FILL IN THE DETAILS
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:21-26 (ESV)
Church family, I hope you can feel the energy that is running through our campus this summer. I love seeing how God’s people are connecting through ministries and to our community! I love the excitement building around our 2023 church initiative, “FBC Loves Portland!” So, many of you have picked up yard signs and are actively looking for ways that YOU can help serve Portland with the gospel and with acts of service. In addition, I love the fact that so many of you have reached out to the staff to gauge how you can be a part of what God is doing in and through His church.
This kind of service reminds me of an Adrian Rogers quote, “You can't say, ‘Lord, show me Your will for my life — and then I'll make up my mind whether I want to do it.’ You just simply hand God a blank sheet of paper, sign your name at the bottom, and say, ‘Lord, You fill in the details.’" [1]
In our Scripture this week, we see God filling in the details prior to the Holy Spirit’s work at Pentecost. In Acts 1:21-26, Peter leads the disciples to choose a replacement to fill Judas' position among the disciples/ apostles. To choose his replacement, Peter stated there only be two qualifications:
Qualification 1: The men selected had to be a part of Jesus ministry from the baptism of John to the ascension. They needed to be present for this entire period of time. [vss. 21-22a]
Qualification 2: The men selected had to be a witness to the resurrected Christ. They had to be prepared to share with others that they had observed and heard Jesus after His resurrection. They would have heard His voice and would have seen the nail prints in His hands and feet. [vs. 22b]
Based on these qualifications, the group selected two men – Joseph Barsabbas Justus and Matthias. Both of these men had been around the Jesus’ ministry from the baptism of John to the ascension and had been a witness of Jesus through resurrection.
Now, here’s the something about these guys – we don’t know anything about either one of them. Acts 1:23 is the first time we hear and read of these men. They are never mentioned in the Gospels or anywhere else in Scripture. And, if we think about it – it should really amaze us. Here’s why, despite the fact that we have not heard of or read of these guys previously, God chose them to be a witness of His Son’s ministry/ teachings AND to His resurrection. Barsabbas and Matthias are two guys that no one [outside of the disciples] knows. But, God looks at them and says, “They’re perfect!! I have uniquely designed and equipped them both to be considered to testify of My Son!!”
Here’s something else to consider about these guys – they had Christ-like humility and love for the mission of the church. This is evident in that only one of them was to be selected. Only one of them would serve as a member of the twelve. Only one of them would have the title of Apostle – even though they both qualify for the title. Only one of them would be chosen. In this moment, Joseph Barsabbas Justus and Matthias have simply handed God a blank sheet of paper, signed their name at the bottom, and said, “Lord, You fill in the details.”
Scripture states that the disciples “cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Joseph Barsabbas Justus was not selected. He was not numbered with the eleven apostles. Performing a quick Google check will reveal even though Barsabbas was not selected – i.e. “not called” – he continued to work to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our last point to highlight is this – this is the last time we hear from Matthias or Joseph Barsabbas Justus. They are never mentioned again by name in Scripture. They are not alone. We do not see the names of the following apostles: Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. Of the apostles, Acts names only Peter, James, and John again. [2]
Despite their names not being mentioned again, these men remained faithful even as they shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. By continuing their ministries, each of these men stated, “It’s not about me.” They simply handed God a blank sheet of paper, signed their name at the bottom, and said, ‘Lord, You fill in the details.”
John Stott transitions the text best:
“The stage is now set for the Day of Pentecost. The apostles have received Christ’s commission and seen his ascension. The apostolic team is complete again, ready to be his chosen witnesses. Only one thing is missing: the Spirit has not yet come. Though the place left vacant by Judas has been filled by Matthias, the place left vacant by Jesus has not yet been filled by the Spirit. So, we leave Luke’s first chapter of the Acts with the 120 waiting in Jerusalem, persevering in prayer with one heart and mind, poised ready to fulfil Christ’s command just as soon as he has fulfilled his promise.” [3]
FBC, I pray that as God continues to work in and through us for His glory, that our focus continues to be on growing the Kingdom of God. I pray that we too can continue to actively look for ways to serve Portland with the gospel and with acts of service. I pray that we are ready and will simply hand God a blank sheet of paper, sign our name at the bottom, and say, ‘Lord, You fill in the details.”
[1] https://www.gracegems.org/30/short_pithy_gems_from_adrian_rogers.htm
[2] Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 77.
[3] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1990), 59.