Painful Endings, Prayerful Beginnings | Acts 1:12-26

Intro

I want to invite you to turn with me to Acts chapter one. As we continue our series here through the Book of Acts, we're calling this series You Will Be My Witnesses. That is not a command so much as a promise from the Lord. And we're going to be in Acts chapter one beginning in verse 12 this morning.

One of the most common reasons that people often give for the reason that they rejected the Christian faith, turned away from the faith, reason that they're an atheist or an agnostic, is often the hypocrisy of Christians. People as famous as Gandhi have used this as a reason. I like your Christ, he said. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

Maybe you've personally struggled with that because of some hurt you've felt from somebody who claimed the name of Christ or some abandonment or betrayal or even abuse. Maybe you've seen that bumper sticker. Lord, save me from your followers. That prayer for salvation. How can Christianity be true when followers of Christ are often so awful? Do hypocritical Christians undermine the veracity of it all, the authenticity, the authority of Christ?

Periodically, we hear of some scandal and some big-name leader in the evangelical church who had some moral failing. And inevitably, people will point to that as the reason that they turned away from the faith. And it does bring dishonor on the name of Christ and on his church. How can the mission of Christ be carried out on earth through his church if people are so unreliable?

Last week, we heard from Pastor Greg and saw in Acts 1-8 that God's plan is people. God plans to fill the earth with the knowledge of his glory through his people, but we don't get very far in the book of Acts before we hit what seems to be a major problem with that plan. People are sinful. To be specific, in this text, one of Jesus' closest, most trusted followers, a member of the inner ring of 12 apostles, was a traitor.

That's a big deal because these 12 apostles were personally selected by Jesus, handpicked by Jesus, as Luke reminds us in Acts chapter 1, verses 1 and 2. They would be the ones to bear witness to the ends of the earth that Jesus was alive from the dead, that salvation is found in no one else, no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved. They are going to be his witnesses and the church is going to be built on their testimony, but one of them sold Jesus into the hands of his enemies for 30 pieces of silver. Judas' betrayal raises serious questions. Can Jesus really carry out his mission on earth through people? Can Jesus actually fulfill his promise to empower people like that? Sinful people who are so capable of betraying him? What if unfaithful people sabotage the entire mission, derail the whole thing? How can you be confident that God will fulfill his purposes through people when people are so prone to backsliding and backstabbing?

That's the question I believe this text answers for us. And so I want to invite you, if you're physically able to stand with me, as we read God's holy and authoritative word, Acts chapter one, beginning in verse 12. These are the very words of God.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“‘May his camp become desolate,
    and let there be no one to dwell in it’;

and

“‘Let another take his office.’

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

At the beginning of Luke's gospel account, he states there his purpose for writing. And if you recall from Joel Shorrie's message a couple weeks ago, the Book of Acts goes along with the Book of Luke. This is really part two to Luke's account of the ministry and the work and the teaching of Jesus. If you go back to Luke chapter one, you see the reason that Luke went about writing these two accounts. He says there, this is his purpose, that you may have certainty concerning the things that you have been taught.

That is, Luke wrote to assure the early church, those earliest disciples. He wrote, this was inspired by the Spirit of God for the church in every age. He wrote to assure Christians, not simply that these events happen, that they're historical, that's true, but ultimately that God is at work. Luke wrote to give Christians certainty that God continues to carry out his saving purposes in the world through Jesus, the risen and reigning king.

Now, what Luke writes in the Book of Acts, then, is not necessarily all prescriptive. That is, in these events, Luke is not necessarily giving us a pattern to imitate. So, for example, in this text that we just read, this is not the pattern for every decision that we make in the life of the church. Get together and cast lots. We'll talk about that a little bit more later. Rather, this is descriptive, and that description of what took place here, what happened in these events, it has a purpose. It's theological. The purpose of describing these events is to convince you God is at work. God is at work in this world, in history, through people.

God is accomplishing his purposes in spite of, or even better yet, even through the apostasy and the betrayal of some who once claimed and professed his name. So I think the claim of this text is that you can be confident. You can be confident and assured that God will fulfill his purposes on earth through people, even though people are prone to backsliding and backstabbing. God is going to accomplish his saving purposes on earth.

And this scene in Luke's introduction to Acts offers four assurances for your encouragement.

