The Release of the Lord

The book which is known to us as “The Acts of the Apostles,” and sometimes “The Acts of the Holy Spirit,” might truly be named—The Release of Jesus Christ.

Luke introduces it with the observation that he had earlier written the beginnings of the acts and teaching of Jesus; implying that continuation is now his object and purpose.  But what a change!  The former activities were bounded and limited by time and space, and, at best, covered but a few square miles of Syrian soil.  For the most part Omnipresence was in chains, except for a few breakings through of power at a distance.  The activities and teaching were almost entirely limited to a people of one nation and tongue.  Then, by outward urge, persuasion, and encouragement, He caused His wishes to be carried out; and to the dull minds of the spiritually unquickened He gave His spiritual treasures; explanations and reasons being necessary to confidence.  Then, the necessity was laid upon Him of a very slow disillusionment and unfolding as to what form the end of the phase would take, because of the controlling personal interests, even in the inner circle.  Pride, ambition, doubt, malice, self-assertiveness, self-confidence, self-realization, self-defense, like barbed wires, circled around and wounded Him whenever He sought to move forward.  Ever conscious from the beginning that world-dominion was His as “Heir of all things,” yet He had not a place to lay His head, and to be “crucified through weakness” was to be His portion.

What a change!  Now He has shaken off all His chains.  Time and space no longer have any power over Him.  Geography, the material things, Satan, demons, men, nations, thrones, all have been fully stripped off by Him.  Now, by an inward dynamic, in spite of every threat and peril, men and women are moving out in every direction with a passion for the glory of His Name.  Now, not as an historic figure, known “after the flesh,” but, by an inward revelation of transcendent magnitude, He is known after the Spirit.