Acts 2 :: We Have Liftoff

Acts 2, The Message and TNIV translations

Acts 2 is one of the pivotal chapters in all of Scripture.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed for the first time (and in dramatic fashion!).  Due to God's strategic timing, representatives of 15 countries (by my count) hear about Jesus and respond. Important side note: at this point, Christianity is still an exclusively Jewish faith.

Then we get the first, and perhaps to this day the most important description of the life and activity of the very first Christian church, the Church at Jerusalem.  The portion of the three thousand new believers who lived in Jerusalem began to live in community with each other in a way no one had ever seen before.  While much is made of the miracles and spiritual authority of the apostles, I strongly believe the first Christians' radical commitment to the life together was the more powerful proof of Christianity.  Jesus said that his disciples would be known by the love they had for each other, and the first believers fulfilled that by embracing each other, growing together, serving one another sacrificially, and enjoying each other's company on a daily basis.  And while they were devoted to each other, the community was not internally focused or closed off.  They lived this life together in a rather public way, in full view.  More and more people wanted to be a part of it and embrace the Savior who had transformed them.

I've read this passage dozens of times, maybe even hundreds (like I said, it's a really important passage), and the same question always seems to pop up for me: how did we start with Acts 2:42-47 and end up with what we experience as "church" today?  When you read this passage, what aspects of early church life do you long for?  What parts are you experiencing today, and what parts do you think are sorely lacking?

Matthew21::PassionWeek

Matthew 21

What's happening in our story now? In chapter 21 Jesus rides into the Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill another prophecy about the Messiah. After entering the city, he goes to the temple. At the temple, he unloaded on the people who had "set up shop, buying and selling, and you can tell something has changed.

A Week Full of Passion. Chapter 21 begins what the traditional church refers to as Passion Week or Holy Week. These are the seven days leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This is the day when the story changes and the plot thickens. I like this picture of Jesus from The Visual Bible: Matthew because as he lays there, I can see the intensity in his eyes. The next several days are fatal for him. No matter how good things would be on the backside of this week, these were going to be excruciating days for Jesus.

Thoughts? What must he have thought? Did he really know what was going to happen? How bad did he want to change the course? Could he have done so? If he had, what would have changed? I am struck as I anticipate the love and the courage we will see this week as we read. Are you still with us?

Oh yeah, Go BEARS!!!