Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:45-49
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters,[d] the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
“‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’
and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:12-26
Last week, we highlighted some things about this time in the lives of the disciples as they awaited Pentecost. The disciples waited in Jerusalem as a matter of obedience. Jesus had commanded, “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The second point is that without God, we can do nothing. Some might say, “Without God, we can’t do as well.” Or, “Without Him, what we can do is limited.” The Bible says that without God, we can do nothing. It also says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” The contrast is not a little versus a lot. The contrast is nothing versus all things. What makes the difference? He does. The disciples needed to understand that the Holy Spirit was going to be poured out at Pentecost, not so they could do more. The Holy Spirit was going to be poured out at Pentecost, because without Him, we can do nothing. In Zechariah 4:6 we read, “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” The apostles’ only ability to do what God intended would be through the power of the Holy Spirit. From the beginning, this was God’s plan.
Jesus said, “Wait in Jerusalem until you receive what the Father has promised. I’ve already told you about this. John baptized with water, but in a few days, you’re going to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.” Who is the Holy Spirit? He is God. Jesus’ disciples were about to be immersed in God. Utterly amazing!
A third point to consider is how the disciples spent their time while they were waiting. Please notice, they spent time together. Sometimes being alone with God is beneficial but gathering together is not a waste of time. It’s what we’re supposed to do. Acts 1:14 tells us they spent time together and were constantly in prayer.
How important is it for believers to gather and pray? These folks were joined in prayer. Do you have to gather in order to pray? Clearly not. But is it important to do so? Definitely.
The disciples were together, they were joined in prayer, and they were studying and seeking to obey God’s word. Peter stood up among the believers and said, “The scripture says…” and shared passages from the Old Testament. Then he said, “We need to do what this says.” Have you ever found something in the Bible and suddenly realized, “We’re not doing that”? I have. When you find that God is saying something that you’re supposed to do, don’t just say, “That’s interesting.” Say, “Yes, Lord,” and obey His word. The disciples were joined together, constantly praying, studying God’s word and seeking to be obedient. That’s how they spent their time waiting.
One final point – It was worth the wait. The Lord told them to wait, and as is the case with obedience to God’s word, it’s always worth it. The Holy Spirit fell on them in power on the day of Pentecost and absolutely transformed their lives and their ministry.
If you think you can do what God says pretty well without God, you are not at all in touch with reality. If you think you can do it better with God’s help, you’re still missing the mark. If you realize you can do nothing without Him, but you can do all things through Him, then whatever He says to do, you just do. God will do His work through you. Look at what happened with the disciples. A group of guys who had been terrified and hiding for fear of the Jews became courageous and willing to lay their lives down. Why? Because God Himself was living His life through them. You and I are called by God to obedience and with that obedience comes His power. With that obedience God Himself will do what He wants through you for His glory.
Father, we cannot do anything in and of ourselves. We cannot draw our next breath apart from You. We are more dependent on You than we realize. But we thank You that when Your word says we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us, it’s not hyperbole. It’s truth. So we pray that You would fill us with Your Spirit, that we would be immersed in You and that You would live Your life through us. We pray that we would be sensitive to Your leading and obedient to Your word. And we will be careful to give You the praise in Jesus’ name, and for His sake. Amen.
