Acts 1:5-7 - A need to know basis

1:5

We see here some of the unity of the gospels. In Matt 3:11 we read of John the Baptist saying that one would come who would baptise with the Spirit, as does Luke 3:16. We know that this refers to what happened at Pentecost. It is clear from Acts that being baptised with the Holy Spirit is a real event that has real effects, it is not a mere theological statement.

1:6

Earlier in Matthew 24 (or Mark 13) the disciples had wanted to know when the end time events would happen. Jesus refused to tell them, saying that no one knows the day nor the hour. Apparently they had not yet learnt the lesson, something that can be said about many people since! We think we need to know when Jesus will return, but we don’t. We will see what we do actually need to know in the next couple of verses. However, we should not be too harsh on the disciples. Remember what has happened. They have seen Jesus arrested and crucified. Then, thinking it was all over, He rose from the dead, with a resurrection body, and appeared to them on several occasions. So it is not really too surprising that they thought “this must be it”, the end must be very close.

1:7

They needed to operate on a “need to know” basis. In the Bible God reveals many things, but He does not reveal all things, and the reason is that we do not need to know all things. We are not God, we do not need to know everything, we do not need to be in control of everything. Indeed, our desire to be in full knowledge and full control of events is part of the fallen condition of humanity. We want full control and knowledge because it makes us feel secure, but it is a false sense of security. What we need instead of full knowledge is full trust in God. Then we will have true security.