It’s hard to place ourselves among the early disciples of Christ in the days following His resurrection. Undoubtedly, after much sorrow, joy and relief were abundant. He was alive and walking among them! Continuing, verse six tells us that they asked Jesus if now would be the time when He would restore the Kingdom to Israel. They still didn’t get it. We wouldn’t have either. They were thinking small. They were thinking of an earthly kingdom instead of the vast heavenly Kingdom that is still growing today, the Kingdom that you and I are blessed to be a part of. Of course, Jesus knew and shared with them that they must first receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to be empowered to advance this Kingdom. And then…He left them, ascending back to the heavens.
Have you ever watched a really good movie and found yourself so invested in the characters portrayed that when the movie ended, for a split second, you thought, “Wait! What happens next? Don’t go!” Surely, that’s a fraction of how Jesus’ early followers felt as He ascended. They could not comprehend what an amazing gift they were about to receive: the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let’s celebrate some of the amazing benefits of this incredible blessing this week.
For today, let’s take some time to thank our Lord for sending us the gift of His Spirit.