The Ascension Of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11)
The Great Commission
The Departure of Jesus: The story starts by talking about the important things that happened after Jesus rose from the dead. The risen Christ was with His servants for 40 days, teaching them and giving them proof that He really did rise from the dead.
The followers saw the most important event of the story happen on the Mount of Olives: Jesus rose from the dead. This event marks a major shift; it marks the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth and the beginning of the work of the Holy Spirit and the Church’s purpose.
The Great Commission Defined:
At the heart of the passage is the command known as the “Great Commission.” It is the last thing Jesus told His disciples to do. He told them to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.” This is what the commission is all about.
This imperative includes three essential parts: preaching the Gospel, baptising new Christians, and teaching them about Jesus’ ways all the time.
Key Elements Of The Great Commission:
- “Go” – This word represents the call to action, urging believers to actively engage with the world and not remain insular within their community of faith.
- “Make Disciples” – The primary task embedded within the Great Commission is the responsibility to lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, effecting a profound transformation in their lives.
- “Of All Nations” – This phrase underscores the global scope of the mission, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries to extend the redemptive message to all corners of the earth.
- “Baptizing” – This aspect signifies the public confession of faith and serves as the initiatory rite that marks an individual’s entrance into the community of believers.
- “Teaching” – Beyond the act of conversion, the Great Commission mandates ongoing discipleship and instruction in the teachings and ways of Christ, ensuring the spiritual growth and maturity of new believers.
Theological Implications:
Theologically, the Great Commission has huge effects that will last for all time. It emphasises how important the Church is for spreading the Gospel, telling people how to be saved, and following Jesus’ command to make followers.
It also shows that God’s plan to save everyone is international, offering salvation to everyone, no matter where they are from or what country they are from. The order is Trinitarian, which means that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all involved. This is shown by the command to baptise in the name of this Triune God.
Application In Modern Life:
To this day, the Great Commission is still a struggle for Christians. It urges people to get involved in evangelism and the very important job of making disciples. It also stresses how important it is for believers to work together to complete this task.
In a world with a lot of different cultures and backgrounds, believers must handle the Great Commission with cultural sensitivity and flexibility to make sure that the Gospel message speaks to a lot of different groups of people.
This text shows that the Great Commission is not just a historical event, but a charge that still strikes a chord in the lives of the Church and its members.
This part of the lesson should make you think about the Great Commission as one of the most important commands for all Christians and get you talking about how to carry out this task in the modern world.
The Promise Of The Holy Spirit
The Context Of The Promise: The scene unfolds in Acts 1, with the disciples gathered alongside Jesus on the Mount of Olives. These followers had borne witness to the astonishing reality of Christ’s resurrection and were now in anticipation of receiving His final instructions.
It’s within this context that Jesus had made a promise, a promise of profound significance—the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The Significance Of The Promise:
The promise of the Holy Spirit was an important part of God’s plan to give the growing Church the power it needed to do its holy work. In addition, the coming of the Holy Spirit was a sign that Jesus would always be with His disciples.
He wasn’t leaving them; instead, He was reassuring them that He would always be with them. The disciples would find a divine guide, a divine source of strength, and a constant source of divine comfort through the Holy Spirit as they began their mission.
The Role Of The Holy Spirit:
- Comforter And Counselor – The Holy Spirit was the promised Comforter, serving as a Counselor, offering solace and imparting wisdom to the disciples during times of uncertainty and adversity. When trials loomed, the Spirit would be their source of comfort and guidance.
- Empowerment For Witness – The Spirit was not just a source of personal encouragement but a divine empowerment for the task of bearing witness for Christ. The disciples were to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth, and it was the Holy Spirit who would equip them for this daunting endeavor.
- Conviction Of Sin – Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, hearts would be convicted of sin, and individuals would be drawn to repentance. This divine influence would prompt many to turn to Christ in faith and find forgiveness.
- Teacher Of Truth – The Holy Spirit was to be their guide into all truth, illuminating the truths of God’s Word, providing insights, and helping them understand the depths of divine wisdom.
