You will receive power!

The last thing that Jesus said to his closest followers, before he ascended was, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  The disciples, and we are empowered to share the truth about Jesus with everyone. 

People tend to be a little skeptical until they see the evidence.  We can tell someone that we shook hands with a famous movie star, but a picture is more reliable.  We can tell people how good we are at managing resources, but a testimonial from another person is far more effective.  Likewise I can say that I love someone, but without some action, the words fall flat.  Jesus wants to share love with everyone.  He knows that the only way that human beings can show the love of God, is with God’s help.  That help comes in a person, the Holy Spirit. 

The Disciples go into hiding: 

The disciples returned to Jerusalem and stayed in one place together after the ascension.  They did some internal business; Matthias replaced Judas among the 12 apostles.  But mostly, they kept within themselves the message of the Resurrection.  Until, they received the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost. 

The time between Ascension and Pentecost is a time to consider who we are and what the resurrection of Jesus means to us.  We feel the need for an intimate connection to God that we felt in an encounter with him.  We miss that contact, and so we wait patiently for the promised return.  We feel the difference between who we are before we received the Holy Spirit, and who we are after. 

Before the Holy Spirit: 

• Afraid   
• Inward focused 
• Waiting

After the Holy Spirit: 

• Bold, 
• God’s witnesses to the world
• Actively taking the message to the ends of the earth. 

Do we act like people who have received the power to transform the world through the power of God, who dwells in our hearts?  In other words, are we witnesses to the power of God?