Does God favor one nation over another? (Acts 1:6-11)

Today we continue our study of Acts, covering Acts 1:6-11. Here’s the question we’ll answer as we look at the text: Does God favor one nation over another?

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This is an important question in today’s world:

• Issue of immigration
• Christian nations vs. Muslim nations, etc.
• It was a question on the minds of the disciples in Acts 1
• Jesus had just spent 3 yrs with them
• Almost exclusively did ministry among Israelites
• Matthew 15:21-24 (NLT) 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
• Note three things:
• Jesus was silent!?
• Disciples wanted him to send her away
• Jesus was sent to help only Israel
• Jesus ends up healing the daughter
• But it was the exception, not the rule
• Seems nationalistic, right?!
• The point: disciples thought God favored Israel
• Very nationalistic in their ideology
• The “Chosen ones”
• Deuteronomy 7:6 (NLT) For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.
• Seems like American Christians today
• We are the new chosen ones
• We have the only true God
• We have a better ideology
• We are God’s favorites
• But what does the Bible say about this?

Let’s warm up with a history lesson on Israel:

• Theocracy 
• First King - Saul
• United Monarchy (c. 1000–930 BCE)
• King David (c. 1010–970 BCE) : David united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the capital.
• King Solomon (c. 970–930 BCE) : Solomon, David's son, built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After his death, the kingdom split into two.
• Divided Monarchy (c. 930–722 BCE for Israel, c. 930–586 BCE for Judah)
• Kingdom of Israel (Northern Kingdom) : Fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE.
• Kingdom of Judah (Southern Kingdom) : Continued until it fell to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE.
• Assyrian Rule (c. 722–605 BCE)- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, leading to the exile of many Israelites.
• Babylonian Rule (c. 605–539 BCE)- The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE, initiating the Babylonian Captivity.
• Persian Rule (c. 539–332 BCE)- Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and allowed the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple period).
• Greek Rule (c. 332–167 BCE)- Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, including Israel, in 332 BCE. After his death, the region was controlled by the Ptolemies and then the Seleucids.
• Maccabean/Hasmonean Period (167–63 BCE) : The Maccabees revolted against Seleucid rule (part of the fragmentation of Alexander’s empire), leading to the establishment of an independent Jewish kingdom (the Hasmonean dynasty) in 142 BCE.
• The period saw the expansion of Jewish territory, increased influence of Jewish culture, and the emergence of significant religious sects such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. The legacy of the Hasmoneans is still remembered, particularly through the celebration of Hanukkah.
• Roman Rule (63 BCE–330 CE)- The Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 BCE. 
• Herodian Dynasty (37 BCE–4 BCE) : Herod the Great ruled as a Roman client king.
• Jesus’ life, death, resurrection
• In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple following a Jewish revolt.
• Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE) : A significant but ultimately unsuccessful Jewish rebellion against Roman rule.
• Byzantine Rule (330–636 CE)- The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) controlled the region until the early Islamic conquests.
• Islamic Caliphates (636–1099 CE)
• Rashidun Caliphate (636–661 CE) 
• Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE) 
• Abbasid Caliphate (750–969 CE) 
• Fatimid Caliphate (969–1099 CE) 
• Crusader Period (1099–1291 CE)- Crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem, controlling the area intermittently until 1291 CE.
• Mamluk Sultanate (1291–1517 CE)- The Mamluks, based in Egypt, controlled the region following the Crusaders.
• Ottoman Empire (1517–1917 CE)- The Ottomans conquered the Mamluks in 1517 and ruled the region until World War I.
• British Mandate (1917–1948 CE)- After World War I, the League of Nations granted Britain the mandate to govern Palestine.
• State of Israel (1948–Present)- Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, and has since been a sovereign nation. The region has seen various conflicts and peace processes involving neighboring countries and entities.

Acts 1:6

Acts 1:6 (NLT) 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

• has the time come… free Israel and restore our kingdom
• There was a payoff that Israelites historically had in their minds, Israel-centric
• Can’t blame them; It was even articulated by an angel to Mary:
• Luke 1:31-33 (NLT) 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
• And understood by the prophet Anna:
• Luke 2:38 (NLT) She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
• Disciples were thinking of all of this in nationalistic and political terms
• (Expositor's Bible Commentary: Abridged Edition (2 Volumes)) The question the disciples asked reflects the embers of a once blazing hope for a political theocracy in which they would be leaders (cf. Mk 9:33-34; 10:35-41; Lk 22:24). Now the embers are fanned by Jesus' talk of the coming Holy Spirit. In Jewish expectations, the restoration of Israel's fortunes would be marked by the revived activity of God's Spirit, which had been withheld since the last of the prophets.
• Longing for the return of the glory days of King David and Solomon

(Pillar New Testament Commentary) Through the witness of Jesus' apostles, 'the kingdom' would be restored to Israel, but not in nationalistic or political terms, nor immediately in the full and final sense outlined in biblical prophecy (cf. 3:19-26).

