Christ Promises Power

Acts 1:1-12

GOLDEN TEXT: “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”—Acts 1:8

TODAY’S lesson is a sequel to that of last Sunday’s. Luke, the Physician, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, was the author of the Book of Acts. In the latter, from which today’s lesson is taken, he takes up the narrative substantially where he left it in his Gospel; that is, at the ascension of Christ. The first verse of today’s lesson refers back to the Gospel of Luke as a treatise of the doings and teachings of Jesus from the time that He began His ministry to its close.

Some have assumed that the word “began” might reasonably be understood to imply that our Lord continued His ministry even after His ascension, speaking and acting, through His apostles, and those believing on Him through their word. This is true enough in fact, whether it was what Luke meant, or not; for the Scriptures invariably teach that the members of the church of Christ in the flesh are His representatives. These, as the apostle says, “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ … for His body’s sake, which is the church.”—Col. 1:24

It was in order that the apostles might fill this position of witnesses and might be enabled to give us, and all, a clear testimony of the important subject of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, that our Lord was present with them after His resurrection. Luke declares that He demonstrated the fact of His resurrection by “many infallible proofs.” However, our Lord wished the apostles to distinctly understand that they were not then in the condition to undertake this new work of bearing witness of His resurrection, and of the gospel of the Kingdom that was now taking on a new and grander meaning to them.

The Master explained that the important ministry in which they were to engage as His ambassadors, should not be undertaken until they received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was to be a power and unction from the Father which would specially qualify, enable and guide them in the important service of their commission. Moreover, it would be to them, and to all believers through them, a divine evidence or attestation respecting our Lord’s work, that it was approved of the Father, and thus constituted a basis of reconciliation by which sinners might return to harmony with their Creator. It was to be an evidence also, to those consecrating themselves to the divine service and receiving the Holy Spirit, that they were accepted of the Father in the Beloved, and owned as children and heirs of His promises, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord, if so be that they would suffer with Him, that they might also be glorified together in the Kingdom, when the due time should come.—Rom. 8:16,17

It was natural, under the circumstances, that the disciples should inquire of the Master concerning the time of the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom that was to deliver Israel from the Roman yoke. It is worthy of careful note that our Lord did not rebuke the apostles for manifesting an interest in this phase of the truth. On the contrary, His answer clearly implies that their expectations at least approximated the truth, but He was not then at liberty to gratify their curiosity as to the precise time when God’s purpose for Israel would be consummated.

The things to which they referred, and which God had promised would be fulfilled in due time were, of course, but reasonable inquiries, but the times and. seasons were not then for them to know—the Father retaining them in His own power, not being pleased, as yet, to reveal this feature of His plan. Jesus did say enough to His disciples, however, to clearly indicate that before the restoration of Israel to divine favor could be possible, His apostles must perform the mission to which He was then appointing them.

The instruction that the disciples should tarry, and not begin the work of witnessing until endued with power from on high, implied their unfitness for the work as natural men. We see abundant evidence of this in many respects. The narrative is that they, as natural men, were of humble birth and limited education—unlearned men—and this was apparent in some respects, even after they received the Holy Spirit, for their friends as well as their enemies, bore witness to it. But even had they been talented and educated, they still would have been unqualified for the spiritual gifts, blessings and favors without the power and unction of the Holy Spirit. Moreover their ministry could not have been as effective without the Spirit’s guidance and help. Paul, who later became one of the apostles, although being a learned man, needed the Holy Spirit in order to be an acceptable and qualified “minister of reconciliation.”

There is a practical lesson in this for the Lord’s people today. We still should be careful to select as leaders and teachers only such as give evidence of having come under the influence of the holy anointing of the Spirit of God. This is true, no matter how much of natural ability the would-be leader may possess; indeed, the more his natural ability, the more danger from his leading, unless he possess a rich infilling of the Holy Spirit of God. Only those anointed of the Spirit are to be recognized among the Lord’s people as in any sense of the word representatives and mouthpieces of the Head.

QUESTIONS:

What was one of Jesus’ purposes in appearing to His disciples after His resurrection?

Why were the disciples to tarry at Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit?

Are Christians today to accept as teachers those who do not possess a rich infilling of the Holy Spirit?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |