Jesus Ascends into Heaven
Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Sound familiar? Be fishers of men, make disciples, be my witnesses… in other words, share Christ with people and turn the world upside down!
But now Jesus explains how average, ordinary guys are going to be able to handle this large, seemingly impossible task: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”
This isn’t the first time that Jesus has mentioned the Holy Spirit to the disciples. In fact, in John 16:6 Jesus tells the disciples not to be sad that he is leaving them. In the next verse he says, “It is for your good that I am going away.” Then he goes on to tell them about the Holy Spirit, who will come in his absence.
The Holy Spirit changes everything. Jesus is comfortable leaving his disciples in charge of carrying out his mission because the Holy Spirit is coming to live inside them and is bringing his power with him.
These men, who up to this point have only been followers, become great leaders shortly after Jesus ascends into heaven. They speak with boldness in front of huge crowds and religious hot shots; they have steadfast courage in the face of imprisonment, beatings, and even death; they are able to do some amazing miracles. And it all happens after they receive the Holy Spirit.
And if you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ, this same Holy Spirit lives in you! In his power, and only his power, we can succeed in this mission!