God Judges the Wicked

The first hint that things are amiss in the early church comes in verse 13, when Luke gives us a detailed list of all the names of the disciples who gathered together after Jesus' ascension into heaven, minus one. There's one noticeable absence. Judas Iscariot is not in that list of disciples gathered together, awaiting the promised Holy Spirit, as Jesus told them to do. Luke notes the unity of this band of the disciples. They were together in one accord. They had one purpose. He notes their devotion to prayer. They're gathered together, and they are praying and waiting on the Lord, seeking God in this time.

And then they have a matter of business to give their attention to. And that first matter of business is to deal with the reality, the painful reality of Judas' betrayal and his demise, which was public knowledge, as Luke tells us. He offers this parenthetical context there in verses 18 and 19. Now, this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out, and it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

So this is known not just in their circle of disciples. Everybody in Jerusalem has heard about this guy, and what he did, and what his end was, so that that field becomes known to everyone in the city as a keldema, or the field of blood. In Matthew's Gospel, we learned this additional detail that Judas hanged himself. It's clear that Judas, having betrayed Jesus, felt immense guilt and regret, remorse over what he did. He regretted his betrayal. He didn't even keep the money. He came and returned it to the priests and the Pharisees, threw it at their feet. He's tormented by his sin, and yet, instead of turning to Jesus in repentance, the way Peter did.

Peter, if you remember, denied Jesus three times, and yet he's restored. Judas, rather than turning to Jesus in repentance, he took his own life. And Luke does not hold back as he recounts what happened. He clearly calls what Judas did wickedness in verse 18. And then he describes his gruesome demise. This is instructive to us and to all the world. Many people think of God's wrath as something reserved only for the end of the world, the day of judgment. And that's true. There is a day of judgment coming, as scripture says in Hebrews 9.27. It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

But God's judgment is not only a future reality, God is also revealing his judgment in history, in time. And Judas is the first character in the Book of Acts to receive God's just punishment for his wickedness. He won't be the last. And Luke will make it clear as we go. There's Ananias and Sapphira in chapter 5, and Herod in chapter 12, and a magician and false prophet in chapter 13, and some Jewish exorcists again in chapter 19.

God is active in the world to thwart the wicked who oppose his saving purposes through his church. And God manifests his judgment and his justice in time. So it's inaccurate to assume as some do that the God of the Old Testament, he's a God of wrath, the God of the New Testament, he's a God of mercy. No, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes, he's still active in the world, and part of his activity is revealing his justice against the wicked. That is both a warning and a comfort, depending on where you stand with Jesus this morning. First, it is a warning. When the disciples pray, they mention that Judas turned aside, or Judas defected to go to his own place. His own place is a euphemism for his ultimate destination, that is, eternal judgment. His place in hell, in the lake of fire, which Jesus spoke often of. Think of this. This is just heartbreaking if you consider, for 30 pieces of silver, Judas, I mean, Peter right here, he acknowledges, he had received his allotted place in this ministry with us. He had a place right here among the 12. This was his. He was chosen by Jesus. He had this and he gave it up for 30 pieces of silver.

Oh, brothers and sisters, how fleeting are the pleasures of sin in this life, but how prone we are. Aren't we in our flesh to be tempted by some fleeting pleasure and think it just, that will satisfy. If I just had that money right now, that would secure me and I would feel better. And I wouldn't have all this anxiety. If I just had this or that, then I would be happy and fulfilled. If I just had that and we're looking in the short term, instead of thinking about eternity, Judas turned aside to go to his own place. And you can be sure as gruesome as his death was, his physical demise, his eternal judgment is even worse. What a warning.

Where are you placing your hope this morning? You too will one day die and stand before God. And on that day, you will either be condemned or justified. And the only way to be justified, to be acquitted, to be declared righteous in God's sight is to be united to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, by faith and faith alone. You cannot appeal to your works, your righteousness, your morality, your church attendance, anything else that you have done. Are you in Christ today? Are you relying on Christ alone? Or are you trusting in yourself or some other fleeting pleasure? The wrath of God is also a comfort if you are in Christ. This is a comfort. It means that you need not worry when the wicked seem to prosper. You don't need to worry when people like Judas plot their conspiracies to oppose Christ and his purpose on earth. They cannot, they will not ever succeed in thwarting God's purposes.

So, be careful then. Don't let your heart be swayed or carried away or lifted up or brought down to the depths based on the headlines today or the cultural trends. You don't need to worry about all of that because God in heaven sees and he puts a stop to the wicked. He judges the wicked in time.

Scripture Will Be Fulfilled

Look at verses 15 and 16.

