THE PROMISED POWER OF GOD

Acts 1:4-8 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

As infallible proofs of His resurrection from death on the cross of Calvary, Jesus showed Himself alive on a number of occasions and to hundreds of witnesses (See Acts 13:31; 1 Cor. 15:5-7). Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us (His apostles), who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead (Acts 10:40-41). Finally, and immediately before His ascension back into Heaven, Jesus appeared to the eleven remaining apostles and gave them these His final instructions: behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). The lesson text confirms this very occasion.

At this time the apostles were obediently assembled together in Jerusalem waiting for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. It appears significant that the promise of God, found in the Old Testament, was His Son, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. And with that being fulfilled, God's promise under the New Covenant is the gift of His Holy Spirit. Another significant aspect of these instructions Jesus gave His apostles was that they were to assemble together in Jerusalem. For it was in this city, on the Day of Pentecost, that God's promised gospel message of eternal salvation through Christ Jesus would first be preached, and the church of Christ would have its beginning. This would fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah when, by inspiration, he wrote, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3b).

Beginning from the city of Jerusalem, Jesus gave His apostles this commandment: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matt. 28:19-20). However, as the lesson text tells us, the apostles at this time were incapable of preaching God's plan of salvation because they lacked sufficient knowledge. They undoubtedly knew of John's baptism with water unto repentance, and probably knew of John's confession of Jesus Christ when he said, He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matt. 3:11). It was John's baptism that looked forward to God's spiritual kingdom, but it was Jesus' baptism of the Holy Spirit by which the kingdom was established, and by which it was to grow and spread throughout the world.

Their lack of complete knowledge of the kingdom of God over which Christ would reign is evidenced in their question, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? This was the same misconception maintained by the Jewish nation. They expected a temporal kingdom on earth over which the Messiah would reign. No doubt the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary left them without hope of an earthly kingdom, but by His resurrection, that hope was revived - they again expected an earthly kingdom and wanted to know when it would take place. Jesus answered them by saying; It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. Only God possessed the power and authority to establish His kingdom in Jerusalem - the place chosen by Him only. And of the time it was to be established Jesus said, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matt. 24:36).

Today, with His Holy Spirit-inspired word revealed, we are able to know that His kingdom was at hand when Jesus, before His ascension into Heaven, spoke these words. The mystery of God's plan of eternal salvation for His obedient children had not been completely revealed and was hidden from the world from the beginning of time. It was now at hand, and those that were to proclaim it to the world, were about to be given the power of God to do so. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. The power to reveal God's will did not originate on earth from a temporal source, but from a spiritual and moral source, directly from God through His earthly messenger, His Holy Spirit.

The apostles received this promised power of God when the Day of Pentecost was fully come ...and they (the apostles) were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (See Acts 2:1-4). Assured of this promised power of God, Luke tells us the purpose it was given - that the apostles shall, in every language known throughout the world, ...be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And by this omnipotent power of God, His promised hope of eternal salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, was made known to the world from the Day of Pentecost forward to the end of time.