We have seen how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies regarding Him. Let us see how God’s plan unfolds after His resurrection!

Jesus’ Twelve Disciples/Apostles

While Jesus was alive on earth, He selected twelve men to be a special group of disciples. After He sent them out to teach and preach, they were called the twelve Apostles.

Jesus promised these twelve Apostles that He would grant them authority. They would proclaim the message of Jesus and His Kingdom to the people in power. He would give them the Holy Spirit who would guide them in their teaching and efforts.

For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus continued to teach His Apostles regarding Himself and the Kingdom. He then ascended to heaven to be with the Father and was given all authority in heaven and on earth.

Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon the twelve Apostles, and they began speaking in languages they did not know. The Kingdom was being established.

Bible passages: Luke 6:12-16, Luke 9:1-6, John 14:1-16:33, Luke 24:1-53, John 20:1-21:25, Acts 1:1-2:13.

The Church Begins

On that day of Pentecost, Simon Peter, one of the Apostles, stood up and preached to the assembled Jews that God had made Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ (Messiah). On that day, 3,000 people believed, were immersed in water (baptized) for the remission of their sins, and became the first church. They gathered frequently, devoting themselves to learning from the Apostles, prayer, and spending time together, and the church continued to grow and grow.

It would not be long until the Jewish authorities wished to put an end to this. They warned the Apostles many times to stop preaching and teaching, but the Apostles refused to listen to them. One believer, Stephen, was brought before the Jewish council on false charges, and preached a message against the Jews. They stoned him for it, and many Jews began persecuting the church. The persecution worked against the Jews, however, because as the believers spread outside of Jerusalem, they took the message of Jesus with them. Churches were established in many towns and cities in Judea and surrounding regions.

Bible passages: Acts 2:14-8:40.

Jewish People and Gentiles

The message of Jesus Christ, often called the Gospel, was spreading. One of the believers’ greatest opponents, Saul of Tarsus, saw a vision of the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, and himself converted. The church grew mightily.

The Gospel only went to the Jewish people at the beginning. It was in God’s plan for Jesus and the church, however, for the Gentiles (everyone who is not a Jewish person) to be given the opportunity to hear and believe also. Therefore, God sent Peter to Cornelius, a Roman army officer, and while Peter preached to Cornelius, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his friends, and Peter understood that God was calling the Gentiles also.

The message was now preached to both Jewish people and Gentiles. In the city of Antioch, believers began to be called Christians. Saul of Tarsus, who was now called Paul, began to go out and preach to Jews and Gentiles living in modern-day Turkey. Many heard and believed; others refused to believe and treated Paul harshly.

Some of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were not so sure about these Gentile Christians, and began to teach that the latter should follow the law of Moses. The Apostles, including Paul, met about this issue, and they understood from the prophets and the Holy Spirit that the Gentile believers should not be forced to follow the law of Moses. God had brought Jew and Gentile together into one body through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Bible passages: Acts 9:1-15:35, Galatians 1:1-6:18, Ephesians 2:11-18.

The Gospel Spreads

Paul made three other preaching trips, often called missionary journeys, preaching the Gospel everywhere he went. He and others went from modern-day Turkey over to Greece and Italy. Paul even preached in Rome!

Within forty years of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Gospel had spread throughout the Mediterranean world. There were churches of Christ in major cities from Judea to Italy. Paul and others had great concern for these churches, and they corresponded with many of them through letters. Many of these letters now make up part of the New Testament, and they teach us about Jesus, the Kingdom, the church, and how we are to live our lives and do God’s will, both as individuals and as churches.

God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled. Through Jesus Christ, all the nations of the earth were blessed.

Bible passages: Acts 12:1-28:20, Romans 1:1-Jude 1:25.