Introduction

The book of Acts tells us about the continuing work of Jesus Christ by his Spirit through the apostles. At the end of Acts 1:11, Jesus has ascended into heaven with his disciples watching him disappear in a cloud. Physically he is no longer present among them and they must wait for the coming of the Spirit in power.

To that end we are not surprised to read of them going back to Jerusalem and praying for the Spirit’s arrival. They are ready for the Lord to deliver on his promise. What is somewhat surprising, however, is that before Pentecost we have this detail about the replacement of Judas. Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles, betrayed Jesus for the sake of some silver. He did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah and so he led a group of armed bandits to arrest him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Those details we know from Luke’s Gospel but the question is, why do we need to know about his replacement? Apart from Peter, John, and James, none of the men listed in Acts 1:13 will be mentioned again in this book. Matthias’s name could have been added to the list without any fuss; we do not really need this interlude.

Inspired by the Spirit, however, Luke wants to show us how the Kingship of Jesus plays out in real world events. He is the King of God’s people and that is why we need twelve apostles and not eleven. Jesus is the King of history, so we can know that Judas’s betrayal was predicted and was not a surprise. And since he is the King of Scripture, we can trust what the Bible tells us about him. Nothing has been left to chance.

Jesus Christ is the King of God’s people

• Explain: why must there be twelve apostles?

• Apply: who are the people of God today? You are part of God’s people if you have faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the King of history

• Explain: what were the early church likely to feel and think following Judas’s betrayal?

• Explain: how does Peter comfort and encourage the gathering? What does this show us about who Jesus is?

• Apply: nothing and no one will stop Jesus from achieving his purposes. As Christians we have not committed our lives to a King whose victory is unsure and incomplete. We can trust Jesus to keep us and grow his kingdom. 

Jesus Christ is the King of Scripture

• Explain: what are the criteria to be an apostle?

• Apply: there are no apostles today. Their work was to lay the foundation of the church, a work that is now finished. We have their testimony and teaching in Scripture.

• Apply: how does the criteria for being an apostle encourage us to trust what is written in the New Testament?

Conclusion

The replacement of Judas is thus a key story for us to hear before the coming of the Spirit in power. It confirms that Jesus is the King of God’s people. It confirms that Jesus is the King of history and the Author in charge of what we have here in the Bible. We can know that we belong to God if we belong to Christ. We do not have to be worried that we are following a King who is unsure of victory, and we can be confident that what Scripture teaches us about Jesus is the truth that we can stake our lives on.

A final comment. The replacement of Judas naturally makes us remember how he betrayed Jesus. The gruesome details of his bowels gushing out confirm that he died under God’s judgment. But we must remember as we read of his death and replacement, that the one speaking is also someone who has messed up. Peter denied Christ three times on the night before his crucifixion; he was ashamed to be counted with the Messiah. But here he stands speaking to the church because Jesus is a King who suffered and died in order to forgive sinners. That is the Good News which the apostles were sent to proclaim, the Good News that creates church communities, the Good News that will not be stopped, the Good News that we can stake our lives on.