Based on the Scriptures given yesterday, and from memory, who do you think that room of 120 or so people was like? (A possible list of who they were follows below.) Who do you think acted as leader? Let's imagine Day 1 - How do you think it began? I think Day 1 began with prayer. What do you think?
Who were the about 120 in the upper room waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit? What did they do for the 10 days they waited? ~See Acts Chapter 1
The Upper Room Prayer Meeting
This was a time of very great excitement! Christ
had died and risen to life! HE was now alive forevermore! For forty days He had
been with them before He ascended to heaven. They were to wait for the Promise
of the Father! They waited for ten days; here’s the account:
Acts
1:13-15 "And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room,
where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew,
and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the
brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication (they all joined together constantly in prayer), with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty.)"
Who are these hundred and twenty persons?
By looking closely at what is said here and in other places, we may know who
they were. These had the common bond of knowing that Jesus had been raised from
death and was alive forevermore.
The Twelve
We recognize the names of the Twelve Apostles
(now eleven with the absence of Judas Iscariot –see note in The Seventy about
replacement for Judas).
The Seventy
Also with them were
the 70 (Luke 10:1). Each of the 70
would meet the qualifications Peter mentions: "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that
the Lord Jesus went in and out among us..." Among the 70 were Joseph
Barsabas and Matthias (who were put forward by the whole group as possible
choices). Just these two cast their lots (to take it out of the realm of human
action) and the lot fell on Matthias. He became the twelfth Apostle to complete
the number. We would expect that those mentioned in Acts 6:5 had been among the 70 (Stephen, Philip, Prochorus,
Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas), also Barnabas. These were men of good
reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom
The women Women were also identified to be among the 120. Mary the mother of Jesus is mentioned
by name. The wives of the apostles were there (1 Cor. 9:5 "Have we not
power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?"). Each of the wives was a devout believer in Christ. Part of the
number of women would be those mentioned in Luke
8:1-3. "And it came to pass
afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and
shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went
seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and
many others, which ministered unto him of their substance." See
also Matt. 27:55-56; Luke 23:49,55.
We would expect that the sisters of Jesus were also believers by this time, as
His brothers had become. Jesus was much more inclusive of the women than were
the scribes and Pharisees. The women had accompanied Him as He went through
every city and village. The very first person to announce the Risen Christ was
Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18).
The brothers of Jesus
The brothers of Jesus are also included in the 120.
They had not been believers before the Crucifixion (John 7:3-5). Now they were firm in their faith and devotion to Him.
These were: James, Joses, Simon, Judas
(Matt. 13:55-56). James the Just was
the leader of the Jerusalem Church in Acts
15:13. He is called an apostle in Gal.
1:19, although not one of the Twelve. See also 1 Cor. 9:5.James was the author of the Book of James. Judas was the
author of the Book of Jude.
Others associated surely there
Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Zaccheus, Mary, Martha,
Lazarus, little boy feeding 5,000
Those healed
Officer’s son, widow & son raised from dead, Tabitha
& parents, blind man, lepers, lame man (there were lots more)
12+12+70+7+7+8+12 (128)
I have
mentally been doing a spiritual journey back in time and imagining this room
and the people in it. I've tried to think about the excitement they must have
had and the sweet remembering of each one's relationship with Jesus. I've
thought about Mary Magdalene & Mary, Martha & Lazarus, of course the 12
closest disciples; and what about Jesus's mother and siblings, those who were
healed. I think there has to be a huge celebration going on and some of the
sweetest fellowship ever known.
Can you imagine it?
Wow, wouldn't you have
loved to be included in that group of intimate friends of Jesus? What a prayer
meeting! "They gathered together continually in one accord..." can't
you just hear the Amens! I am encouraged by the addition of "with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." The women
were included in one accord - there was no separation in their worship!
Wouldn't you just love to hear what the mother of Jesus prayed? What about His
brothers and sisters who now believe in Him as the Messiah? I bet there was
lots of confession for their unbelief and preconceived ideas of who He was and
what He was going to do. Can you imagine the prayers of Peter, James & John
who could not watch and pray with Him for one hour without falling asleep when
He needed them the most? Wow, I bet they prayed some powerful prayers.
Next post: Remembering The Last Supper
