After the resurrection…..!
Jesus had conquered the power of death and the grave and He had paid the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Now what were His followers to do?
Jesus commanded them to NOT depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father….Acts 1:4. What was Jesus referring to? He was talking about the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the church at the celebration of Pentecost. Fifty days after the resurrection according to the prophet Joel the Holy Spirit would come upon the church and empower them to witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ – *”Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28
This power would enable the disciples of Jesus to be able to serve the Lord and accomplish His will.
Why was this power necessary? Why did Jesus command them to wait for this power?
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. – is the key verse – to begin with it explains that the power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man. God’s people would experience repeated fillings of the Spirit as they faced new opportunities and obstacles. It meant that ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives. This the importance of Jesus command to wait as the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity.
The Apostle Paul goes into more intimate detail of how we need the Holy Spirit not only to be able to witness of Christ’s work but to be able to get along with one another and also how to fulfill our roles as husbands and wives – see Ephesians 5: 18-33.
May you today ask God for a filling again of God’s power by His Holy Spirit and not attempt to go it alone.
Jesus said, for without Me you can do nothing – John 15:5