Acts: Sobering Thoughts, Pt. 2
God purposes. He plans, and those plans unfold in the affairs of men. Most of us are ignorant of this. But we. must. not. be. ignorant. Like the people of Israel, like their rulers, who delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate, were. Acts 3:17. We mustn’t miss Him. To do so . . . well, that’s terrible to think about.
He has given us His word, and His Spirit so that we will know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (See John 17:3) so that we will not miss Him when He passes by. In response, we should cry out for His glory. See Exodus 33:18.
We are no more hid in the cleft of the rock, like Moses was. Then, no man could see God and live. Exodus 33:20. But now we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9. And when we see Jesus, look unto Jesus, we see the Father—the glory of the Lord revealed. See John 14:9.
Here, let me show you a little of His glory, the glory of His One and Only Son, revealed in the Book of Acts.
Jesus Christ came unto his own, but they did not receive him. This was not unexpected, at least, should not have been unexpected. God had spoken of it. When the Spirit of God spoke through David in Jerusalem (see Acts 4:25-28), He said:
Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed. (see Psalm 2)
In this same city there were gathered together against His holy servant, Jesus, whom He anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles, and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever His hand and His plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4:25-28.
Similarly, when the Spirit of the Lord was poured out on Pentecost, Peter inspired by the self-same Spirit spoke thus:
Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Consistent with that plan, you crucified and killed him by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, and freeing him from them, because it was not possible for death to hold him.
This was not unexpected, or should not have been, unexpected. God had spoken before and had sworn an oath to David that He would set one of his descendants on David’s throne. David was given a prophetic vision consistent with the oath. David foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption:
I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. (see Acts 2:22-24)
From David’s words in the Psalms to these first words at the River Jordan, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness,” was 1,000 years. 1,000 years. Remember: with the Lord, a thousand years is like a single day. See 2 Peter 3:8.
What might seem slow—long in coming to us—is actually His patience. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance; and so He works (John 5:17) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) And so all is beautiful in His time.
