After all the rain on Monday, welcome to a “well-washed” Wednesday! It’s a blessing to be together.
As we noted yesterday, this Sunday is Pentecost. It’s the day we celebrate how God poured (as continues to pour) the Holy Spirit on and into the life of the Church. The Holy Spirit brings us to life in Christ’s love and leads us into the mission of Christ’s service. The Book of Acts narrates how that happened with the first disciples. On Pentecost, we rejoice how it happens with us as well.
Our Scripture for this Sunday is Acts 1:1-9. It’s a prologue. It recaps what has previously occurred and sets us up for what’s ahead. Today we look at this text to see how it readies us as readers to be “witnesses”. So make sure you have your Bible open and let’s review it together.
In verses 1 and 2 we see that Acts is a sequel. There was a “first book”, the Gospel of Luke. This is the follow-up – the “what happens next”. It’s addressed to “Theophilus”, who could be an individual or any interested reader, for the name translates “friend of God”. And as with all four Gospels, Luke narrated “all that Jesus did” in his life, death, and resurrection.
In verse 3 we begin to focus on the period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. During that time the text says that Jesus showed the disciples that he was alive, without a doubt. And he taught them about the Kingdom of God – what was to come.
Verses 4 and 5 get more specific. Jesus instructs them not to leave Jerusalem, but to “wait”. What are they waiting for? The Father is about to fulfill the Promise of pouring out the Holy Spirit.
Verse 6 shows there was obviously some confusion about what was to take place. Was the outpouring of the Spirit to be a rousing finale to the life of “this world” and an ushering in of the “world to come”? Even as Jesus had spent this time teaching about the “Kingdom of God” was God about to make it happen?
In verses 7 and 8 Jesus brings forward a very different idea than what the disciples asked. They didn’t need to worry about when God was going to usher in the End and New Creation. They needed to redirect their attention to what God was going to do in them and through them now. God was about to pour out the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was God’s presence in their lives. The Holy Spirit was God’s power for their lives. The Holy Spirit was God’s call to love and to serve. God was about to give power and purpose that was greater than themselves. Focus there!
The disciples were to be “witnesses”. Witnesses live out God’s love in the world. Witnesses are living demonstrations of what great and gracious things Jesus Christ does in and through our lives. Witnesses share Jesus’ love in ways others are drawn into his saving grace.
Verse 8 concludes that the disciples are to live out that plan everywhere – “to the ends of the earth”.
And then in verse 9 Jesus leaves! Those instructions to be his witnesses by the Holy Spirit are his last words to his followers, then and now.
In just 9 short verses Luke has set up not only what is about to unfold in this Book, but he also has outlined our purpose as Christians and as Christ’s Church. To be witnesses to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is the “main thing”. To live Christ’s love in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit in ways that the grace of God touches the hearts and lives of others and draws them to their Savior is the “main thing”. To live by the power of the Holy Spirit in ways that this world sees signs of the “breaking in” of the Kingdom of God through justice, mercy, and peace in Jesus Christ is “the main thing”. Jesus says that by the power of the Holy Spirit we are to be witnesses.
Today I invite you to go through the text again and see how that main message unfolds for you. How do you find that Luke calls you into the purpose of being a witness for Jesus? What exactly might that look like for you today? Who is God giving you to love today into the Kingdom?
When it comes to being a “living witness” there are lots of great questions. So I’ll let you get to work with the Scripture.
And as we all work with the Scripture my prayer is that it will go to work on us as well!
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for giving us your power and your purpose. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit and your call to be witnesses. Even as you give, we pray that we receive in ways that we would live out Christ’s love to your Kingdom glory in the everyday moments of our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen