1. OK…so, in case you didn’t know, the Book of Acts is really just part two of the Gospel of Luke. Luke wrote it. And Jesus’ ascension into heaven is like the halfway marker. Some people wonder if “Theophilus” is a real person. I’m not sure. But, I do know that “Theophilus” means lover of God, so I think this book is meant for all lovers of God…
2. We kind of get a recap from the book of Luke…ok.
3. Jesus was on earth after His resurrection for 40 days. 40’s a magic number.
4. Oh yeah, in the last episode, Jesus told everyone to stay put until everyone gets their present– the Holy Spirit. This ought to be awesome!
5. People were still confused about Jesus’ purpose for coming. They thought that He was going to restore the kingdom of Israel. This restoration that Jesus did is so much more than just a political restoration.
6. If it’s not for us to know God’s timing, why do people obsess over trying to figure it out?
7. Boy, will they ever become powerful!
8. Oh…Jesus got warped up. So, we just got some extra details about what He said before He went to heaven.
9. As the guys were staring up at the sky, wondering, “How’d He do that?,” the two men dressed in white told them that that was a sneak preview about how Jesus will return. OK…who are those guys?
1. Jesus gives the disciples His great “I told you so” about how He must died, be resurrected, and ascend into heaven. He references the books of Moses, all the prophets, and the book of Psalms as His proof that this was planned waaaaaaay ahead of time.
2. What do you think it was like for them to all of a sudden have their “minds opened” so that they could understand Scripture? I bet that was a surge of understanding all at once. Talk about light bulbs going off over their heads!
3. Jesus sent the disciples to go out and preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. That’s really what it’s all about. Turn away from sin because you are forgiven.
4. “All nations.” Does that get you inspired about international missions?
5. Jesus even tells them that they’ve got a present coming their way from God– the Holy Spirit. This is going to be good…
6. That final blessing was probably more emotional than when Frodo left the Shire to go into the west. Can you imagine how the disciples were feeling?
7. And then Jesus was “taken up” into heaven. Who knows what it looked like, but I bet it was pretty wild. Or maybe He just disappeared. Who knows.
8. The first worship service of the church (without Jesus) occurred spontaneously on this hillside. And, man, were they pumped…
9. From then on, they held the fort and the temple, praising God. This must have been an amazing time.
1. It doesn’t really say who the two of them are yet. I wonder which two. Could you imagine being a little birdie and being able to listen in on their conversation? What do you think they were saying?
2. It’s just crazy to think that Jesus simply “came up” and walked with them. I wonder if He teleported into the scene. Anyway, they didn’t recognize Him (kind of like with Mary…I wonder how He was different in appearance.)
3. They didn’t even want to go through the story again. Maybe they thought that He would stop asking questions if they didn’t answer. They had been through a lot.
4. This Cleopas guy is significant because his wife, Mary (a different Mary from Magdalene and Jesus’ mother), was at the cross. So, he must have been a close follower of Jesus. He basically asks Jesus if He has been living under a rock to not know what just happened. You can sense his frustration.
5. Why do you think Jesus is “playing dumb”?
6. It’s interesting that they only call Jesus a prophet, not the Son of God. Do you think all their faith had diminished because the “Son of God” appeared to be dead?
7. They’re obviously disappointed because they thought Jesus was the One, and now they are in crisis because they don’t know where His body is. I mean, I know these guys should believe their wives; but do you think they doubted the women’s testimony? Would you have believed all that talk about angels?
8. The guys went and checked out the scene, but there was no Jesus. Would you have believed that He had risen?
9. Jesus lays into them for not realizing that everything was happening according to His plan. He explains the history of all the prophecies concerning Him, including the part where He would suffer, die, be buried, and conquer death.
10. “Moses” is the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). The Prophets include all the major and minor prophets’ books in the Old Testament. So, Jesus is basically giving them a Jewish history lesson on why Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jewish faith.
11. They still didn’t know that it was Jesus. But, they were hospitable towards Him. And that’s when it all happened. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. This is a “reenactment” of the Last Supper, but it’s more than that– this is what Jesus did for them. His body was broken, and He gave His life to these guys. Maybe that’s why their eyes were opened at this point.
12. As soon as they realized who He was, He disappeared. Weird. Then they realize that that burning in their hearts while He was teaching was really a recognition that it was the “Word” of God talking about the Word of God.
13. Whatever their business was in Emmaus was over. They made a b-line to Jerusalem, back to the remaining eleven disciples and all who were with them.
