Abri Brancken - The Chaplain’s Commentary

A cloud took Jesus out of their sight. Clouds appear frequently in the Bible and often symbolise God’s presence, glory, guidance, judgment, mystery, and divine power. In this Study we focus on the various types of clouds in the Bible. The cloud that took Jesus into heaven is not carrying Jesus away into the weather system. It is supernatural, and it is the visible sign that He is entering the sphere of divine glory and authority.

Jesus said that the Father promised the Holy Spirit, but when did the Father promise the Holy Spirit? Where do we find that promise in the Bible? There are instances in the Gospels where the Holy Spirit is promised, e.g.• John 14:16 – The Father will give “another Helper” (the Spirit of truth).• John 14:26 – “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name…”• Luke 11:13 – “The heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”• Luke 24:49 – “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you…”Even though the Holy Spirit is promised in the Gospels, we need to go further back to understand Jesus’ statement in Acts 1:4. In this session, Abri takes us through a journey of the Hebrew Scriptures to better understand the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts.

The opening chapter of Acts describes the events surrounding Jesus’ departure, marking the beginning of a new phase in God’s plan of salvation. In Acts, we see that the work of Jesus Christ is both finished and unfinished. His monumental work of redemption is complete (John 17:4), but his ministry and proclamation continue through his followers. The remainder of the New Testament narrates the continuation of this work. The promise of the Holy Spirit is mentioned repeatedly during Jesus' earthly ministry, but why did Jesus command the disciples to remain in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit? Why not another place? There are several reasons, but one significant reason is... ENJOY THE SESSION.

The New Testamentis deeply rooted in the language, imagery, and theological framework of the OldTestament. Its writers consistently employ allusions, quotations, and narrativeechoes drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures to interpret the life, death, andresurrection of Jesus and to articulate the identity and mission of the earlyChristian community.
 
These OldTestament allusions are not merely decorative or incidental; they function as aprimary means of communication, shaping meaning and grounding new claims in theauthoritative texts familiar to their original audiences. When we as modernreaders fail to recognise these allusions, we risk overlooking the richness anddepth of the New Testament’s message and, in some cases, misunderstanding the writer’sintent altogether.
When we get to a passage in the NT thatalludes to the OT, we need to locate the OT passage and read it so that weinterpret the NT passage in the redemptive historical context that the authorintends you to locate it. When the apostle Paul is alluding to a passage inDeuteronomy, we need to go and read that passage or else depth is lost. Missingthe allusion is missing the message that Paul, Peter, John, etc. want us tounderstand.

OUR STUDY FOCUS AND WHAT WE’RE EXPLORINGWelcome to our captivating exploration of the Book of Acts, a profound journey through the vibrant beginnings of the early followers of Christ. I invite you to embark on this enlightening path with us as we delve into the Book of Acts. Throughout this enriching study, we will journey through Acts chapter by chapter, offering a thorough examination that unveils the complexities of this foundational text. In studying the books of the Bible, we uncover the intricate and awe-inspiring tapestry of God’s dealings with humanity, which undoubtedly has a profound and lasting impact on our faith today.