Tuesday, January 18, 2022
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.” Acts 1:4-5; 7-8
The Coming of the Holy Spirit Fulfilled
The book of Acts is where we can find the beginning of the Church and the very important coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would give the body of believers the power they needed to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth as Jesus said to the disciples before He ascended.
We begin with the disciples and Jesus after His crucifixion and resurrection – before His ascension. He spent 40 days with them teaching them more about the Kingdom as they were preparing to be His witnesses. He was telling them what to do in His absence. Then, before He ascended, He said His final words to them - 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. v7-8 His final instructions were to use the power the Holy Spirit would give them to spread His good news to the ends of the earth.
In verses 3-5, Jesus told the disciples that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus had previously spoke of this promise in John 14 - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. v16-17 This is Jesus telling them the promise of His Father, that He was sending them the Holy Spirit. When they received the Holy Spirit, they would receive power from the Holy Spirit right away. Not in 10 years, or 5 years, but right away.
Acts chapter 2 gives us the first account of the coming of the Holy Spirit coming to the body of believers - When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues las the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4 This may not necessarily the way the Holy Spirit manifests in our lives today, but can you imagine being in that room? It must have been such an amazing experience!
At this time, the whole Roman Empire was considered to be “the ends of the earth.” How could the Church be established, and the gospel spread so quickly? This could only happen with the power of the Holy Spirit - the gift from the Father. With this power, they were to be witnesses for Jesus. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they would spread the news of the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This power was the same power that powered Jesus’ ministry, including the miracles He performed. It was also the same power that rose Jesus from the grave. This is the very same power we have from the Holy Spirit!
As believers, we often strive to do everything in our own power, including share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We forget, or fail to understand, that we have the gift or power from the Holy Spirit. We have been given this gift to rely on as the Holy Spirit’s power working through us to reach people for Christ and lead them to salvation, because like the disciples, we still are called to go and be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We don’t have to worry about not having the right words. His power is far greater and more effective than anything we could possibly do on our own. He has gone before us and prepared the way - softened hearts and made them open to hearing and receiving His good news. Trust Him to lead you in His power to share His gospel.
