WAIT FOR IT

Acts 1:4-8 NKJV 

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

f any group of individuals would appear to be ready to spread the good news of Jesus to the world, it would be His disciples. These 12 and those who also followed Jesus had seen His works, heard His teachings, and witnessed His resurrection. And yet Jesus instructed them to wait. So what would they need? What would they be waiting for? They had already seen and heard the risen Savior; what more was necessary?  

Jesus told them to wait for the Promise of the Father that He had already told them about. He reminded them that John the Baptist had baptized, or immersed, in water. But they were to be baptized, immersed, in the Holy Spirit. This was a great example. John used the agency of natural water, but Jesus would use the agency of spiritual water, the Holy Spirit.  

But I don’t think the disciples understood the significance of the Holy Spirit coming upon their lives because they were asking about Jesus restoring the kingdom to Israel. The disciples were still thinking about the restoration of a natural kingdom. Jesus kindly told them they were not on the need-to-know list. The Father had that time under His control and authority.  

But you shall receive power. I love that transition. Don’t worry about the natural kingdom. The Father’s got that, but the good news is you will receive power. This power will come when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The Holy Spirit was already living in them because they had received the risen Savior and were born again. But what Jesus wanted them to wait for was the supernatural ability that would be theirs when they were immersed, when the Holy Spirit came upon them.  

The purpose of their waiting for the Promise of God, the Holy Spirit, was to enable them to be witnesses of Jesus in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria, and the end of the earth. I don’t think the disciples caught the meaning of that phrase either. They could understand going to Israel. They could conceive maybe of going to Samaria with the gospel. Maybe. But going to the ends of the earth was a revelation that completely went over their heads. It was years later that the gospel was presented to the Gentiles. The Lord is merciful and patient.  

As these disciples began to proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Holy Spirit empowered them to work miracles, and amazing things took place. The Holy Spirit was well worth the wait.  

APPLICATION 

The Promise of the Father is still available today to all who desire to be empowered for Kingdom service. To be immersed in the Holy Spirit is one of the most amazing gifts God offers. He, the Holy Spirit, has come to glorify Jesus in our lives and enable us to be a witness for Jesus to a world that sits in darkness.  

PRAYER 

Lord, thank You for the Promise that is available to me. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and His empowering me to be a witness for Jesus.