What Jesus Continued to Do – An Introduction To The Series
David W Palmer
(Acts 1:1 NLT) In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach.
Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke; he also wrote the book of Acts. That’s why he begins here with the words, “My first book.” Luke says that his gospel account covered what Jesus “began” to do and teach. This implies that his second book—the book of Acts—is about what Jesus continued to do and teach.
As we work our way through the book of Acts, we will look at it from the perspective of Jesus being at God’s right hand, operating as Head of the Church and his other continuing ministries:
In our study of Acts, we will see Jesus continuing to do and teach. To achieve this in his new set up, we will see that he operated through the Holy Spirit, angels, his church, disciples, followers, and apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders, etc. To them he imparted his vision, delegated authority, and poured out his power.
With Jesus running things from his exalted position at God’s right hand, we will see the church growing and spreading into all the world according to the commission he gave his disciples.
Jesus is preeminent:
(Colossians 1:17–18 NKJV) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. {18} And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Jesus, the Sequel: What He Continued to Do and Teach
David W Palmer
(Acts 1:1–2 NLT) In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach {2} until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.
“In my first book”
The person who wrote this is Luke. His “first book” refers to the gospel of Luke; Acts is the sequel. Interestingly, he said that his first book was about “everything Jesus began to do and teach.” By saying that it was about what Jesus “began” to do, Luke is implying that his current book covers what Jesus “continued” to do. Luke’s gospel begins the story; Acts is the sequel—a published work that continues the story or develops the theme of an earlier one. In my mind, therefore, I think of Acts as: What Jesus Continued to Do.
After his resurrection, Jesus didn’t go on holidays for the rest of eternity. He is now busy in several key ministries. For example, he is currently:
And importantly, he is currently Head of the Church:
(Ephesians 1:22 NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.
(Ephesians 5:23 NKJV) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
(See also: Col. 1:18, Eph. 4:15)
The church is Jesus’s body, his bride, his army, etc. But importantly, the Greek word from which we get our word, “church,” implies that Jesus’s church is his governing body on earth—like the Queen’s parliament today, or the Roman senate of their time. In other words, Jesus—the ultimate sovereign King of kings—
