Acts 1
Doctor Luke was a scientist, so he made very careful research into everything Jesus said and did, interviewing all the people who knew and interacted with Him, in order to make sure that all the stories that were going around were really accurate according to the Truth of what really happened. That's why he wrote the Gospel According to Luke.
And that is also why he wrote this treatise of The Acts of the Apostles, to continue the story God was folding out, especially since he himself is part of this continuing saga as he travelled with Paul as his doctor (Acts 16:7, they; v. 10, we, when he joined the party).
This first chapter records how Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth.
And when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up into a cloud that received Him out of their sight.
And while they were still looking earnestly toward Heaven, suddenly two men stood by them in white apparel;
And said, Why are you men of Galilee standing here gazing up into Heaven?
This same Jesus, that has been taken from you into Heaven, shall come again in the same way that you saw Him go into Heaven. (Vs. 8-11.)
So here is another promise that Jesus will come back, coming through the clouds to the Mount of Olives, just as He went up into the clouds from the Mount of Olives. (As Zechariah describes in chapter 14.)
Then they walked the Sabbath's day journey, about 3/5ths of a mile, to Jerusalem, to the upper room where Peter and James were staying, and all the other Apostles and disciples were with them, about 120 people in all, including Jesus' mother and His brothers, too. (Vs. 12-14.)
Since the Apostles' number went from 12 to 11 with the abdication of Judas, who had hanged himself in despair; Peter held a vote, and two were appointed to take his place; so they cast lots, probably like dice, and it fell on Matthias to take Judas' place as the 12th Apostle. (Vs. 15-26.)
We never hear any more about Matthias, this is the only place in the whole Bible where his name is mentioned.
But when Saul of Tarsis has his crisis of faith (Acts 9) and becomes Paul the Evangelist (Acts 13), he considers himself to be the twelfth Apostle (Romans 1:1; I Corinthians 1:1; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; I Timothy 1:1; II Timothy 1:1; and Titus 1:1), so maybe Peter was jumping the gun here, in rushing to fill that position.
O my Father, Your written Word is so rich in knowledge and wisdom and information and depth of understanding! It's like You wrote it in a code that takes Your Holy Spirit in us to decrypt and decypher it.
Father, please continue to reveal Your Truth to me, so that I will have an accurate understanding of what You are saying to us. Help me to use the words that will convey a clear picture of Your Truth, in whichever facet I am focused on to share. Keep me from any kind of minor or major error in my telling, and use my efforts in Your strength to draw others ever closer to Yourself, to love You and love others as You have Loved us.
O Father, keep us all firmly in Your Truth; in every story, in every point of doctrine to believe, in every detail of what we need to know. So that we will be confident in Your trustworthyness and bold in our proclamations that we broadcast throughout all the World.
And we know that Your Word is True and Steadfast, and will remain in effect until everything, every detail, every promise, every prophecy, is fulfilled and finished, exactly as You said it.
And You will receive all the Glory and Honor and Praise, when every knee will bow and every tongue will admit, in every created realm, that Jesus is our Lord God and Sovereign King, forever and ever throughout all Eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
