Most sequels disappoint. In only a handful of instances, the second movie lives up to the standard set by the first. This is NOT the case with the book of Acts.
Luke's second volume is powerful and compelling, just like his prequel. He had one thing going for him that Hollywood screenwriters don't. Inspiration from the Holy Spirit!
Dr. Luke addresses this second volume to Theophilus (v1). This is the same recipient as the Gospel that bears his name. The name Theophilus means simply "lover of God." We don't know if this is his proper name or a nickname gained after his conversion.
There's evidence that Theo was a man of means. Luke's use of "most excellent Theolphilus" (Lk 1:3) is a title used to address high ranking officials (Acts 24:3; 26:25). This would explain the relationship between Luke and Theo.
Theo may well have commissioned this Gentile physician to investigate the life of Jesus and His followers. He could have covered the cost of Luke's travels and research.
Thanks to their Spirit-inspired partnership, the team of Luke and Theo delivered one-fourth of our NT by volume.
Oh, that we would have hearts that burn to learn more about Christ and His Gospel like Luke and Theophilus!
One of them devoted his resources to the discovery of the facts about the mysterious Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. The other gave years of his life traveling, interviewing eyewitnesses, putting his very life on the line to get the truth about Jesus.
Two thousand years later, let us turn to those NT eyewitnesses for the truth!
Luke reaffirms his purpose in writing the prequel. He "dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach." It's curious that he uses the word "began."
His point here seems to be that Christ continued to do and teach after His ascension. He would do that by the power of His Holy Spirit through His apostles and His church. While the canon of Scripture is clearly closed, Jesus continues to do and teach through His Body, the local church.
Luke tells Theo that his first book wrapped up at Jesus' breathtaking blast off from the Mount of Olives (v2), "the day He was taken up." The rest of verse 2 can be a little tricky to unravel from the Greek. Suffice it to say, Christ gave commands to His followers to carry out.
He specifically chose apostles to be His official emissaries. An apostle was someone given all the rights and privileges of the sender.
It held a special place in Mediterranean culture. These were so much more than errand boys. These apostles had power and authority as ones sent by Jesus Himself.
Don't skip over the fact that Christ chose these men to be apostles. The Greek verb here is eklegomai, which means not only to choose but to elect.
Jesus didn't just randomly pull 12 men out of the crowd. He specifically sought them for this very crucial and specific mission.
And He still does this today. If you are a follower of Jesus, He has handpicked you. He has chosen you. He has elected you.
And Jesus did all of this "through the Holy Spirit." The role of the Third Person of the Trinity is front and center in both of Luke's letters. The Spirit flows freely through Luke's Gospel.
And in this sequel, the Spirit of Christ takes center stage. Many people have said this work should be called "The Acts of the Holy Spirit" rather than "The Acts of the Apostles."
Dr. Luke tells Theo that the risen Jesus "presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs" (v3). The physician reminds his recipient of a crucial historical fact: Jesus is ALIVE!
This wasn't some mass hallucination or wishful thinking on the part of His followers. Jesus was and is ALIVE!!
The resurrected Rabbi left no doubt, according to Luke. He had suffered greatly that bloody Passover Friday. The Greek word for suffering is pascho, meaning to suffer or to die a torturous death. It is strongly tied to the term "paschal," having to do with the Passover.
Jesus provided witnesses with undeniable proof or tekmerion. This is indisputable evidence. Some believe this is a medical term used by Dr. Luke which means "demonstrative evidence."
Jesus didn't just make a couple of appearances to a handful of heartbroken followers. He showed up time after time, "appearing to them during forty days." How often we miss the fact that He was with His followers regularly for more than a month after His resurrection.
I encourage each of us to study our Lord's appearances between the empty tomb and His return to heaven. These are too often overlooked. Paul includes a wonderful description of these forty amazing days in 1Cor 15:3-8.
What did Jesus do in these forty days? He taught His followers "about the kingdom of God." They now had a perspective of God's Kingdom that they didn't have before. But He wouldn't be with them in the flesh much longer. The clock's ticking. Time's a wasting.
Wild and crazy things are about to go down. The book of Acts is loaded with incredible events that will bend your mind. It is a most amazing sequel.
©2011
Jay Jennings
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