Acts 1:7-8

Acts 1:7-8 (NLT) 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

• not for you to know
• The disciples weren’t wrong about the big idea (God’s kingdom would come), they were wrong in many of the details
• Next week: there are some things that are not for us to know, at least not yet. Can you handle that? 
• End times - so many people want to know! YT is blowing up with videos
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) Christians have to live with the tension of knowing that the work of the gospel is central to God's eschatological plan, but never being able to calculate the exact date of the End.
• Sickness - why won’t you heal this person?
• Marriage - why haven’t you brought me “the one”
• Ex: my friend who was obsessed with that, until he realized he needed to “get his house in order” and leave the rest to God
• Ex: my daughter who saw her friends dating (and failing) has learned to trust God with those details
• Ex: Adam was put to sleep and woke up to Eve!
• Sometimes we’re like the kids in the backseat, pestering God with our questions. Sometimes it’s simply not for us to know. We need to trust his plan and his timing.
• But you will receive power
• Gk “dunamis”, our word for dynamite!
• Watch for this in the chapters ahead: power!
• Power to do miracles, for sure
• But even more importantly, power to speak out…
• you will be my witnesses
• First, the apostles were eyewitnesses
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) As 'eyewitnesses' (Lk. 1:2; cf. Acts 1:3a), they guarantee the historicity of the major events in Jesus' life, and as those uniquely instructed by him (Lk. 24:44-8; Acts 1:3b-5), they pass on Jesus' own understanding of his person and work.
• This is important, and it’s why we don’t need prophets/apostles in that sense today
• See Does God Still Speak Through Prophets
• Second, this is a calling on every Christian
• And one of the main roles of the HS in our lives 
• Being “baptized” = all in for Jesus
• I grew up in a charismatic church
• Taught that “baptism with the HS” was all about speaking in tongues
• We’ll see why later in this series
• But many pentecostals miss the main thing:
• The Spirit empowers us to be witnesses for the Kingdom of God
• It happened at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
• Luke 4:14-15 (NLT) 14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
• The disciples already saw Jesus “tell people about him” by the power of the Spirit
• Now it was their turn
• in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
• This is the outline of the book of Acts
• They’re starting in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7)
• Then they’ll move to Judea and Samaria (Ch 8-12)
• Then to the ends of the earth
• Paul’s Journeys (Ch 13-21)
• Paul’s Trials on his way to Rome (Ch 22-28)
• The book will end on a cliffhanger:
• Acts 28:30-31 (NLT) 30 For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, 31 boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
• Notice the reverse symmetry with the gospel of Luke
• Jesus started in Galilee of the Gentiles
• Moved his way through Samaria and Judea
• Ended up in Jerusalem for his trial and death
• As we saw last week:
• The gospel of Luke was about seeking Jesus and learning the truth about his life, death, and resurrection. 
• In Luke’s sequel (Acts) the focus changes to sharing Jesus, specifically the message of his kingdom.

But here’s the point, and the answer to our question: Does God favor one nation over another?

• Answer: NO! 
• The shocker will be (spoiler alert):
• The Kingdom of God was not just about Israel; it’s an invitation that must go out “to the ends of the earth”
• Not the disciples’ nationalist and political agenda!
• Isaiah 43:8-9 (NLT) 8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. 9 Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world!
• Isaiah 43:10 (NLT) “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the LORD. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be.
• Isaiah 49:6 (NLT) He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
• God did not choose Israel for Israel’s sake
• He chose them to be a light to the nations
• One more thing: notice “you will be”
• Not, “you must be” like a command
• It’s more of a statement of inevitability; a prediction; a promise
• God’s Word will go out, his Kingdom will be established
• The only question: will you be a part of this movement?

Acts 1:9-11

Acts 1:9-11 (NLT) 9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

• he was taken up
• The Luke account of this was a cliffhanger; in Acts it’s a turning point
• Jesus had to leave so they could take the baton
• Now it was their turn to bring the message to the world
• Transition to the ministry of the Spirit
• Jesus wouldn’t visit them “from time to time” to teach them
• Now that would be the HS’s job, a continuous presence
• “Men of Galilee,”
• Interesting that they called them that
• A reminder of where Jesus first invited them to follow him: on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (of the Gentiles!?)
• Luke 5:10 (NLT) “From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
• Q. But what KIND of people?
• History of Galilee
• The Assyrians deported many of the native Israelites and brought in people from other parts of their empire, which increased the Gentile presence in Galilee. (2 Kings 15:29, 17:24-27)
• Following Alexander the Great's conquests, Hellenistic culture spread throughout the Near East, including Galilee. This influence further contributed to the region's mixed population.
• By Jesus’ day it was a crossroads of trade and culture, which allowed the message of Jesus to spread more easily to both Jews and Gentiles.
• The point: Galilee was NOT just about Israel
• Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever…. but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
• why are you standing here staring into heaven?
• Hilarious!
• Reminds me of so many modern Christians
• Love to worship God, go to conferences, study eschatology
• Never go beyond “staring into heaven”
• someday he will return
• Bookends: Christ’s ascension and his return
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) In effect, the introduction lays down 'the eschatological framework within which the Christian story is to unfold'. The church lives between Jesus' exaltation into heaven and his return and its life is determined by these boundary markers.
• In between: we need to get to work
• He’s on the throne in heaven, resurrected, alive
• He’s still overseeing the whole project 
• And he’s coming back when time is up

Close

But this picture gives us our answer to the question we started with: Does God favor one nation over another?

• Answer: No
• The Kingdom of God is not about national boundaries
• Not about earthly kingdoms that come and go
• The Kingdom of God is already established in heaven. It's permanent, and Jesus is on the throne. No nation is favored; every nation is invited.

Revelation 7:9-10 (NLT) 9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

In every generation, as Christians, our job is to invite people. Every nation, not just the ones we’re most familiar with. Why are you standing there? 

• Where is your Jerusalem? (neighborhood, community)
• Where is your Judea/Samaria? (multisite, keep growing)
• Where is your “ends of the earth”? (missions)