In those days, Peter stood up among the brothers. The company of persons was in all about 120. And he said, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

So just imagine this scene, this relatively small band of followers of Christ. They're gathered together. Can you imagine the roller coaster of emotions that they have experienced over the last 40, 50 days? One of their own, one of the 12 betrayed their Lord, resulting in his murder.

Now Jesus, their Lord, has physically departed. He remains alive. That's true. He promised to send his spirit to be present with them always. But think about what that felt like. I mean, even when you have a loved one leave, physically they depart and you know they're coming back, goodbyes can be difficult. Imagine that his physical departure must have caused profound grief. And if you have felt grief, you know how bewildering and disorienting it can be.

In any situation, the most significant thing is not necessarily what is happening, but how you interpret what is happening. What do these events mean? What do painful events mean? What does tragic loss mean? Does it mean that God's plan is failing? Does it mean that God is not good, that he doesn't love us, that he's not wise? Those are the unbelieving thoughts we are tempted to believe when our circumstances are hard. And how quickly our hearts go there, and we become convinced like that, God is not good. He's out of control.

But in this pivotal moment, this is a transformational window opened up in a time of loss, as I believe all loss and suffering and affliction is for all of us. The transformational window. And in this moment, Peter stands up and he opens God's authoritative word. You imagine the reassurance when he stands up and he says to them, brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, verse 16. And then he concludes this entire address, his last words, one of these men must become with us, a witness to his resurrection. The scripture had to be fulfilled. One of these men must become with us.

Luke uses that word, the Greek word there translated had and must. He uses this repeatedly throughout the Gospel of Luke and throughout the Book of Acts, oftentimes to point to God's sovereignty. This had to happen. This had to be fulfilled. This was all being worked out according to the purpose and the plan and the sovereignty of God. Usually, Luke uses this word in connection to the suffering and the death and the resurrection of Jesus, the suffering of Paul, the suffering of other Christians.

So oftentimes in the context of some suffering to assure us, this is part of God's plan. God is at work in this. And it's so instructive to us because you will either interpret God in light of your circumstances or you will interpret your circumstances in light of God. That is, you will start by looking at your circumstances and then reason to some conclusion, God is unkind, God is unloving, God is absent and abandoned me, He's out of control. Or you start with scripture, and through scripture you look at your circumstances and you conclude God is at work in this for His glory and for my good, in all of the ups and downs in life. Which way do you think? What's your default assumption?

Jesus is the one who taught Peter and the other disciples to read and interpret all scripture as pointing to Christ, as fulfilled in Christ. Just before His betrayal, Jesus told His disciples in Luke 22: 37:

For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me. And he was numbered with the transgressors. For what is written about me has its fulfillment.

That's Isaiah 53. If we had time, we could go all through the Book of Luke, the Gospel of Luke, and observe all the places where Jesus is quoting the Old Testament and saying this had to be fulfilled in me. Scripture was the authoritative lens through which Jesus and now his disciples saw all of the world.

Is the Word of God the authoritative lens through which you view the world? Are you convinced that all of God's promises are true? Could you say it like Peter does? Scripture has to be fulfilled. Not just it will be fulfilled, it has to be. It could be no other way. Do you know what he has promised? You can expect hostility from the world and suffering in this life.

Paul, later in the Book of Acts, will travel through, visit churches, and encourage them with words that don't necessarily sound encouraging at first, except that we know this should not be a surprise to us. This is not outside the will of God. Acts 14:22,

…through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.

So don't be surprised. Don't let your faith waver. Don't question and doubt God's goodness in moments like that. And along with trials and tribulations, you can expect that the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to be proclaimed in all the earth, to all people. Luke 24 ends with these words:

Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. And just as foretold as the death and resurrection of Christ is this, that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.

Just as confident as we are that he died and rose from the dead in history, in fulfillment of scripture, you can be so confident that his gospel will continue to triumph on earth. And not only will that gospel be preached, but the nations will believe because we have promises in scripture like Malachi 1:11,

For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations. And in every place, incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering, for my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

Scripture has to be fulfilled.

People are Still God’s Plan

In spite of human weakness and failure in sin, God has never once wavered. Go all the way back to Genesis chapter three, and the first humans, and the first sin, God has never wavered in his commitment to have a people for himself, redeemed by the blood of Christ. And he will work through his people to make himself known in the world.