Filling Vs. Baptism With The Holy Spirit:
It’s important to know the difference between being filled with the Holy Spirit and being baptised with the Holy Spirit, which happened at Pentecost.
Christians are always and repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit, which lets them live a Spirit-led life every day. This filling gives them the tools they need to live a good life, gives them knowledge, and grows spiritual fruit.
On the other hand, being baptised with the Holy Spirit is a unique and life-changing event that gives Christians the power to serve and minister. It became very clear on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and showed them things they could see.
As seen in Acts, this one-of-a-kind experience is often marked by speaking in tongues, and it gives people the power to carry out the Great Commission.
Relevance For Today:
The promise of the Holy Spirit isn’t just for the early Church; it’s for all Christians today. Christians today have the blessed opportunity to feel the Holy Spirit living inside them and giving them power.
People who follow Jesus and help others will always have the Holy Spirit by their side. He is their divine guide, their comforting presence, and their source of strength. In a nutshell, the word of the Holy Spirit in Acts is still relevant and useful for Christians today.
Christians can live godly lives, do good witnessing and service, and have a deep, life-changing relationship with the triune God because the Holy Spirit lives in them and gives them power. This promise from God is a gift that will last forever and will help and guide the Church throughout the ages.
In this part of the lesson, the students should think about how important the Holy Spirit’s promise is to them and how they can depend on the Spirit to guide and empower them in their Christian journey and mission.
Waiting In Prayer And Unity
The Importance Of Waiting:
After Jesus went to heaven, He gave His disciples a very important message: they should wait in Jerusalem. What they were “waiting” for, though, wasn’t a passive lack of action; they were actively waiting.
In the Bible, waiting is more than just doing nothing; it’s a state of seeking God’s will and His perfect time. This is a time of waiting and asking God for help.
Prayer As A Key Component:
During this period of waiting, the disciples, along with Mary and other believers, devoted themselves to prayer. Prayer, in this context, emerged as a vital spiritual discipline that connected these individuals with God, aligning their hearts with His divine purposes.
It was a means of seeking God’s guidance, provision, and direction as they looked toward the future. Prayer was their lifeline to the Almighty, a powerful connection to the One who would soon send the Holy Spirit.
Unity In Prayer:
The disciples weren’t just praying individually; they were in “one accord” in their prayers. This emphasis on unity in prayer is a remarkable demonstration of its potency. Unity in prayer brings believers together, aligning their hearts, minds, and voices with God’s will.
It’s a divine orchestra of souls, resonating in harmony with the purposes of the Almighty. Moreover, unity in prayer fosters love, harmony, and deepening fellowship among believers. It’s a shared journey of faith, an experience of oneness that transcends individual concerns and cultivates a shared purpose.
Preparing For The Holy Spirit:
This period of waiting was not merely a pause; it was a time of profound preparation. The disciples were preparing for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them for their divine mission.
Their unity and ceaseless prayer were instrumental in readying their hearts to receive the Spirit’s empowering presence. They were attuned to God’s timing and His plans, in the right spiritual posture to be effectively used in God’s mission.
Application In Modern Life:
The idea of waiting in prayer and unity is still wise for Christians today. It shows how important it is to be patient, trusting, and steadfast in seeking God’s will.
In a world that values instant gratification a lot, it tells us of how important it is to trust God’s timing and ask for his help as we go through the different seasons of life.
It also shows how important society and helping each other out are on our faith journey. People who believe are not meant to go through this journey by themselves. They are called to be a part of a faith community, where praying together as a group is a strong force for God’s kingdom. Faith is what brings us together and gives us hope, support, and love.
We have to align ourselves with God’s perfect timing and divine goals in order to wait in prayer and unity. It’s a call to immerse ourselves in the timeless truth that seeking God’s will is a beautiful process that is best done with other Christians.
As a way to get ready for the coming of the Holy Spirit and as a regular part of their Christian walk, this part of the lesson should make people think about how important it is to wait in prayer and unity. It should also make them think about how these ideas can be used to bring people together and help them grow spiritually in their faith groups.