Acts 1

The title to this posting links to this passage on www.BibleGateway.com

"You will receive power."

That is what the disciples wanted. They wanted the power to return to Israel with Jesus as the King. Before Jesus ascended, they asked, "Is now the time for the Kingdom to return to Israel?" Jesus, in his familiar way, sets the question aside (it's not for you to know the times...) and addresses the real issue. Power.

Jesus knew them so well and wanted to assure them that they would receive power. However, this power would be much greater and a lot less lofty than they expected. Rather than the power of the sword, they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would enable them to be 'witnesses' (from the Greek word Marturia, where we get the word martyr). That is power greater than the sword. Rather, than lofty positions as cabinet members, they would suffer as witnesses just as Jesus suffered. Not very lofty.

We need to give these guys a break. Jesus had spoken about them having the Holy Spirit in them but they had never experienced it for themselves. They had only seen Jesus function in the power of the Spirit. So, when Jesus spoke of the power of the Spirit, their natural minds could only translate that into something more tangible.

That is why Jesus said, "wait." Rebuild your team and just wait. Once they understood the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, then they would get it. In the meantime, waiting and praying and building a community that trusts God by waiting would be work enough until Pentecost arrives.

What are the real issues behind your requests to God? Is there something that you continue to ask God for but do not see an answer? Sure enough, God does not owe you an explanation for his logic. Yet, is there a deeper issue that he wants to address in you through the process of waiting?
Study notes: Acts 1:8 structures the course of the book of Acts. The story of Acts will follow the disciples as they witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.