Acts 1:15-26
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
It is always interesting how judgment plays out when the guilty party knows better. If my children knew from experience to not do something, and they did it anyway, their punishment was much more severe than normal. They are older now…well, except for my 10 year old…and I pray every day that the Lord doesn’t let them get away with anything. The consequences are too great.
The count in the upper room was 120. Perhaps they had a lot of women? We do know that there were more men than just the ones Luke named. Joseph, also known as Justus, and Matthias were both considered to take Judas Iscariot’s place. Before the choice is made, Peter goes into an explanation of Judas’ demise. What a horrible way to die!
The lot fell on Matthias. He was chosen to become the apostle to replace Judas Iscariot.
Why do you think all of the detail about Judas? I believe that it is for a warning for all of us to be real followers of Jesus and to not sell out. It is a warning to always walk closely with our Lord. Did you spend time with your Lord today?
Written by Kaye Dee Richards. August 2018. Kaye Dee lives with her husband Colin in Morrison, CO. They have 4 children, Joshua, Amelia, Victoria, and Julia.
To contact Kaye Dee, leave a comment, message us on Facebook, or email comments@thebeautifulspirit.org.
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