Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
Acts 1:1-5 The Message Bible
Three powerful life lessons are found in this portion of the New Testament scripture. If you are not careful, you can easily read over them.
The Bible says that God (the Father) so loved that he gave—the Son. It can be said the Son so loved that he instructed—humanity. And that the Holy Spirit so loved that he clarified—the teachings of God the Son.
Three lessons from Acts 1:1-5
1—The ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit
Throughout his time on Earth, Jesus had many followers. Many came, and many left, while some stayed. One such example is found in the New Testament Gospels of John. After teaching about the importance of eating his body and drinking his blood, many of Jesus’ followers walked away. Turning to the 12 (disciples), he asks them if they, too, will leave. Their response was, where else would we go? Only you have the words of life.
God, the Holy Spirit, knows a willing human heart and prepares it for an encounter with Jesus. The stories of the 12 disciples (found in the four New Testament Gospel books) bear this out.
When your heart is open to knowing God, God the Holy Spirit prepares you for an encounter with Jesus, God the Son. Perhaps you have your own story of this taking place. In the Apostle Peter’s case, it was an enthusiastic invite from his fishing buddy. For Nathaniel, it happened when Jesus said he saw him praying under a tree.
2—He presented himself alive
The resurrection event of Jesus may have been a private matter, but the next 40 days of his life were very much public—among those who believed in him. Jesus was alive and made sure that his followers knew it. He presents himself alive in many different fashions. He appeared in a locked room, walked through a closed door, and in this account of his story, he met face-to-face with people, eating with them.
Jesus spent his time talking about the Kingdom of God. God’s kingdom message is his love, the complete forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life with him.
3—The Father’s promise: the Holy Spirit
God, the Holy Spirit, is the active agent of the Godhead on the earth today. He is not some afterthought or second fiddle of the Godhead.
The purpose of the Godhead on earth today functions through God the Spirit. His presence in your life is vital for a close personal relationship. The importance of the Holy Spirit is why the adversary—the devil—has attempted to misalign the person and mission of the Holy Spirit.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. I will pass it along as I learn so you, too, can understand. I hope that, as you know, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.