The Book of Acts

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Luke,  the gospel writer, wrote the book of Acts. It is a sequel to the gospel of Luke which he also wrote.

Both of Luke's gospels detailed the unconditional love of God for mankind through Jesus. In the first gospel, Luke wrote about Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus was physically present among his disciples and the people. He taught them the right way to God. Luke later accounted Jesus' death on the cross as cleansing sacrifice for the sin of man.

In chapter one of the book of Acts which is the second gospel of Luke, Jesus left the disciples physically. But Jesus did not leave the disciples like orphans to fend for themselves. He promised that they will receive help when he is gone. He had promised that help even before his execution. 

True enough, in chapter two of the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples during the Pentecost and stayed with them everywhere, anywhere, 24/7, and in their dreams as well. That's an extreme but reassuring presence. The disciples would be needing that presence because they would do extraordinary feats for Jesus.

After chapter 2, the  succeeding chapters would reveal the workings of the Holy Spirit among the early Christians for the first thirty years. The next ten chapters would show the spread of the gospel starting in Jerusalem to as far as Judea and Samaria.  

The main characters of those chapters were Peter, Stephen and James. The three, empowered by the Holy Spirit, showed their zeal in spreading the good news amid tough opposition. Because of their zeal, Peter and James were imprisoned and Stephen was martyred.

They would be preaching a revolutionary idea of loving God and loving neighbors .  Most of the Jews  rejected the whole idea.

The influence of the Holy Spirit was contagious. Because of that presence, the message about Jesus Christ went viral among the people. People who became believers had a change of heart and mind. The new belief changed their life.

In Antioch where believers fled after Stephen was martyred, it was the first time they were called Christians. People probably saw Christ-like characters in them, that's why people branded as so.

The ten chapters also revealed the growing followers of the risen Christ. These chapters showed how the Holy Spirit inspired, empowered and moved among the disciples and the followers.

Chapters thirteen to twenty-eight featured Paul's three missionary journey of bringing the gospel to Greece and Europe including the seat of Roman power - Rome. It showed how the Holy Spirit guided and empowered him throughout his journey. An extraordinary feat for one man.

The early Christians accomplished so much in spreading the gospel across continents. The Holy Spirit made it possible for them to accomplish that feat. The result of their efforts transcended throughout the centuries.

Amid this pandemic, let us tap into the power of the Holy Spirit to get us through this crisis. But the power only works to its fullest if we leave behind any sins or idols that is blocking the graces that we are supposed to receive from Jesus.

If we receive those graces, let's pass it forward by being witness to the Holy Spirit's transformative powers. That way they too can receive graces because of God's unconditional love for all of us.


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