14. Was one of the guys Simon, like the disciple? Hmm…some dude named Simon and definitely Cleopas saw Him. Can you imagine getting this verification from these guys?
15. Jesus appears to warp into the room in the midst of the discussion. He says hello (peace). Something about Jesus’ makeup at this point made them think He was a ghost. I wonder if His body was “different.” It couldn’t have been that different because He appeared to be a gardener at one point.
16. Jesus asked them to touch Him. Apparently, His body was actual flesh and bone. So much for this being simply a “spiritual” resurrection. This is the real deal!
17. They even saw the holes from the spikes. That’s realer than real can be. And, while they were still smacking themselves in the head, Jesus sat down and ate some fish! Crazy!
1. We don’t really know what kind of criminals they were, just that they were criminals. Why does everyone assume that they were thieves?
2. I can’t imagine being mocked, tortured, and being put to death and still having the ability to forgive. That’s what makes Jesus so amazing…
3. Still, some rulers mocked Him. I don’t know how they could have that much hate…
4. “Save yourself,” coming from the soldiers. It’s exactly because Jesus did NOT save Himself that we are saved.
5. More mockery in the form of the notice above His head.
6. More mockery, this time from one of the criminals. Did he think that picking on Jesus was going to make his death any easier?
7. Too bad we don’t know the other criminal’s name. I guess it doesn’t matter because Jesus did. Check out his response. First, it’s all about respect of God to him. He doesn’t understand why someone who is going to die is going to out like a punk. He understands that he is a sinner. He knows what he has done is wrong. He also recognizes that Jesus was innocent. How do you think he knew that?
8. The criminal asks Jesus to remember him when He goes into His kingdom. That’s a sign of faith, if you ask me. And Jesus must have agreed because He promised Him eternity with God.
9. That must have been weird, the sun going out for three hours during the middle of the day. That’s no eclipse.
10. The curtain in the temple separated the “most holy place” from the rest of the world. When it ripped in two, it might have been a symbolic way of representing that man could now have access to God.
11. Jesus went out giving His life spirit to His Father, in an act of total submission. And then He died. The Son of God died.
12. A centurion is a military leader. This guy saw what had happened and praised God. What do you think it was that he saw that caused him to believe that Jesus was a “righteous man”?
13. Do you think that these people beating their breasts was a sign of real mourning?
14. All the people who knew Jesus stood at a distance. Why do you think they stood back? Do you think it would have been safe for them to express themselves?
15. Another Joseph. Sheesh. So there were people in the religious leadership who were against their treatment of Jesus. I guess he was just in the minority. It says that he was “waiting for the kingdom of God.” Does that mean that he didn’t realize who Jesus was? Or does it mean that he was ready when Jesus did come?
16. Pilate didn’t seem to think much of Joseph’s request to take the body. It’s amazing that the women actually waiting 24 hours for the Sabbath before they put spices on Jesus’ body. Either way, all of this stuff sounds like a standard, tragic burial…
1. Back to Jesus’ part. (We had a detour to see what became of Judas.) Now it’s time to take Jesus off to Pilate. Remember, they accused Him of blasphemy; and are going to tell the Romans how to deal with a religious prisoner. This ought to be interesting…
2. OK…so they take the political route. Keep in mind, they want to have Jesus killed because of blasphemy. Do you think the Roman government gives two cents whether or not Jesus offended the “Jewish God”?
3. So, instead of appealing to this blasphemy charge, they take the “subversive” angle. They misquote Jesus about paying taxes (Jesus said to pay your taxes!) and being the king (we ALL know that He meant a spiritual king, not the king of the Roman empire). They’re just grasping at straws.
4. So…Jesus asks Jesus if He’s king of the Jews. Jesus says, “You said it.” Apparently, this didn’t really bother Pilate that much. He didn’t really care if Jesus thought He was the king of Jews. Even if He was, the “king of the Jews” is only a puppet to the will of Caesar.
5. So…now they imply that Jesus “stirs up” the people. So much for Pilate having a relaxing tour in the middle east…
6. Somehow, in that accusation, though, Pilate realized that Jesus wasn’t really his problem– He was Herod’s problem (this is a different Herod than the one who killed all the babies, by the way). And it just so happened that Herod was hanging out in Jerusalem at the time. What luck! Pilate wouldn’t have to make an unpopular decision and incite unrest.
