Seventh Sunday of Easter | Year A | First Reading – Acts 1:6-11 | TJ Torgerson
In the book of Judges, you will find the phrase "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him." Immediately following this phrase, the individual in question would go on to conquer an enemy. Let's take a look at these examples:
Judges 3:10 "The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, into the hands of Othniel…"
Judges 6:34 "Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon…"
Judges 11:29 "Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites."
Judges 13:25 "And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol."
Judges 14:19 "Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of their men…"
These stories would have been familiar to the disciples of Jesus. So, it is easy to imagine that when Jesus said, "In a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit," they might have been thinking, "Finally, it is time to slay the enemy! Let’s go overthrow kingdoms."
I can imagine the "sons of thunder" excited that it was finally time to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54). Perhaps they started looking around for a jawbone to use as a weapon. Peter was rebuked for cutting off the guard's ear, but now the Spirit of the Lord would be upon them! Was it time to take up arms and drive out Rome, restoring the kingdom of Israel? So, filled with zeal, they asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
This is something they had been waiting and watching for. And we can relate, right? We too are a waiting people. We are not waiting for Israel to become a great nation again, but we are waiting for the kingdom of God to be fully realized. We are waiting for God to set things right. And if we are honest, we may even be waiting for the power to call down fire from heaven, to use anything handy as a weapon (such as a donkey's jawbone). We are waiting for our enemies to be brutally punished.
So, how does Jesus respond to their question? Jesus says, "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 upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Jesus says to his disciples, "I cannot tell you when, but I can tell you what." The Holy Spirit will come upon you, not so you will be my warriors, but my witnesses to people everywhere. You will give your firsthand account of the life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Tell the world about Jesus.
It is interesting that the word we translate as "witness" is the Greek word "martys." This word is often transliterated into the English word "martyr." It signifies someone who testifies, bears witness, or lays down one’s life. In the early Christian context, the willingness to lay down one's life was seen as the ultimate witness of the one who laid down his life. Witnesses, not warriors. Martyrs, not marauders.
After making this declaration, the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, and the disciples stood there with mouths agape, looking into the sky. Now, what were they supposed to do? I wonder how long they stood, staring at the sky. I tend to think they would still be there, looking up, had the two men dressed in white not come and asked them why they were standing around, looking into the sky. Their question seems to imply, "You standing around, looking to the sky, isn't going to change anything. He will come back when he comes back!"
In some ways, many of us are still looking up into the sky. We count stars, study blood moons and eclipses, make calculations and predictions. Or perhaps we are not studying the signs of the times; we are simply longing for that day when He will return and make all things right. However, the words of Jesus, along with the question from those two men, need to be considered. "It is not for you to know the times and dates," and "Why do you stand there looking into the sky?" While there may be nothing wrong with trying to connect prophetic dots, and there is certainly nothing wrong with longing for that better time, the truth is we do not know when it will happen, and standing around waiting, hoping, and wishing will not make a difference.
We have been sent as witnesses, and the best news of all is that the Holy Spirit, promised in Acts 1, was given in Acts 2. We are the Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered Church—witnesses of Christ to every corner of the globe.
So, let us embrace our calling as witnesses of Jesus. Instead of standing around, let us move forward with purpose and passion, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us share the good news of Jesus through our words, actions, and lives. And as we do so, may we bring hope, transformation, and the light of Christ into a world in need.
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