Can you remember a time when you were excited and happy about what was happening? Maybe it was your graduation or wedding day. Your confidence level was off the charts and you felt like nothing was impossible. Can you remember a time when you were depressed and sad about what was happening? Maybe you were very sick or disappointed about something. Your confidence was at an all-time low and you felt like nothing was possible. We go through those ups and downs. Imagine now what the disciples had been through with Jesus’ death and resurrection. I would imagine that they were emotionally exhausted after a month and a half of unexpected circumstances. But how did they get from those difficult days to the events recorded in the Book of Acts?
- What does it say?
When they were assembled, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, “which you all heard from me. For John indeed baptized with water, but you all will be baptized with the Holy Spirit after not many days.” Therefore, those who had assembled asked Him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not yours to know times or seasons which the Father established by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be witnesses for me in both Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the last part of the earth.” - What does it mean?
Jesus wanted them to wait (Acts 1:4-5).
The disciples had seen Jesus alive after his death and resurrection. For 45 days, he talked to them about the kingdom of God. Just before His ascension, when the disciples were gathered together, Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Spirit just as the Father had promised. With all that had happened, the disciples may have been excited to share the good news that Jesus had risen and all that they had learned about the kingdom of God. But Jesus told them to wait.
They had personal knowledge of Jesus being alive. They had exciting news about the kingdom of God. But they didn’t have the power they needed for the work they were about to do. They needed the Holy Spirit to enable them to effectively speak the truth and reach the people to whom they would be speaking. As we know from what happened in the next chapter, the disciples were given the Holy Spirit and were enabled to perform miracles and to speak in a way that convinced thousands of people to repent and believe in Jesus. That is why Jesus wanted them to wait.
Jesus wanted them to wonder (Acts 1:6-7).
The disciples had been hearing Jesus talk about the kingdom of God. We are not told what He said at that time. But if it was anything like what He has already said, the kingdom of God was more God’s working in people’s lives than a physical kingdom. But the Bible does talk about the coming millennial kingdom when Jesus will conquer the world and rule it for a thousand years. So, you can imagine why the disciples asked the question that they did. They asked if Jesus was going to restore the kingdom to Israel right then.1
Jesus’ response was straightforward. Knowing when the kingdom would return was not something they were to know. What God the Father was planning for coming times and seasons was not something they needed to know. Unless He specifically revealed details about the future, it was not for them to know. They were let God be in charge of what would happen and when. For now, they were to be left to wondering about the future.
Jesus wanted them to witness (Acts 1:8).
The disciples, who had been wondering about the coming kingdom, were given two details about the future. First, they would be empowered when the Holy Spirit arrived. This power would enable them to do whatever was needed including speaking in other languages, preaching the truth effectively to many, and healing sick people. Second, they would be witnesses to Jesus. Their experience with Jesus had included about three years of listening, learning, and seeing His death and resurrection.
Jesus told them that this witnessing would happen in the local area of Jerusalem. This was the place where Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. They would have the advantage of speaking to people who had been there and seen what had happened. They would later move from Jerusalem to the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria. This would broaden the scope of their message. Finally, they would witness about Jesus all over the earth. - How does it apply?
Sometimes you need to wait.
Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do you think that they knew what that was? Did they have any idea that they would speak in other, known languages at that time? Do you think that they knew what that power would enable them to do? The answer is probably not. But they waited and it happened when God’s plan was ready to be accomplished.
Has there been a time when you were impatient to get going? You were excited about what you were learning from your Bible reading and you were seeing God answer your prayers. But you were impatient to be used by God and wanted to do something right away. When you are feeling that way, always remember what Jesus told the disciples. There is a time to wait and the results of that wait will be well worth it.
Sometimes you won’t know.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew all that you wanted to know about the future? Although Jesus had been teaching the disciples about the kingdom of God, they were still curious about when it would become a reality. They were focused on the physical kingdom instead of the changes God wanted to make in the lives of those who would become citizens of that kingdom.
We are all curious about the future. But God has only given us so much information about the future. Perhaps it is just enough to give us hope about the future. That day will come someday. But right now, we need to focus on what God has us here to do. Try to be patient and work at your duties for today.
Sometimes you need to speak.
In God’s perfect timing, the disciples would soon be giving eye-witness testimony to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. They had seen these events and could verify not only that these things took place but that they were evidence that Jesus was the Savior for all. God enabled them to do incredible things and to make an impact in many communities.
While there are times to wait and to wonder, there eventually comes a time for Christians to witness. We may not have the eye-witness testimony that the disciples had, but we have a record of what they saw in the Bible. And we also have our own personal testimony of what God has done in our lives through faith in Jesus. And don’t forget that the same Holy Spirit who baptized the first disciples lives within each of us who are following the Lord today. With His enablement, we will have the power to witness for the Lord wherever He sends us.
Conclusion
The disciples had faced the ups and downs of their recent experiences with Jesus. But with Jesus’ promise of the coming Holy Spirit, they would have the power to proclaim the truth and to sing while in prison. This was all due to how God’s Spirit worked in their hearts and minds preparing them for what they would face each day. The same thing is true for each Christian. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can face each day. We, too, can speak for Christ and sing while experiencing troubles.
Bibliography
Kent, Homer A., Jerusalem to Rome Studies in Acts, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1972.
Toussaint, Stanley D., “Acts” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
Footnotes
- “In the disciples’ minds the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the coming of the promised kingdom were closely associated. And well they should be, because the Old Testament frequently joined the two (cf. Isa. 32:15-20; 44:3-5; Ezek. 39:28-29; Joel 2:28-3:1; Zech. 12:8-10).” Toussaint 354. ↩︎