Acts 1:1-5
1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
At the end of Luke's Gospel Jesus did in fact not send his disciples out on a Great Commission as in Matthew. The Disciples did not flee for terror and amazement had seized them as in Mark. The Disciples did not eat breakfast at the shorline as they did in John. Jesus simply tells his Disciples to stay in the city in Luke's Gospel.
How does that add up? We are used to Jesus being very active. Jesus is always on the move. Jesus is always speaking to someone, healing someone, or performing some miracle. After all, this is the King of Kings.
Unless Jesus is trying to teach his followers something. This Jesus who performs miracles and is active, is the same one who takes times to go up to the mountain to pray. This is the same Jesus that spends 40 days in the wilderness. This is the same Jesus who teaches us to pray. If Jesus says we should stay in the city, Jesus must have plans for his followers.
We know that the Disciples wait because the Holy Spirit will descend. But the Disciples had no way of nowing this. This teaches us that God makes promises that God will keep. However, we have no way of knowing what they will look like. While we wait, we wait not simply to be blessed or granted wishes, but we wait for the power of the Holy Spirit that will carry us and sustain our message out into the world. In the busy-ness of today, how can we wait for God's power?
Prayer: Powerful and promising God, give us patience to wait on you so that when you lead, we will follow. Amen.
G. Thomas Martin