Acts 1:1–11: The Return of the King
Introduction
The Gospel according to Luke ends with the triumph of Jesus. After living a perfect life, suffering, dying, and being buried for three days, Jesus rises from the dead and begins teaching his disciples about the significance of all that he had done and taught (Luke 24:1–49). Then, the Gospel of Luke concludes with a brief story of Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50–53). But now what? What are Jesus’ disciples (not only the Eleven, but all the rest of Jesus’ disciples—including us living today) supposed to do in Jesus’ absence? Thankfully, in the Book of Acts, Luke offers us a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Here, we see not only the history of the early church, but a biblical pattern and vision for life in the church throughout the rest of history until Jesus returns again. While the full answer to the question, “now what?”, will require studying the rest of the Book of Acts, the opening verses of the book in Acts 1:1–11 set the theme of the book clearly: King Jesus is reigning until his return.
Discussion Questions
1. What did Luke say to Theophilus in “the first book” (v. 1a; cf. Luke 1:1–4)? What does Luke say to Theophilus about his reasons for writing this sequel to the Gospel of Luke (v. 1b)? What does Luke suggest by speaking of what Jesus “began to do and teach” (v. 1c)? What does this passage tell us about the forty day period between when Jesus was raised “alive…after his suffering” and “the day when he was taken up” (v. 2, 3)? Why is the Holy Spirit so prominent in this section?
2. Were the apostles right to ask about Jesus’ kingdom (v. 6)? Did they have the right assumptions and expectations about the nature of the kingdom? Why is the power of the Holy Spirit so important for the accomplishment of the mission that God has given to his church (v. 8a)? Where do the witnesses of Jesus begin their work (v. 8b)? How far does this mission of bearing witness to Jesus take the disciples within the Book of Acts (v. 8c; see also Acts 28)?
3. Why must Jesus ascend to heaven (v. 9a)? How does his ascension relate to his kingship? What is the significance of the cloud (v. 9b; see also Dan. 7:13–14)? What light does Psalm 24 shed on the ascension of Jesus? How do the two men who appear to the apostles compare to the two men who appear to the women at the empty tomb (v. 10–11; see also Luke 24:4–7)? What hope do we have in the promise that Jesus will return in the same way that he ascended (v. 11)?
4. What impressions do you have about the Book of Acts? What do you want to learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church? What do you want to learn about the church itself? Why is it so important to see the Book of Acts as the continuation of what Jesus began to do and to teach (v. 1)? How does this inform our understanding of how to read the Book of Acts? How does this inform our understanding of what Jesus continues to do and teach in the world today?
