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...

One of the extraordinary miracles that Jesus had performed during his earthly ministry was raising people from the dead. The gospel writers wrote their accounts where Jesus raised people from the dead. The first was the widow's son in the town of Nain's (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus  went to the town of Nain followed by his disciples and a big crowd tagged along. As he approached the town, a dead person was being carried out. A widow's only son.  Jesus took pity on the widow and asked her not to cry. He went to the coffin and commanded the young man to stand up. The young man stood up and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Everyone who witnessed it, including his disciple Peter, was surely awestruck. The second was Jairus' daughter (Luke 8: 40-56). After coming from Gerasenes where Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, Jesus crossed the lake back to Capernaum. Upon reaching Capernaum, a synagogue leader named Jairus approached Jesus and asked him if he can heal his child who was ...

In Acts 3: 1-10, Peter performed his first miracle. This happened after the Holy Spirit came down during the Pentecost. Peter met a crippled beggar since birth when he and John were about to enter the temple. The cripple asked for money. Peter replied that he had no money to give. Instead he offered Jesus of Nazareth and commanded the cripple to walk. The cripple rose up and walked. Before the miracle, Peter made his first announcement to the crowd about Jesus. He told them Jesus was the Son of God. He reminded them that they went along with the powers-that-be to crucify Jesus. Finally, he boldly gave his eyewitness account to the crowd that Jesus had risen from the dead. He was a different Peter.  In Luke 22: 54 -61, we are remined that when the temple guards arrested Jesus and they brought him to the house of  the high priest. Peter followed them, perhaps, to know what would happen to Jesus. People milled around the courtyard who were following the event. Peter sat among the...

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...

Jesus told the vine and the branches story to his disciples after the last supper or perhaps at the Garden of Gethsemane (John 15: 1-17). He left those words for his disciples before his arrest, crucifixion, and death. In John 15: 1, Jesus began his story saying, "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener." In John 15: 5-6 Jesus added, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." Jesus told that story to his disciples amid their personal drama after the last supper. He knew Peter would deny him three times. He knew Judas conspired with the Pharisees to kill him.  The disciples argued among themselves who will be the first in heaven. Eventually, they all deserted him upon his arrest. The human nature of selfishness and self-pr...

After the last supper, Jesus went to Mount Olives to pray. He brought his disciples with him. In John's account, they passed through Kidron Valley before reaching the olive groves (John 18: 1).  Online sources cited that Kidron valley lay beside the temple of Jerusalem. The valley is lower from where the temple stands. A brook known as Kidron brook meanders through the valley. Jesus and his disciples needed to cross that  brook to reach the olive groves at Mount Olives. Because of the terrain, the brook served as drainage for the blood of sacrificed animals, mostly sheep, from the Temple. During the Passover celebration held yearly, temple priests sacrificed huge number of animals for the purification ritual. Jews everywhere, even from afar, brought around 250,000 animals to be slaughtered for the ritual. Jesus knew that animals were killed at the temple for the purification ritual. As a devout Jew, he surely went to Jerusalem yearly to practice that ritual during his lifetime...