7. Herod seems amused by Jesus. It says that he had wanted to see Him. Kind of makes you wonder because, if Jesus was claiming that He WAS the king of the Jews, this would be big-time threat to Herod. Apparently, Herod was more interested in a magic show…
8. Herod asked Jesus a ton of questions, but Jesus didn’t say anything. (I think “Jesus Christ Superstar,” even though it’s way off in a lot of things, takes a seemingly realistic angle on Herod’s motivation in the musical. He’s basically mocking Jesus throughout his interrogation, but Jesus won’t indulge him).
9. Those good ol’ religious leaders are still accusing him, working themselves up into a fury; but it appears that Herod was in a more playful mood. He was just picking on Jesus. He even mockingly dressed Him up in a king’s robe (to mock the idea that Jesus was the “king” of the Jews) and sent Him back to Herod. I can’t imagine how much restraint it took for Jesus to not knock Herod into kingdom come…
10. Why do you think Herod and Pilate became friends on this day?
1. Oh, man, here we go. We’re getting close to the Passion of the Christ…
2. Wow…so…we already knew that they were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, and it appears that Satan gave them a solution. Question…do you think Judas had a choice as to whether Satan entered him, or do you think that this was the purpose of Judas’ life? Do you think that Judas’ previous behavior made him more susceptible to being “possessed”? Do you think this still can happen today?
3. Mental note: Jesus probably knows, in all the upcoming events, that Judas is possessed by Satan.
4. Judas knew that if he betrayed Jesus in a crowd that they’d probably not be successful. This was methodical. Why do you think Judas accepted money? I mean, if he was really possessed by Satan, do you think that the devil cares about money?
5. Jesus told Peter and John to get things ready for the Passover. I wonder why it isn’t common for Christians to honor the Passover. I mean, Jesus celebrated it.
6. It’s crazy to think that Jesus and His disciples were essentially homeless. Where would you make a meal if you had no home?
7. Here’s a specific time when Jesus tells them exactly where to go and what to do and what to say. Man, too bad life isn’t always that easy. We do have the compass of the Holy Spirit, though, to guide us towards where God is leading us…
1. And now there’s more about the end…
2. I guess there’s going to be astrological anomalies…interesting.
3. Wow…how about the whole idea of global warming causing the sea to sweep over cities on the coast. Sounds a little like “nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” I don’t like to interpret stuff like this; but, man, that could be a possibility.
4. The heavenly bodies will be shaken. Hmm…I wonder if that means that there will be a meteor shower or something.
5. Jesus will come down in a cloud with power and glory. Whoah. I can’t even imagine what that would be like. All it says is that you don’t want to turn from your TV’s during that time because IT is about to happen. The world is going to be MADE RIGHT!
6. I actually had a fig tree in my yard; and, indeed, when leaves blossom it’s time for the summer. Incidentally, figs directly off the tree don’t taste that great. They need sugar.
7. What does Jesus mean by “this generation.” Because, if He measures generations like we measure generations, He would have obviously been proven false by this. Because these things didn’t happen in the AD 30-100 generation. So…what is a generation to God?
8. I don’t want my heart to be watered down, intoxicated, or so preoccupied that I am not ready. Man…how does our faith become watered down? How does it become drunk? How does it become preoccupied?
9. We are to pray that we will escape all that is going to happen. The only thing that will matter, at that time, is being able to stand before Jesus.
10. Does all this stuff freak anyone else out?
1. It’s inspirational to think that a woman without much gives more because she gives out of her poverty. I think we measure what we are doing with out offerings to God too much in man’s eyes. That’s why I think that the tithe is brilliant in some ways but deceptive in others. Yeah, for someone without much, 10% might be a huge commitment; but it’s not to someone like Johan Santana (the Mets new pitcher) who’s going to be making 23 million dollars a year. I think as we grow in wealth, we need to consider upping how much we give to God. I mean, isn’t there a place where we have “enough”? Or, as crazy Americans, is there always going to be something else that we “need”?
2. I bet the temple was pretty. But Jesus tells the disciples that it’s not built to last. They wonder when the temple’s going down…
3. Jesus tells them that this end is coming right away. I wonder why so many thought that it was going to happen soon, though. It seems like every generation thinks that their time is the “end of times.” Why is that?
4. You could say that we have nations fighting each other, earthquakes, famines, and whatnot. I don’t know. I don’t pretend to know. How would you live differently if you know that we were, in fact, living in the end times?
5. Also, it appears that their will be an assault on those who follow Christ. See, I don’t think it’s happened to the degree that Jesus is talking about here. Maybe I’m just looking at it from an American perspective. I know people are being persecuted in other parts of the world.
