Proof

Acts Chapter 2

– Peter was convinced and he stood up to tell it out loud. But what convinced him?

Wiersbe wrote:

‘The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to -

glorify Christ in the life and witness of the believer’.*¹

When John the Baptist speaks of Jesus he is careful to emphasise that Jesus is first, He was before, and He is greater than …. The focus is shifted to Jesus. Luke, when writing about John the Baptist, is also careful to state that John ‘prepared the way’ for Jesus. It is Jesus who is the focus.

In Acts 2 Luke is again careful to record that it was Jesus’ death and resurrection which had enabled this day of out pouring of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the focus - even the dates point to Jesus’ fulfilment of prophecy and Scripture.

Pentecost, known as Harvest or the ‘Feast of Weeks’ is the birth date of Judaism. It comes seven weeks (50 days) after Passover when the Israelites left Egypt.

• It is the festival which celebrates the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai.
• It is the festival which remembers their dependence on God; on the same day that they were given the law, 3000 souls had died due to disobedience.
• It is the festival in which God told the Israelites to offer two loaves of bread with seven male lambs as a peace offering (wave offering, see Lev 23:19). ‘It was one of the days on which all Israel was to meet God and one another, at the place which the Lord should choose’ *².

It is not surprising then that so many people were glad to hear Peter’s words and believed. They expected God to meet them – expected. Do we have that expectancy?

Peter gave four proofs that Jesus had risen from the dead:

1. The person of Jesus – Those listening would no doubt have heard if not witnessed Jesus. He had lived, ministered and been crucified and in his life no wrong could be found against him. He was the talk of the town!
2. Prophecy of David – Psalm 16:8-11 – verses which obviously could not apply to David who was already dead and buried.
3. Witnesses to his being risen. After his death many had seen him in various places, from a BBQ on the beach (John 21:9) to a conference of 500 (1 Cor 15:6). From a group of disbanded, sad, dejected, men and women suddenly people were saying – No, we were wrong – he is not dead- now we understand who he was/is. He is risen.
4. And now the last proof – The Holy Spirit – the promise of God that would come in the last days to God’s people. He must be alive for this to be happening. He must be who he said he was. And now they understood. Do We?

Acts ch: 1 They Believed

Acts Chapter 1

They believed

In what and why?
Risen Christ – The people of Galilee had known of Jesus or seen him, a preacher, teacher, healer, friend and master. He had travelled through out the region, often followed by masses of people. He was definitely known - even political and other documents of the time and contemporary history books confirm that there was a figure Jesus who is the same person we learn of. His followers, who saw him die and then be buried, knew he had died and when they came to the grave yard and found his tomb open they still needed proof that he was risen and they got it!

He appeared and disappeared to many, in public and private places, during a period of forty days. He ate with them, invited them to touch his body, gave instructions, and taught them. Luke tells us that ‘he (Jesus) gave proofs’ and what ever they were they must have been convincing because these people were prepared to make fools of themselves, be martyred and continue preaching though told not to. Are there proofs that you have found that help you believe? It is often helpful to hear from friends and to remind ourselves.

Kingdom – Jesus does not rebuke the disciples' question about the Kingdom Acts 1:6, after all he had opened their minds to Scripture (Luke 24:44-45), they knew what they were asking, probably far more than we understand! But Jesus does explain that it is not for us to know the time or place but it is for us to be spiritually changed. And it was and is time for us to be part of sharing this spiritual Kingdom with those who want to hear the message. The assured hope is that Jesus has ‘given us our future’ and it is good to look forward to that, but it is also important to be busy in the present. Thinking of our earthly lives and careers we can draw a parallel in that we work hard for our future - do we not!

Each Other – A group of humble, devoted, holy followers huddle together - Doubting Thomas, Denying Peter, the ‘wanting to be greatest’ brothers - James and John, the unloyal brothers of Jesus, the list could go on. A very holy bunch! Those assembled could have blamed each other and doubted each other but they did not. They did not. They believed in each other and bound themselves together in unity they also believed in Gods leading - in one accord. ‘One accord’ is found six times in Acts – (1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25 and note 2:44)

Now there is a challenge!