as it has since then.  Also, though Jesus is coming in bodily form, visibly and actually on the clouds of heaven, there is an important spiritual aspect to all of these.  In other words, the metaphorical meaning behind these things is important too.  Jesus does come into the life of the believer in a very real way.  He is already invisibly here observing all that the world does.  Yet, we should not ridicule or reject the literal.  The literal and the metaphorical are both important.  In fact, you should recognize that the metaphor loses its true meaning if the literal never happens.

The disciples get back on mission (1:12-14)

The words of the angels serve well to snap them out of their stupor.  They now get back on mission.  Yes, the mission is to take the Gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth, but they are also supposed to wait in Jerusalem for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit before they commence.  Verse 12 tells us that they returned to Jerusalem in obedience to the earlier words of Jesus.  They are supposed to be in Jerusalem when the Spirit of God is poured out.

Jerusalem was filled with places that one could rent due to the several feasts of the Lord that required all Israelite males to come to the city and celebrate.  Pentecost is at most 10 days away and people would be arriving and needing a place to stay.  The disciples have a place that is large enough to accommodate 120 people (see verse 15). 

Luke lists some of the people who are there.  The Eleven disciples are there, of course Judas Iscariot is no longer with them or alive.  “The women” mentioned are a group of people that would include the sisters Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, and others.  Mary the mother of Jesus is of course there.  Notably, the brothers of Jesus are there too.  Clearly the resurrection and appearances of Jesus have convinced them from their earlier skepticism.

We are told that these disciples continued in one accord.  This phrase pictures a group that is working as a unit with a passion for something.  In fact, Paul uses it of a mob in Acts 19.  The idol makers of Ephesus had stirred up the whole city and pictures them rushing into the theater “with one accord” in order to seize Paul and his companions.

The passion of the disciples was focused on receiving the Holy Spirit, and so they are spending their time in prayer asking for Jesus to send the Spirit.  Two words are translated “prayer” and “supplication” in the NKJV.  The first is a general word for prayer.  The second emphasizes a petition, or asking.  They are waiting for the Holy Spirit, but they are not inactive.  They are praying. 

We should note that their activity is not focused on their flesh.  Yes, they would have to sleep and eat, but they have a single focus and passion for receiving the Promise of the Father!  Is it possible that our lives are so full of other things to be passionate about that we are no longer as singular in our passion for the Spirit of God, like they were on that day?

Let us know that Jesus has gone into the heavens.  It does not help us to stand still staring at the heavens looking for his return.  He will come back at a time that we do not know.  Meanwhile, we must be about our Father’s business.  We must obey the commands of Christ in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We must be on mission, but also filled with the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus comes back, what will he find us doing?  May he find us being good and faithful to him and his work.

Acts- Jesus Ascends audio

The Savior of Humble Beginnings

Luke 2:10-12; Micah 5:2. December 19, 2021.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner. 

Here are some great quotes on humility.  Sir J.M. Barrie, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”  C.S. Lewis, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”  It has been also said somewhere that “Pride is about my glory; humility is about God’s glory.”

Today, we are going to take a deeper dive into the idea that God requires humility from us, not in order to keep us down (i.e., that is beneath Him), but rather so that He can lift us up.  In short, God is not proud; He never has been, period.  Therefore, Jesus the Son of God did not begin to be humble at the incarnation.  Don’t get me wrong.  It is an incredibly humble act, and yet, he chose it.  Only a humble person chooses a truly humble action.  Jesus has been eternally humble just as the Father.

This may sound like a small point at first.  However, it is huge.  It is the context of our hearts, minds, and the hearts and minds of the world around us that gets us all mixed up on pride.  It just doesn’t sink to us that the only being in the universe that “deserves” to be proud isn’t.

This world needs a Savior and the good news is that God has already sent us one.  The reality is that the world is still looking around for someone to save us, or some group.  “Yeah, we’ve heard of Jesus, but he just doesn’t cut it for us,” is the attitude that this world has, and many Christians as well.

Let’s look at the birth of Jesus and focus on the humble nature of it all.

O little town of Bethlehem

Everything in the natural about the birth of Jesus smacks of humility.  God did not pick the great Roman Empire, nor even the greatest city in Israel.  This would be the equivalent of God ignoring the united States of America today.  We might even say that He had to use Israel because they had been given the prophecies.  Yes, but that is exactly the point.  God overlooked all the great countries that existed and created a new country out of one man, Abraham.  God spoke to this small people in ways He didn’t with far greater empires.  Why would God do this?  Of course, He has a purpose, but it also goes to the heart of God’s own nature.  He is the kind of Being that is neither drawn towards our great prideful works, nor willing to draw near to those things. 

