In
these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry.
Acts 1:15-17
Acts 1 [12.] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 1 [15.] In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’
Acts 1 [20.] For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his habitation be made desolate.
Let no one dwell therein;’
and,
‘Let another take his office.’
Meaning:
Between the ascension and Pentecost the believers waited and prayed in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). During those days Peter stood up to address a problem: the circle of twelve apostles that Jesus had chosen now had an empty place. Before proposing a solution, Peter explains from Scripture how the betrayal by Judas fitted into God’s purpose.
- “Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples”
Only a few weeks earlier Peter had denied Jesus three times. Yet Jesus had prayed for him and given him a task: “I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers” (Luke 22:32). After the resurrection Jesus restored him by the lakeside and told him, “Tend my sheep” (John 21:16). Here we see Peter doing exactly that, strengthening his brothers and taking the lead among them. His leadership rests not on his own record but on the grace of the Lord who forgave him.
- “The number of names was about one hundred twenty”
The group gathered in Jerusalem was small: the eleven, the women, Jesus’ family and other disciples, about one hundred twenty in all. Paul mentions that the risen Lord once appeared to more than five hundred at once (1 Corinthians 15:6), so there were other believers elsewhere, especially in Galilee. Still, compared with the thousands who would be added at Pentecost (Acts 2:41), this was a humble beginning. God often starts great works with small numbers.
- “It was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled”
Peter does not treat the betrayal as an accident that took God by surprise. He says that it “was necessary” for the Scripture to be fulfilled, using the same language of divine necessity that Jesus used about his own suffering. At the Last Supper Jesus quoted a psalm of David, “He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me” (John 13:18), taken from Psalm 41:9, where David speaks of “my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me.” In his prayer Jesus said that none of his disciples was lost “except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).
Peter goes on to quote two other psalms of David (Acts 1:20). The early Christians read these psalms, in which David suffered at the hands of treacherous enemies, as pointing beyond David to the greater Son of David and to the one who betrayed him.
- “Which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David”
Peter’s view of Scripture is clear. David spoke, but the Holy Spirit was the true author. David himself said, “Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). Because the Spirit inspired the psalms, they can speak of events that happened a thousand years after David lived.
- “Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus”
Judas knew where Jesus prayed, “for Jesus often met there with his disciples” (John 18:2). In the garden Judas “was leading” the crowd and came near to kiss Jesus (Luke 22:47). Luke records the tragic truth that Satan entered into Judas, “who was numbered with the twelve” (Luke 22:3).
- “He was numbered with us, and received his portion in this ministry”
Judas was not an outsider. He had been chosen as one of the twelve, sent out to preach and heal, and trusted with the common purse. This makes his fall all the more sobering. Jesus had warned, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70).
The Significance of Acts 1:15-17
- God’s plan and human responsibility
The betrayal fulfilled Scripture, yet Judas was fully responsible for what he did. Jesus held both truths together: “The Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22). God can bring his purposes to pass even through human evil, without excusing that evil.
- Privilege is not the same as faithfulness
Judas walked with Jesus for years and still fell away. Being near spiritual things, or even serving in ministry, does not replace a heart truly given to Christ. Peter, who also failed, was restored because he turned back in repentance. The difference between them is a call to humble, honest faith.
Cross-References:
Psalm 41:9: "my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me." The psalm Jesus applied to Judas.
John 17:12: "None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Jesus’ prayer for his disciples.
Luke 22:32: "You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers." Peter’s restored calling.
Conclusion: In the days before Pentecost Peter, restored after his denial, stood up to lead the one hundred twenty believers. He explained that the betrayal by Judas, one of the twelve who had shared their ministry, fulfilled what the Holy Spirit had spoken through David. The passage shows God’s sovereign plan, the reality of human responsibility, and the grace that restores fallen disciples.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible