Acts 1:8
The Promised Power
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. — Acts 1:8
Acts 1:8
Observation
Have you ever tried to do God’s work in your own strength? Jesus gives his disciples a final command and a final promise. The command is to be His witnesses. The promise is the power to do it. Notice the sequence: first, you receive power; then, you are witnesses. They were not sent out with their own resources. They were told to wait for the Holy Spirit. This was not a suggestion. It was the absolute prerequisite for their entire mission. Their witness depended entirely on a power that was not their own.
Reflection
It is tempting to think that being a good witness for Christ depends on having the right words or a forceful personality. But Jesus says your effectiveness comes from a different source entirely. He promises you will receive power. It is a gift, not an achievement. The great preacher John Chrysostom noted how this Spirit-given power made timid fishermen into bold apostles. God is not asking you to muster up courage on your own. He is asking you to depend on His Spirit to provide it. You can trust Him to empower you for the task He has given you. How might you lean on His strength today, not your own?
Sit With This
What would it look like to wait for the Spirit's power before you act or speak today?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, forgive me for relying on my own abilities instead of your Spirit. Fill me with your power so that my life becomes a true witness to you. Help me to depend on you completely in all that I say and do today. Amen.
Did You Know?
In the Roman world, 'the end of the earth' often referred to Spain, which was considered the westernmost point of the known world. This set a truly global scope for the disciples' mission.
Further Reading