6. Do you think that Jesus is talking about the future, or do you think that, now, He’s talking about the lifetimes of the disciples? Because, I mean, almost all of those guys were sold out and killed…
7. Jerusalem is not really surrounded by armies right now. Has anyone read the “Left Behind” books? When they surround Jerusalem, it’s like a worldwide military assault.
8. I can’t imagine what it will be like to live in those times…
9. Wow…yeah, how would it be to have a baby in your womb or on your hip in a time when it is a free-for-all against Christ-followers? Not good.
1. Does anyone really think that you could use spies on Jesus? He’s God. Um…you’re not going to fool Him.
2. They didn’t know how to deal with Jesus, so they decided to try to trap Him into saying something that would get Him arrested for political (not religious) reasons. You have to admire their perseverance…
3. Why are they even wasting time trying to butter Jesus up?
4. I guess they assumed that, since Jesus was the Christ (the One who would free the Jews from oppression), He would say, “Viva la revolucion! To heck with paying taxes to Caesar.” They were wrong…
5. Jesus’ answer is awesome. Follow your obligations to give money to Caesar (his image IS on the danarius coin). But since the image of God is on you, you need to give your life to God. Awesome!
6. He stupefied them.
7. OK, so the Sadducees didn’t believe in life after death. How sad, you see. He he he…that sounds like Sadducee. He he he…
8. More of the law of Moses. This almost sounds like a riddle. But, indeed, this is a law in the Old Testament. If a guy dies, the next oldest brother marries the widow and preserves the line by having a kid for the older brother. It sounds weird. But that’s what they used to do.
9. I’d be wondering if that woman was poisonous or something.
10. It is a good question, though, who will she be married to at the resurrection because all seven brothers were her husband.
11. Does it bother any of you to see that Jesus doesn’t seem to say that marriage really exists in heaven?
12. My wife, Mary Kate, would be more like my sister in heaven. You know, I think that might even be better in a lot of ways. We will be children of God.
13. Wow, and Jesus says that even Moses believed that people weren’t dead after their lives on earth. He calls God “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus says that this was understood that none of those guys were “no longer” even though they were dead.
14. I picture some British teachers saying, “Tally ho! Good show! Touche’!” He he he…
15. Any more questions? No. Ok. He he he…
1. OK, so we’re still in Jericho; and we hear about this rich tax collector named Zaccheaus. Of course, we need to understand that tax collectors usually became wealthy by overtaxing the poor and “skimming off the top” some money for themselves. Over time, this is a great way to become rich, while hurting a lot of people in the process.
2. If the Bible says you are short, you are short.
3. How about this guy? You have to give him some credit. The guy climbs a tree because He wants to see Jesus.
4. Imagine the scandal! Jesus wants to stay with this sinner, this guy who everyone probably hates. And Zaccheaus, well, do you think that he expected to be entertaining Jesus at his house?
5. People got mad because Jesus went to be with a sinner. I guess people expect holy people to roll with holy people…that’s what makes them holy-rollers.
6. Instantly, Zacchaeus REPENTS. He goes back to the error of his ways and decides that he needs to make things right. He decides to give half of what he has to the poor. You know Jesus loves that! And he also decides to repay everyone that he has cheated four times the value of what he took. This could very well bankrupt Zaccheaus, but he wants to follow Jesus. You’ve got to love his response…
7. Jesus tells him that he’s getting salvation. Repentance for salvation? Sounds like a deal that even a tax collector would accept.
8. So…Jesus tells this parable because people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. Ok…
9. OK…it’s like “The Apprentice.” In this challenge, you get ten minas; and you need to invest it and make a profit. Got it.
10. In this story, the subjects didn’t want the guy to be king. Well, they couldn’t really stop him…
11. The challenge ended, and it was time for the apprentices to show what they had done. Contestant number one increased his minas 100%. Sweet. The reward is being able to manage ten cities. (Hey, on the show they get to run a Trump company.) The next guy increased his by 50% and got a pretty sweet gig himself. And then we get to the guy who is about to be “fired”…
12. This guy was afraid of the king, saying that he was hard. Hmm… I’m not sure, but it seems that he also implies that the king profits off of not doing much work. He hangs himself with those words.
13. The king says that he is a businessman, and the guy should have at least gotten some interest on the money. He then gives the winner his mina. Then the king says that those who have will be given more. Have what? Righteous deeds? And those who have nothing will be taken away. Is this about following God?
14. And then, for good measure, the king wants to have the people who didn’t want him to be king killed. Dude.
15. So…um…what does all this have to do with the kingdom of God coming?
