John Piper: What Jesus Did After the Beginning

Posted on by Pam Larson

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3 ESV)

John Piper, in a sermon, “What Jesus Did After the Beginning”:

But I do want to stress what Luke says here—that what Jesus did on the earth in his tough, compassionate, loving, healing deeds and what he said on the earth in his truthful, authoritative, convicting, comforting teaching was only the beginning of his doing and his teaching. This is absolutely crucial for understanding the purpose of the book of Acts and who we are as a church and what this age is all about. Because the clear implication is that NOW—now that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father—he is NOT finished. He is not done with his work and with his teaching. He is not dead and he is not absent. He is alive and he is present. He is doing and he is teaching.

The incarnation of the Son of God into human flesh, the once-for-all sacrifice of himself for sin on the cross, the mighty resurrection and Ascension to the Father’s right hand is just the BEGINNING of what Jesus came to do and to teach. And the rest of what he came to do, he does NOW in this age until the time appointed by the Father for the consummation of all things. That is the point of the book of Acts and that is why we exist as a church and that is what this age is all about. The book of Acts is not just the acts of the apostles; it is the acts of the risen, living, enthroned Jesus. He said in Matthew 16, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This is Luke’s point. Jesus began his doing and teaching until he was taken up to heaven. Now he goes on completing his doing and teaching—he goes on building his church just like he said he would.