Daily Bread 2011 - Acts 1
Daily Bread 2011 – Acts 1
4 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. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.”
What Does This Mean?
Today, we begin the second book of the two book, set “Luke-Acts”. If you remember from the beginning of Luke, Dr. Luke, who traveled on missionary journeys with the apostle Paul, set out to write an orderly account of the things that happened among us (he and Paul). He even references this is verse 1 in this chapter by stating, “In my former book Theophilus”. When Jesus finishes saying these things to his disciples in verse 8, he is taken up into heaven, commonly called the Ascension.
The final promise Jesus gives his disciples before he leaves, is the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. We see this promise in Ezekiel 36 when the prophet writes, “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Pretty amazing prophecy huh! Jesus tells them that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Again “to baptize” means to completely immerse or to be completely covered. As Jesus leaves, He promises them they will be filled and covered with His own Spirit. The same Spirit, that was with God in the beginning hovering over the water. The same Spirit, that came on specific people for specific tasks in the Old Testament. This same Spirit would now be given to each disciple and be the principal means through which they would act in God’ s power and authority.
What Does This Mean for Us?
This means everything for us. The Holy Spirit, as you will see through the book of Acts (aka the Acts of the Apostles), will be a part of everything the disciples do to continue the work of Jesus through the Church. In the next chapter, we will see that pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost, often called the birthday of the Church.
Bottom line is if the disciples/apostles needed the Spirit to begin the work of the ministry, how much more do we need the Spirit’s power to continue the work of building the Church until Jesus returns? It is the Spirit’s power, as it says in verse 8, that enables us to be witnesses of the Risen Christ. The word witness means “martyr”, and many of these disciples were martyred for their witness to the resurrection and because of their association with Jesus. As we carry out the Great Commission, Jesus promises to be with us as well, and it is through His Spirit that we are on a co-mission.
Come Holy Spirit to baptize us with Your presence and power. As you worked through the early church through its apostles send us out into the world to be your witnesses. In Jesus’ name and authority we pray, Amen.
4 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. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.”
What Does This Mean?
Today, we begin the second book of the two book, set “Luke-Acts”. If you remember from the beginning of Luke, Dr. Luke, who traveled on missionary journeys with the apostle Paul, set out to write an orderly account of the things that happened among us (he and Paul). He even references this is verse 1 in this chapter by stating, “In my former book Theophilus”. When Jesus finishes saying these things to his disciples in verse 8, he is taken up into heaven, commonly called the Ascension.
The final promise Jesus gives his disciples before he leaves, is the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. We see this promise in Ezekiel 36 when the prophet writes, “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Pretty amazing prophecy huh! Jesus tells them that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Again “to baptize” means to completely immerse or to be completely covered. As Jesus leaves, He promises them they will be filled and covered with His own Spirit. The same Spirit, that was with God in the beginning hovering over the water. The same Spirit, that came on specific people for specific tasks in the Old Testament. This same Spirit would now be given to each disciple and be the principal means through which they would act in God’ s power and authority.
What Does This Mean for Us?
This means everything for us. The Holy Spirit, as you will see through the book of Acts (aka the Acts of the Apostles), will be a part of everything the disciples do to continue the work of Jesus through the Church. In the next chapter, we will see that pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost, often called the birthday of the Church.
Bottom line is if the disciples/apostles needed the Spirit to begin the work of the ministry, how much more do we need the Spirit’s power to continue the work of building the Church until Jesus returns? It is the Spirit’s power, as it says in verse 8, that enables us to be witnesses of the Risen Christ. The word witness means “martyr”, and many of these disciples were martyred for their witness to the resurrection and because of their association with Jesus. As we carry out the Great Commission, Jesus promises to be with us as well, and it is through His Spirit that we are on a co-mission.
Come Holy Spirit to baptize us with Your presence and power. As you worked through the early church through its apostles send us out into the world to be your witnesses. In Jesus’ name and authority we pray, Amen.
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