While the first disciples were waiting in Jerusalem, they're trusting Jesus' promise, they're obeying his command to wait there for the promised Holy Spirit. They get right to work identifying a replacement for Judas. And the first thing that Peter does after saying, don't be surprised, scripture had to be fulfilled, so here's what we need to do.

He outlines the unique qualifications for this unique ministry of apostleship, because the apostles understood they had been set apart by Christ for a specific ministry, or that word could be translated service. They are going to serve the entire church, not just at that time, but throughout all of history.

Peter alludes to this in verse 17 when he acknowledged Judas had been allotted a share in this ministry, this service. And so the replacement for Judas had to meet certain qualifications. He had to be a man who was an eyewitness to the public ministry of Jesus beginning with the baptism of John. He had to have been there in person to see and experience all of these things. He also had to be an eyewitness to the resurrected Christ. He had to be somebody who was with them when Jesus was alive from the dead so that he could personally testify and say, I saw him, I heard him, I know that it's true. An apostle had to be able to personally attest, not just to the events, but he had to be able to teach and explain to the church what these events meant, meaning he had to be around to hear Jesus teaching about the kingdom so that he could teach others.

But why did it matter that there were 12? Why not just go on with the 11? Okay, we're down one, but 11 is still pretty good number. That number 12 is symbolic in Scripture. In the Old Testament, it's most commonly, probably most significantly recognized as the number of tribes in Israel. That's what comes to mind in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament, the number of apostles is linked to the number of tribes in a couple of places. One of those is in Luke 22 verse 30, where Jesus tells the 12 apostles that they would eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

The Book of Revelation says that the New Jerusalem is a city with a wall around it, and there are 12 gates, and on the gates are written the names of the 12 apostles, and the foundations of the wall there are 12, and on the foundations are written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. So there's a connection. The 12 apostles represent in a significant way the 12 tribes of Israel.

And here's what I think that means. Jesus came to fulfill God's promises to his people to renew and to reunite the scattered people of God and then through them to extend God's blessing to the world. So by calling and commissioning 12, Jesus is signaling he is the head of God's new humanity. And that God's promises to his people are fulfilled in the church established on these 12 apostles. All God's promises are fulfilled through his people here in the church, not ethnic Israel.

In other words, God is committed to carrying out his purposes on earth through his people reestablished in this band of 12 apostles. So Peter and the others identify two men who meet the qualifications, Joseph and Matthias. But the final decision was not up to them, because the most important qualification in being one of the 12 apostles was you had to have been chosen by Jesus himself. Only Jesus could make this selection. And so they pray in verse 24,

You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

I think it's important in opening two verses of Acts, when it's talking about the disciples, Luke mentions, these disciples who had been chosen by Jesus, they are looking to Jesus to make clear which of these two did he choose. And so they cast lots.

Now, we're not entirely sure what exactly that entailed, probably various ways that that could have been done. It could have been like flipping a flat stone with two sides and one name written on each side. It could have been writing a name on two different stones and shaking it in a container. And the first one that comes out, that's the one that's drawn. This was a fairly common method of making decisions or assigning duties in the Old Testament, several occasions in the Old Testament where God communicated his will to his people through casting of lots.

You can see that in Leviticus 16 or Numbers 26. Listen to Proverbs 16:33.

The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord.

At the base of this is a conviction, God is sovereign over all things, including flipping a coin or rolling dice. God is sovereign over all things. Now, does that mean that this is the pattern for how Christians today make decisions? Casting lots or flipping coins? The Bible does not forbid flipping coins, certainly. In fact, a coin flip can be the most fair and objective way to make an otherwise neutral decision. Proverbs 18,:18, this is helpful parenting advice.

The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.

That's why we flip coins at the beginning of a football game, to choose sides or who gets the ball first, or we roll dice at the beginning of a game to see who gets the first turn. And everybody just assumes that's fair, right? But many decisions require thoughtful discernment and dependence on God for wisdom.

And so when it comes to God's moral will, for example, choosing to try to discern what's right, what's wrong, what's good, what's evil, lots would never be appropriate because God has spoken to us in His Word to reveal that to us. It does seem noteworthy that this is the last instance that casting lots is mentioned in the Bible.

And it happens right before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost coming up in Acts chapter 2, marking the New Covenant age. Luke tells us in verse 26, they cast lots for them and the lot fell on Mathias. He was numbered with the 11 apostles. Luke doesn't get in the weeds on this, but I just think these two men were providentially prepared by God. They met the qualifications necessary to be considered to be apostles. And then Mathias is selected.

