Power to Be

40 Days After the Resurrection

Power to Be

What if you could step into a phone booth,

Put on a suit and come out super human!

Have a power beyond yourself!

Well, you can.

The booth is called a prayer closet.

And the suit is being clothed with more of the Holy Spirit.

Luke gives us two accounts of these 40 days

Christ was on the earth after the resurrection.

The first account is in his Gospel

and the second is in the Book of Acts.

In the Gospel, we are told of Jesus’ commission to be witnesses

after receiving the promise of the Father.

They were to stay in the city after the ascension

until they were clothed with power from on high.

Luke records these things again in Acts 1

and states that this power would come from the Holy Spirit.

The fulfillment of this is recorded in Acts 2.

Luke also tells us what Jesus talked about for those 40 days.

Jesus spent those last 40 days speaking about the Kingdom.

When you look from the start to the end of Jesus’ ministry

He had only one message

and that was the Kingdom of God, or Heaven.

Everything else that He spoke of

came as a part of the Kingdom. 

Jesus’ departure happened

after He had finished blessing the disciples.

We are told He was taken up into the clouds

while they were watching.

It said they intently looked into the sky.

Can you image what they must have been thinking would happen next?

All their thoughts of some heavenly light show

were dissolved as two angels tell them that in the same way

Jesus left for heaven – Jesus will return from heaven.

So what’s in it for us?

All you and I know about Christ,

the Church, Salvation, & the Bible

all point to The Kingdom of God.

Our focus should be like Jesus;

a focus on His Kingdom and a daily prayer,

“Thy Kingdom come …in earth as it is in Heaven.”

The only way we were ever able to see the Kingdom

was because the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus

and empowered Him to demonstrate

the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

If we are going to be His witnesses of His Kingdom,

we, too, will need to be clothed

with the power of the Holy Spirit.

I think all agree,

no matter how we interpret

the Spirit’s manifestation and work,

we all need more of the Spirit of God.

God clothe us with your Spirit

so that Your Kingdom will be seen on the earth.

Scripture Reading

 

Luke 24:45-53 NIV

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 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." 

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,

he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:1-11 NIV

1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men

and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,

which you have heard me speak about.

5 For John baptized with water,

but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 

6 So when they met together, they asked him,

"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times

or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

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." 

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes,

and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going,

when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?

This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,

will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."