Is this the end or just the beginning?

Every day we're reading, listening to or watching part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I love that Luke starts with the end, of the Gospel story at least. This is the sequel! After showing us Jesus, his life, and teaching, and the incredible power behind his words, this set of stories answers some big questions anyone who starts to follow Jesus is likely to have.

“What should we do?” is an obvious one, but there is more. “What difference does the Holy Spirit make?” is one of the biggest questions nobody has before they start to follow Jesus, but everybody should have when they do. We’ll see lots of examples.

We’ll see in Acts that before anyone came up with the term “Christian”, life following Jesus was known as “The Way”. I still think that might be the best term, because Jesus didn’t call people into our culture but into a new way of life they would learn on the way, as they went. Acts shows us how many times followers and leaders had to change their thinking to keep up with the kingdom that God was starting to reveal and unfold, in and around them.

I love the explosive pictures of this in the first chapters. Look at how the disciples change as they start to heal wounds of betrayal, begin to be blessed by the Spirit and emerge from hiding into an incredible display of God’s power which showed what life ahead could be like. It’s full of promise and potential for people who would “repent” – change their minds – and embark on a lifelong journey of transformation. I love how many people responded with hope and faith, and how they soon found practical ways to express love and commitment.

For me, the biggest question which has emerged in my faith journey has probably been “Where is this Way taking us?”, and I think Acts is all about that. I used to read it as if it were a picture of our destination, a pure church close to Christ. But gradually I’ve come to believe that if that were the case, the story (and the rest of the New Testament) wouldn’t be like it is, revealing tensions, arguments, difficult issues being wrestled with throughout and, most importantly, people whose minds carried on being changed by the Holy Spirit. You’ll need to decide for yourself – is this a story of where we need to stop, or where we need to start?

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God’s presence was clearly visible to anyone who could see Jesus, but when his Spirit came, God could live in believers, changing us from the inside out rather just the external guidance of teaching and laws. Thanks to the Spirit, God’s power can be seen through people who follow and obey Jesus (call him Lord). God gifts forgiveness and the Spirit to every believer.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Thank God freshly for the new life he has given me and the journey he has put me on.

Who am I going to share this with?

Some of the other people I share this journey with, including family and friends at church.