The Great Commission in Acts
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own au- thority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8
Luke wrote Acts as the second part of his account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and of the birth and growth of the Christian movement. His Gospel describes what Jesus began to do and teach, Acts describes what the risen Lord continues to do through his followers in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:1). As the word of God goes out, disciples are made and churches are planted in cities and regions throughout Israel and the nations.
After the resurrection, Jesus taught his disciples over 40 days from the Scriptures explaining why it was that the Messiah must suffer and rise again and then the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in his name must go to the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Before they begin the disciples must wait in Jerusalem where they will be clothed with power from on high (Lk 24:45-49).
It was the disciples’ last meeting with Jesus before he ascended to the Father. They ate a meal together and are now on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem (Ac 1:4, 12). Jesus tells them again to wait in Jerusalem to be baptized (immersed, plunged, overwhelmed) in the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who will empower them to be his witnesses throughout the world.
Jesus’ focus is on their mission—the gospel to the ends of the earth—and the promise of the power of the Spirit to enable them. The disciples have questions about the coming of the Kingdom in its fulness. They want to know when that will be.
From the start, Jesus’ message was the kingdom of God. God’s kingly power is present to bring salvation. The kingdom is here because Jesus is the king. Jesus brings forgiveness of sins, healing of the sick, freedom for those oppressed by Satan, the restoration of God’s people, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The last days have begun, but it’s not the end, before the kingdom comes in its fullness there’s still a task to complete. They don’t need to know dates and times of his return, that’s the Father’s business. This is what Jesus disciples need to focus on, before the final consummation of the kingdom they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
These were his last words to them as he returns to the Father. Then two angels appeared and told the disciples to stop standing around looking up into the sky, wondering when Jesus will return. There’s a job to be done. The gospel must be preached to all nations before the end can come (Mk 13:10).
The Apostles receive the commission on behalf of all of God’s people, they don’t own or control it. These Galileans can’t fulfill the mission by themselves, they must train and enlist others as they go.1 Others pioneer the work in Samaria and Antioch. Major breakthroughs come from the intervention of the Holy Spirit, rather than careful planning. When Paul and Barnabas launch out on a mission to the “ends of the earth” (Ac 13:47) they are claiming Christ’s commission as their own.
At the heart of the mission is the proclamation of the coming of the King and the offer of salvation through his death and resurrection. Acts tells that story. The word goes out in the power of the Spirit breaking through geographic, language, social, and religious barriers, and the fruit is always disciples and churches. The risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, continues his work on earth until he returns in glory.
Throughout the book of Acts the word keeps advancing despite fierce opposition. At the end of Acts we find Paul under house arrest, chained to a Roman guard, awaiting trial before Nero, but the word is still advancing.
“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and wel- comed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hin- drance!” Acts 28:30-31
Rome is not the ends of the earth, it’s the center of the empire. Paul is bound, but the gospel still goes out. Luke doesn’t report the outcome of Paul’s trial, because Acts is not about Paul, it’s about God’s mission—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and the part we all play in that story. Acts ends, but the story goes on until the day when the King returns in glory.
The Great Commission in Matthew
The Great Commission in John
The Great Commission in Luke
