For our Cultivating Beauty and Truth feast, we are also reading through and studying the book of Acts.

As the Book of Acts begins, Dr. Luke is sending a second letter to his friend Theo, about all the things that Jesus does after the resurrection. Jesus hangs around and talks to his disciples for forty days, telling them that the Holy Spirit is going to immerse them in power and that they are to be witnesses locally and “to the end of the earth.” Jesus ascends into the sky; two men (angels?) tell the witnesses that Jesus will come back (at some unspecified time); and the witnesses return to Jerusalem to pray, the 11 disciples, the women followers, other men who were followers of Jesus, and Jesus’ family, 120 of them in all.

They decide that they need someone to replace Judas Iscariot (not sure why?). So they look for someone who has been with Jesus during his entire ministry and can witness to the resurrection, and they nominate two guys: Joseph Barsabas and Matthias. They roll the dice, and choose Matthias. And I think that’s the last we hear of Matthias or Joseph Barsabas in the BIble?

Someone called this book of the Bible “The Acts of the Apostles”, and it does tell about what happened with the apostles or followers of Jesus after His ascension. Another writer said it should be called “The Acts of Jesus” because it tells how Jesus continues toward to establish His church. But I think the best title would be “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” because right here at the beginning the Father and the Son begin to work through the agency of the Holy Spirit as the Three-in-One work together to spread the gospel of Jesus over “all the earth.”

Read more about the ascension of Jesus and its meaning.

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What did you you learn or notice about God or about His disciples in this chapter?