Very few scriptures in the Old Testament (OT) directly refer to God as a Father, except metaphorically as one of many titles. The God Being instructed Moses to tell the Israelites His Name in Ex.3:13-15. “I AM who I AM…this is My Name forever.” Who is this God, this I AM?
In Jn.8:56-58 & Jn.18:2-8, Jesus identified Himself as I AM (and His hearers fell to the ground)! Furthermore, in the song of Moses, De.32:3-4 “Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect!” In 1Co.10:1-4, the apostle Paul identified the Rock. “That Rock was Christ.” (see the topic “Jesus Was the Old Testament God”.)
Without citing more passages here to that effect, the executive spokesman God of the OT, the great I AM and ‘Rock Of Ages’…was God the primordial Word (Jn.1:1). Later, ancient Israel’s God became Jesus Christ in the flesh (Jn.1:14). We don’t directly know Jesus’ Father God from reading the OT. Rather, when the Word came to earth as Jesus, He revealed the Father (Jn.1:18).
But the disbelieving Jewish religious leaders indicted their God come in the flesh, and Roman soldiers crucified Him. Yet Father God resurrected Jesus/the Word from the dead. Now Jesus rules eternally beside His Father (Ep.1:20-22) in the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God (KOG).
The Lord destined for humanity to receive salvation, to learn of and become part of that KOG. That is God’s grand purpose for which we were born. How does humanity learn of His purpose?
One primary means is through Christian evangelism. The gospel (euangélion Strongs g2098, Greek noun) about His Kingdom will grow to eventually encompass the earth. Is.9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government and peace…over His Kingdom to establish it and uphold it.”
The New Testament (NT) begins with Jesus’ ancestry and His human birth. Later is the account of His adult water baptism by John the Baptizer (Lk.3:16, 21-22). After that we read where Jesus went about teaching, healing, delivering from demons, and preaching the KOG in Galilee…Mk.1:14-15, 32-34, Lk.4:31-37. The gospel or good news began in Galilee. And on into Judea, Lk.4:43-44.
Lk.6:12-19 contains the names of the first 12 disciples (apostles) who Jesus chose, as He spent all night in prayer. Perhaps He spent one hour praying for each (cf. Jn.11:9)? A significant parallel…there had originally been 12 tribes of Israel. In Re.21:10-14, the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the names of the 12 apostles are written on the gates and foundation stones of the holy city New Jerusalem.
The 12 disciples/apostles were all Galileans except for Judas Iscariot, likely from Cariot in Judea. Although all 12 were Jewish, they had their differences. Several were fishermen. Matthew the Levite was a government tax collector (Mt.9:9). Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. (see “Jesus’ Twelve Apostles”.)
Then in Lk.9:1-2, Christ sent forth the 12 to heal, deliver and proclaim the KOG. Jesus Himself continued to do the same. Lk.9:6 they went among the villages preaching the gospel. This resulted in more disciples for Jesus. The Kingdom was beginning to slowly increase, as a mustard seed, Mt.13:31-32. (A mustard seed is smaller and hotter than other seeds.) also see “Kingdom of God”.
Lk.10:1-11 Jesus then sent out 70 others as missionaries to heal, deliver, and advance the Kingdom. In Nu.11:16, Moses had selected 70 elders from among the Israelites to assist him. (Jesus was a Prophet like unto Moses, De.18:15 & Ac.7:37-38.) Jn.4:1-2 Jesus’ disciples water baptized more than John did.
Luke wrote in a beautiful Greek to Theóphilus, a Greek-speaker (Lk.1:3). Luke quotes the Jewish old Greek version of the OT (as did the other NT writers). The old Greek became the Septúagint. It made God’s word readable and understandable in the Grecian and Roman Empires. Not coincidentally, the Septuagint is also known as the LXX. In Roman numerals, LXX = 70.
Lk.10:17 the 70 missionaries were given power over demons in Jesus’ Name. They were to travel along (v.4), living at the same standard as those who housed them, and weren’t to keep seeking better accommodations (v.7-8). These 70 prepared the way in towns Jesus would Himself visit.
Mt.4:23-25 as the 70 prepared the way for His visits, multitudes from all over the Holy Land came to hear Jesus. The good news about Jesus and His healings & miracles spread beyond the Jordan River, to the Decápolis and into Syria! Also into Samaria (Jn.4:39-42).
Again, this Jesus, the great I AM/the Rock of OT Israel come in the flesh, was indicted by the rulers of His own people. Around 30 AD or so, the Jewish religious leaders set Him up for crucifixion in Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans. Jesus died.
But Father God raised Him from the dead (Ac.2:24)! After Jesus rose, His disciples saw Him alive. They knew He was risen! In Jn.20:20-22, Jesus gave them a foretaste of the Holy Spirit (HS) to come.
