Luke’s writing Acts, chronicling the church’s birth through the apostles’ deeds. I’ve read this tons of times, but today it hit me: as the disciples wait for the promised Holy Spirit, they ask Jesus:
Acts 1:6 (CSB)
“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?’”
This question shows what consumed the religious leaders and most Jews while Jesus walked among them. They were fixated on a physical kingdom—and who could blame them? The Old Testament promised a Messiah-King:
2 Samuel 7:16 (CSB): “Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.” A king on David’s throne—forever!
Isaiah 9:7 (CSB): “The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David… forever.”
They expected a ruler to crush Rome and reign now. No wonder they missed it! They couldn’t grasp that Jesus came first for the eternal, not just the temporary. He wasn’t only redeeming Israel from oppressors but the whole world from sin. His name, Jesus—Savior—says it all. The kingdom they wanted is still coming, but first, He’s building something bigger.
We see Jesus has a different kind of kingdom in view.
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Wow! You guys are waiting for the physical kingdom, but that is all under my Father’s control. I am going to give you something incredibly awesome: the Holy Spirit. He will provide you with power, and when you have this power, you will testify about me not only to Jerusalem, but Judea, Samarian, and to the ends of the earth. Incredible, and this is, in fact, what has happened and what is still happening today. Jesus is being made known by His disciples, who receive the Holy Spirit as they surrender their lives to Him.
Political turmoil’s loud, isn’t it? We want Jesus to swoop in, fix it all, and bring peace now. I get it—we’re stuck in the same rut as those disciples, craving instant resolution, His reign, total calm. He will—one day, absolutely! But Jesus is building a bigger kingdom first, one of forgiveness and redemption for the whole world. Our job isn’t to obsess over when He’ll return—that’s the Father’s call. No, we’ve got an assignment: the Holy Spirit’s power to be His witnesses.
So, let’s do it! Trust Him, share His love—Father and Son—with those around us, even to the ends of the earth.
Let’s be focused on His eternal kingdom and the redemption of all mankind from sin.
Let’s go make disciples!
