RajahJun

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. Th...

When Jesus was crucified, it left the disciples cowering in fear. They all scampered away and hid from the public, perhaps, thinking that they might be killed too. When Jesus rose from the dead, they were fearful and  doubtful even though they met him personally. They didn't go public about Jesus coming back from the dead. They lacked the guts. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples for about forty days and talked to them about the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps, Jesus told them details about their mission although they lacked the courage to do it.  Then Jesus went back to heaven and told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. Ten days later, they received the Holy Spirit and their individual characters have changed dramatically. In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' disciples on the day of Pentecost. They were altogether in one room when a strong wind blew from above and they saw what seemed like tongues of fire descending on...

The news about Jesus' resurrection didn't go viral in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel. The guards who witnessed the incident received 'hush money' from the chief priests and elders to keep their mouth shut. If ever the news broke out, the guards would spew out a fabricated lie that the disciples stole Jesus' body in the dead of the night while they were asleep (Matthew 27: 11-15). Upon Jesus' resurrection, the disciples and the women with them experienced fear, confusion, and doubt. It was not a glorious comeback. Jesus did not come back in glory with his heavenly army.  When the disciples actually saw Jesus, they did not immediately go out on the streets to proclaim boldly that their Master has risen. They still feared that the Jews would kill them as well. Jesus' resurrection should have emboldened his disciples. Instead, they maintained a low profile from the public for the next seven weeks or so. The four gospel writers wrote their versions about the st...