Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
There are times in life when our focus is in the wrong place. We are concerned about one thing, but something else is much more important. We know this to be true when teenagers “fall in love.” We know it probably won’t last, and that the energies being invested are probably going to end up in pain and tears. But our words go unheeded.
Unfortunately, we think that because we are no longer teenagers, that we have a clear picture of what is important, what really matters in life. This has led to many a life becoming and remaining unfruitful. One of the important skills in life is reevaluation, taking another look at the direction and goals of our lives.
Jesus rose from the dead and has spent forty days appearing to His disciples, confirming his bodily resurrection to His followers. Now it is ten days before the Holy Spirit is given and the brith of the Church officially happens. So what is the disciple’s focus? What do they have on their minds?
Our text gives us a good indication of the direction of their thinking. They still seem to have an earthly kingdom in mind, so they are concerned about the timing of the earthly kingdom.Their minds are on this world, and Jesus wants to shift their focus.
The disciples have asked about the timing of the Kingdom. Jesus shut down their inquiry. “These are not the droids you are seeking.” “It is not for you to know….” The timing is not part of the needed information that Jesus must convey at this time. There are more important things you need to focus on during this moment in history.
So Jesus again tells them about the coming of the Holy Spirit who will empower them for the tasks ahead. Without this power, God’s power, they would not be able to do what they are being called to do. No human effort, no carefully scripted rhetoric, no persuasive programs can do this eternal, life-changing work.
They are being called to be witnesses to the world. And their world was just as hostile to the Good News as ours is. The Gospel turns every world system on its head. It interrupts the normal flow of civilization. It confronts power structures and overturns conventions. The Gospel is radical!
One of the aspects of the Gospel that is being tamped down these days is the call to “go” to the far off lands and bring this message. In our pluralistic world, no belief is better than any other, so evangelism is unnecessary. Words like “colonialism, racism, ethnocentrism” get bandied about as a way to tamp down the mandate to bring this Good News to all people across time.
And since that “ends of the earth” can’t be reached instantly, it will take time for the Kingdom to be established in its entirety. But this Kingdom is more that a kingdom of Israel. It is a kingdom that is trans-national, trans-culture, and across time. So an Israel reestablished as a local center where God’s presence is made manifest would not complete the mission God has for humanity.
The LORD is supreme over all humanity, not just Israel. He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth that is in Jesus. And the power of the Holy Spirit is essential for this working out of God’s Kingdom here on Earth.
The Arnold Journey 