You imagine the privilege that must have been for him thinking, God was preparing me all along when I just thought I was kind of out on the fringes, and now there's a new level of responsibility, big shoes to fill, a step into this weight and leadership position.

You don't have to feel bad about justice. It's not like God saw something like, not that guy. He comes up later in Acts 15. He's chosen by the apostles as a trusted man in the church to bring a decision from the Council of Elders to Gentiles. He's still involved in the church. God is at work in both of their lives, writing their own stories as he carries out his purposes through people. And just like that, the Circle of Twelve Apostles, which Judas broke, is now complete, and the stage is set for God to fulfill his purposes on Earth. That is what God has always done and what he continues to do right up to the present day.

It's humbling to know, isn't it, that he's working through people, and yet at the same time, none of us is irreplaceable? At any minute, any of us, our time could be up. And God will find somebody else whom he has providentially prepared to step into that role and carry it on. And his purpose and his mission and his church and his gospel will never fail. Is your purpose for your life aligned with God's purpose? Just ask yourself, what do I desire the most? Is it social acceptance or social status? Is it financial security, financial success? What makes life worth living to you? If it is anything other than Jesus and the glory of Christ, then your hope is misplaced. So confess that to God today and ask him to align your purpose for your life with the purpose that he is fulfilling on earth.

Jesus Reigns From Heaven

The ultimate encouragement in this story is the way that it reveals Jesus ruling from heaven after his ascension. The entire story comes immediately after Luke's account of that ascension. We read in verse 9,

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Luke says in verse 2, he was taken up. Both times he uses this passive language, like this was an action done to Jesus. That is, God the Father is the one who lifted him up from the earth into heaven. And heaven is up. It is above in every way. It's above because it is the highest realm of authority and glory. It's the realm in which Jesus now dwells fully God and fully man forever. And the cloud that takes him up and out of their sight, that's not just a meteorological extra that Luke throws in, that he observed. No, it's a sign of divine presence and glory.

Think about how God led his people Israel through the desert as a pillar of cloud by day, or how God's glory appears in a thick cloud at Mount Sinai, or over the tabernacle, or Psalm 104:3 says he makes the clouds his chariots. This is a common language in scripture for the way that God travels. It's a sign of Jesus' own divinity, but the most relevant prophecy fulfilled in Jesus' ascension is Daniel 7. Listen to verses 13 through 14, this scene and what it means for Jesus to be lifted up to heaven on the clouds.

I saw in the night visions and, behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man. And he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed.

When did that begin for Jesus? At his ascension, when he ascended into heaven, taken up with the clouds. And he now rules and reigns and has been given dominion over all the nations, which is why he commissioned his people to proclaim his gospel to all the nations in his name, by his authority.

So, Jesus' ascension to heaven gives his church certainty today. It should give you confidence today. It proves that he defeated death and that he remains alive. It proves that he's God. It guarantees he is coming back again. He will return, as the angels said, in the same way that you saw him depart. He's coming back with the clouds. And between his ascension and his return, he is not absent. He is continuing to rule and reign. That is the theme throughout the Book of Acts, and it's on full display here in verse 24, when the disciples of Jesus pray to Jesus,

You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show us which one of these two you have chosen.

We know they're praying to Jesus because in verse 21, Peter refers to the Lord as the Lord Jesus, and then he prays to the Lord Jesus here in verse 24. That same Lord who walked the earth, who died for their sins and rose again and ascended into heaven, and the disciples pray to him as Lord because he is God, and they ask him to indicate which of the men he chose, just as he had chosen each one of them, and they acknowledge that he has divine characteristics. You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, that is a uniquely divine ability, as King Solomon prayed in 1 Kings 8:39 for you.

You only know the hearts of all the children of mankind.

No other being, natural or supernatural, knows the hearts of man like God does. And Jesus is God. This means he's not absent. He's present with them to hear and to answer. It means he has authority over his church today, authority to choose and direct and to rule his people. It means Jesus is king over the physical world and the laws of nature and the casting of lots. And he's reigning from heaven today.

That is our great confidence, our assurance. That's why we have hope and courage today. Do you trust him? Does he have your allegiance, your love, your devotion, your worship? Acts begins by assuring the church in every age that the worst hostility and betrayal of sinful people cannot hinder God's plan, but actually serves to fulfill and advance it on earth. And if God can accomplish his purpose on earth through a traitor like Judas, just think what he can do on earth through people who trust him and treasure him. People like you.