After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 1:3-9
After His resurrection, which we celebrated last weekend, Jesus spent forty days on earth. During that time, he appeared to more than five hundred people. His final recorded moments on earth are written about in Acts chapter one.
And I would think it’s safe to assume the last things Jesus said before ascending into heaven were going to be important.
In those final moments, Jesus gives his followers two specific instructions.
First, interestingly enough, is to simply wait.
He said it this way, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.” Which we know is the Holy Spirit given to His followers on the Day of Pentecost.
There was a second instruction that Jesus gave. On closer reading, however, it doesn’t sound like a command. It sounds like a statement of fact:
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You mean we get to be proof of the greatest event in the history of mankind? Yes, please, sign me up!
But look at the order of his final sentences before ascending into heaven in front of them:
First: wait. Then: witness.
The order is important because the first instruction is required to live out the second.
The disciples, in their own power, could not be effective witnesses. They needed the Spirit first. And so do we.
It is, after all, the Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to be powerful witnesses to the world.
And not just in providing us the words to speak when the opportunity arises (Matthew 10:19-20), but in giving us the power to live a life that stands as a witness on its own.
Because being a witness for Jesus is about so much more than just talking about Him.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can live a life that loves our enemies.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can find the strength to forgive when we have been wronged.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can make every effort toward unity in a divided world.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can find peace when it makes no worldly sense.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can find the motivation to give sacrificially for the sake of others.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can say no to sin and yes to righteousness.
This. This is how we live each day as witnesses for Jesus “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
First, we slow down long enough to dwell richly in the Holy Spirit. And then we get to live out the glorious promise that Christ placed on our life—living as proof of the greatest event in the history of mankind.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit in my life. Help me listen, obey, and submit. And in so doing, thank you for the glorious promise and opportunity to be your witness in a world that so desperately needs you. Amen.