Replacement


Acts 1:12-26
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.
14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Jesus has left the human sphere in His bodily form and now Peter steps up, taking leadership of the group of disciples. Judas has killed himself leaving a vacancy among “The Twelve”. While we are told some rather grim details about Judas’ death, the thrust of the passage deals with his replacement. While the Twelve were Jesus' chosen Apostles there were numerous people who faithfully followed Jesus throughout His ministry. One of those faithful is what the remaining eleven are looking for now to fill the void. They pray and cast lots. The casting of lots was a practice that was established back in the Old Testament so that mere mortals could allow God to make the big decisions. This particular event is the last time we see such a device used to discern God’s will. After the arrival of the Holy Spirit (in the next chapter) casting lots is never mentioned again.

The man chosen by casting lots was Matthias. Oddly, he is never mentioned again in the Scriptures and the historical record is contradictory and inconclusive. He most certainly went on to spread the Gospel but we know very little of his story and even that information is suspect. The most credible information says that he went to Ethiopia to spread the Word of God among the cannibals and was martyred around 40ad.

It is my contention (and I probably stand alone in this – so don’t quote me) is that Jesus didn’t need the remaining Apostles to replace Judas. He did so Himself in the person of Paul, whose story we will examine in detail as the Book of Acts unfolds. Jesus doesn’t need our help when there is a situation to solve. We need His help. This for me is a perfect example of man jumping up to help God out and it just isn’t necessary. God has everything well in hand. There are other examples in Scripture that point in this same direction. Man was formed last in the order of creation. Yes, that could mean that we are the crown of God’s creative activity but it also means we weren’t around to help out with that process either. Jesus went to the cross for our sins without our help or assistance. In fact, the people around Him (such as Peter – who now leaps into the void to replace Judas) tried to stand in the way of that redemptive work. No, God doesn’t need my help and this little story proves that once again.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more