When a Time of Inactivity Slows You Down • Acts 1:4-8,12-14; 2:1-4
By Melody Mercer
Is there anything harder or more frustrating than waiting? We wait in the doctor’s office, we wait in traffic, or we wait to check out at a store. In our day and age, no one has time to wait, or wants to take the time. We have a schedule to keep and don’t want anything slowing us down. However, if you haven’t experienced it yet, sometimes God slows us down whether we want to or not.
This is the case with the disciples in Acts chapter one. They are talking with Jesus for what would be one of the last times before His ascension. Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for a gift that the Father has promised. The gift would be the Holy Spirit that would later empower the disciples to witness as Jesus commanded.
“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you restoring the kingdom of Israel at this time?’” 1:6 (CSB)
The disciples, along with many others, viewed Jesus’s resurrection and their understanding of the scriptures to mean that He would be restoring the kingdom to Israel. There was the expectation that the Messiah would restore the kingdom, and Israel would be out from under Roman rule. This was something that all first-century Jews longed for (CSB Study Bible). Jesus redirects their question by telling them that no one knows specific dates and times, and then gives them their mission.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8 CSB).
Let’s dive into this verse for a minute. There are three things we can observe.
First, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the transition of the Holy Spirit to come and be a constant presence in His bodily absence. Jesus spoke of this in John 14:16-17.
Second, the growth of the church would come about from the witness of the disciples. This would be their first priority. These original witnesses had observed Jesus in action, walked beside Him, had known the splendor of His life, death, and resurrection, and the joy of forgiveness of sins.
Third, the result of this witness would be measurable, geographical growth (CSB Study Bible). Jesus began where they were, in Jerusalem. The next would be Judea. Judea was the Roman province around Jerusalem. “Judea” describes for us reaching beyond our home community in home missions. The witness would continue to Samaria. We know that the Jewish people wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans. Samaritans represented a blending of Israelites with the foreign people of the land during the Exile. Jews generally despised them. Jesus specifically told the disciples to bear witness to Samaria. “Samaria” described witnessing to those from different ethnic groups, peoples, and families. Jesus radically cut across the prejudices of His disciples to state that the gospel was for the Samaritans, too.
Lastly, the witness is not over until it reaches “the ends of the earth.” This may have referred to the known world at the time, likely within the reach of the Roman Empire. However, as new lands and peoples were discovered, the church understood that it must keep expanding its witness (CSB Study Bible).
After the disciples returned to Jerusalem from watching Jesus ascend into Heaven, they went into an upper room to wait and pray. The verses that follow list the disciples, the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. The fact that Mary and His brothers were there shows that they were still faithful and had a role alongside the disciples.
“They all were continually united in prayer…” (1:14a)
Both men and women were included, and the text literally means that they were in “one accord” or “one mind” (Greek homothumadon). Corporate prayer, uniting the church in commitment to God’s purpose.
When we’re in a waiting period, two things need to be a constant, prayer and support. Pray that the Lord reveals and guides you to what He wants you to do. Next, the support of your church family means everything. They can help you pray and encourage you along the way. I know from experience that the seasons of waiting can be hard, but remember that we must always trust God with what we don’t know.
Mercer is a member of First Church, Jackson.
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