Acts 1

1:3  To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God¹:

NINTH AND TENTH APPEARANCES OF JESUS. (Jerusalem.) Luke 24:44-49 ; Acts 1:3-8 ; 1 Corinthians 15:7
1. And speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God. This shows us that Jesus spoke many things at his appearances beside the briefwords which are recorded.

1:4  and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said he], ye heard from me¹:

1. The promise of the Father, which, [said he], ye heard from me. See John 14:16 John 14:26 ; John 15:26 .

1:5  For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence¹.

1. But ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. The promised baptism came ten days later, at Pentecost.

1:6  They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel¹?

1. Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Despite all that they had seen and heard, the apostles were still expectingthat Jesus would revive the old Jewish kingdom, and have himselfenthroned in Jerusalem as the heir and successor of David.

1:8  But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth¹.

1. And ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus enlightensthem as to their duty, and not as to the kingdom; Pentecost would makeall clear as to the nature of Christ's rule and dominion.

1:9  And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

THE ASCENSION. (Olivet, between Jerusalem and Bethany.) Mark 16:19 Mark 16:20 ; Luke 24:50-53 ; Acts 1:9-12

1:11  who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven¹.

1. Shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. Thus the angels add their testimony to the sureness of our Lord'spromise that he will return.

1:18  (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity¹; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out².

Acts 1:18 Acts 1:19 REMORSE AND SUICIDE OF JUDAS. (In the temple and outside the wall of Jerusalem. Friday morning.) Matthew 27:3-10 ; Acts 1:18 Acts 1:19
1. Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity. This parenthesis contains the words of Luke inserted in the midst of aspeech made by Simon Peter to explain the meaning of his words.

2. And falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. His account of Judas' death varies in three pointsfrom that given by Matthew, but the variations are easily harmonized.(1) Evidently Judas hung until his abdomen was partially decomposed;then his neck giving way, the rope breaking, or something happeningwhich caused his body to fall, it burst open when it struck the ground.(2) Judas is spoken of as purchasing the field, and so he did, for thepriests bought it with his money, so that legally it was his purchase.(3) The field was called "The field of blood" for two reasons, and eachEvangelist gives one of them.