Jesus is born in Bethlehem.  Bethlehem was a small town that was 6 miles south of Jerusalem.  We don’t have population figures from that time, but scholars believe it to be from 500 to 1,000 at the most.  Even its name is quite humble.  It means “House of Bread.” 

If there is any distinction for Bethlehem, it is that it was the hometown of King David.  Of course, the only town that cares about things like that is the hometown, especially a small one.  People from small towns who go on to do great things, almost always do those great things somewhere else, often in the great cities of the world.

Bethlehem was also a place of humble occupation, which David had learned as well, shepherding.  Just as David come from humble origins, so too would the Savior of Israel, and the Savior of the world.  Being so close to Jerusalem, Bethlehem was a place that supplied sheep for the temple sacrifices.  This is an honorable thing, and yet, I am sure that no one in Jerusalem were thinking that this made Bethlehem something great.  Bethlehem was a humble place with humble people.  However, it had a calling upon it; a calling that was from God. 

Let us always remember that our greatness does not come in the scope of the things that we do.  It comes from the God who calls us to live according to His purposes.  Anything done in response to the calling of God is great because He is great.  We must never forget this.

So, what about Bethlehem’s calling?  The prophet Micah prophesied in Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

It is unclear whether Ephrathah is an older name of this town to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in Israel, or if it is the name of the area that Bethlehem was in.  Regardless, God showed Micah that the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem.  This verse is the main reason that the priests and teachers of the law pointed to Bethlehem when the Magi asked about the birthplace of the King of Israel.  Though Bethlehem was small, a great ruler for Israel would come from it.

The phrase “whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting,” has a double meaning.  First, the prophecies about this anointed king went back even before Israel.  From the very beginning in Genesis 3:15, we see the promise that one from the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.  However, knowing what we know about Jesus now, these words also point to his pre-existence.  These prophecies did not point ahead to someone who would exist in the future, but looked ahead to the intersection of The One who was with the Father in the beginning and a particular time when God would help Israel, and all the nations.  God loves to call the small and humble to big things!

Enough about the city in which Jesus chose to enter the world.  Let’s look at Jesus the child.

O little child of Bethlehem

The shepherds are told that they would find a baby in swaddling clothes.  This is not an intimidating picture for a Messiah to save Israel.  The Magi coming out of the desert with soldiers and their entourage would have been impressive.  These were not actually kings, but rather king makers.  They came from the Parthian Empire, which Rome was unable to subdue.  Yes, Jesus coming out of the desert as a mature man with angelic armies, that would be intimidating.  Or perhaps, Jesus could have descended on a cloud with the angelic armies during one of Israel’s feasts and touched down in the temple compound.  Yet, God did not choose such for his entry.  If He didn’t, then can we not see that it is because He is humble and not proud?  Those are the kind of things that we gravitate towards and desire.  Our politicians have signs the size of a school bus with their name and the music blasts as they come on the stage.  This was not the way of our Lord.  He is not proud and neither will he play to our pride.

This baby would also be lying in a manger.  This was not normal even for those days.  God knew there would be no room in the inn.  Why didn’t He fix that?  Maybe He did “fix it.”  Perhaps, we wouldn’t know a fix if it slapped us in the face.  In fact, that is part of our problem.  Our need for pride is like a junkie needing a fix.  Our cries for God to fix things are often just the cries of junkies wanting another “fix” from the Lord, wanting something that we think will get us right, but God know is just slavery.  He has a better vision for us than eternal junkies begging Him for another fix.  It was more fitting that Bethlehem would have no room for its most famous child to be born because that is our problem.  We just don’t have room in our proud lives for the humility of God.

There are many things that God doesn’t “fix” because our definitions are selfish.  Maybe God has fixed you life; maybe the things you want rid of are the very things that are necessary to bring you to see the truth.  Can you trust Him?

Something that we often overlook is that the multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,” happened somewhere else in the fields, not at the manger.  It is not like the angels wouldn’t have done that if commanded to do so, but that was not the command.  This was a journey that Jesus had to take without them.  They reveal the news to shepherd and then send them to attend the baby Jesus.  Yes, shepherds are what every new mother wants right after they have given birth.  Jesus didn’t need the fanfare and sycophantic mob crying out his praises.  He is a humble savior who is looking for some humble repentant people, who will wait for the proper time of exaltation.

Think about it.  God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.  He puts down the proud and lifts up the humble.  How much clearer must He be?  Let us join the Lord in this time of humility (I mean that in the sense of being humble).  If we suffer with Him than we will doubtless be glorified with Him and be exalted in the proper time.

Humble Beginnings audio