After Christ’s resurrection, in Mk.16:15-19 He commissioned His apostles to go preach the good news to all the known inhabited earth. Attesting miracles would accompany true believers. Also Mt.28:18-20 records where Jesus commissioned them to go teach and make other disciples in all nations. Jesus said in Mt.16:18, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it”. (also see “Church Structure and Member Functions”.) This is to be done without Jesus physically on earth.
Initially they were comparatively powerless without Jesus on earth. But during the 40 days while Jesus was appearing to them after His resurrection…Jesus promised they would soon be baptized with the HS, Ac.1:1-5. Ac.1:8-9 the HS would empower them to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and far distant areas (in that order). Jesus Himself appeared to over 500 people post-resurrection, mostly during the 40-day period (1Co.15:6). Ac.1:15 Peter is with 120 believers in Jerusalem before Péntecost.
Ac.2:1-12 then they were filled with the HS (as tongues of fire)! They suddenly received spiritual power & gifts, and boldness. (see “Spiritual Gifts and Tongues”.) This wonder was a great sign to the many Jews from near and far who’d come to Jerusalem for Pentecost! v.14 Peter stood up boldly with the 11 disciples/apostles. v.38 then Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. 3,000 persons were baptized that day, v.41! (see “Baptisms and Washings”.)
So the gospel/good news was proclaimed in Jerusalem. Ac.6:7 “A great many [Levitical] priests became obedient to the faith.” Also those pilgrim Jews who’d come to Jerusalem for Pentecost returned to their respective lands and told of what they’d seen & heard!
In Ac.8:1-5, the gospel spread to Judea and Samaria (initially not by the first apostles, v.1.) The Samaritan people practiced physical circumcision, ate clean, and kept the 7th day sabbath (as did Jews). Phillip too had been empowered by the HS, and many Samaritans believed and received the Spirit when Peter & John came to them (v.12-17). Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian Jew or proselyte who’d been appointed a court eunuch, and water baptized him (v.34-40). Philip continued to preach the gospel from Ázotus (the OT Ashdód) to Caesárea, 60 miles north of Jerusalem.
Then in Acts 10, God revealed to Peter in a vision that the gospel of Christ is also for uncircumcised gentiles. They too can be saved, in their respective countries!
The inclusion of gentiles opened the door for tremendous growth for the KOG (e.g. Ac.28:28-31). Many converted gentiles had been God-fearers (e.g. Ac.10:2) who’d frequented the periphery of synagogues on the sabbath…believing the God of the Jews truly is God.
Ac.11:19-21 in Antioch of Syria, a large number of Jews and gentiles believed and turned to the Lord in that ‘3rd city of the Empire’. Ac.15:35 Paul, Barnábas and many others taught & preached the word of the Lord in Antioch.
The gospel spread to other cities throughout the Roman Empire, as the KOG kept increasing (Is.9:7).
Php.1:14 in the Roman garrison of Phílippi, many brethren boldly spoke the word of God without fear. In 2Ti.2:2, Paul exhorted Timothy who was at Ephesus. “The things which you heard from me, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Teaching the Lord’s salvation, His way of life, and how to love God and one’s neighbor. The gospel of the Kingdom as a mustard seed was taken to the nations by believing individuals whom the HS gifted.
Personal evangelism (as done by those who have that gift) is a key to a living and growing church.
Col.1:18-23 Paul wrote, that by the mid-60s AD “The hope of the gospel was proclaimed in all creation under heaven”. It had been preached throughout the Roman Empire and much of the known world. To both Jews and gentiles. God was reconciling to Himself people from all nations and cultures, as they became believers in salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus the Son of God.
Over the centuries AD, the gospel has continued to be preached to the nations, on all continents. In the nearly 2,000 years since the Apostolic Age of the church and the Bible canon ended (latter 1st century), Christianity has grown astonishingly! Of the estimated 7.0 billion people on earth today, 2.2 billion believe Jesus is the Lord and Savior of their life. It is estimated that there are approximately 160 million Christians in China; most are in the tens of thousands of house churches not registered with the Chinese government TSPM. God’s Kingdom government is increasing greatly!
As part of His ‘body’ and church at large, Christians become willing to prioritize Kingdom values above all nationalism of men. And above cultural traditions and even religious traditions (not in God’s word) which may retard Kingdom growth and peace (Is.9:7). (also see “Governmental Loyalty for Christians” and “Doctrinal Disunity Impacts Evangelism”.)
The first disciples/apostles saw the risen Lord with their own eyes. They believed…and became personal witnesses of His resurrection! However, Jesus said to Thomas and those disciples in Jn.20:29-31, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who didn’t see, and yet believed.”
Those things about Jesus, what He said and what He did, were recorded in the NT by the apostles John & Matthew, and others. So that we who didn’t see the resurrected Jesus, and the whole world since then…may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God…and receive eternal life in His Name! Jesus is Lord (Ac.2:36)! Do you too believe?
Bible Topic Exposition 