May 17 Divine Service
- NAC News
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8
Where are we in the Bible?
Jerusalem was not a safe place for the followers of Jesus. It was the city where their Lord had been rejected, condemned, and crucified. Yet in that very place of danger, Jesus commanded His disciples to remain. He instructed them not to leave, but to wait for the promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit - whom they would soon receive (1:4–6).
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus spent time teaching them about the kingdom (1:2-3). As they listened, the disciples asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Like many faithful Jews, they expected the long-awaited messianic kingdom to be established. Jesus did not object to their belief that Israel would one day be restored under the Messiah. Instead, He redirected their focus. The issue was not whether the kingdom would come, but when. He told them that the timing of God’s plan belonged to the Father alone (1:7).
Rather than giving them a timetable, Jesus gave them a mission. They would receive power from the Holy Spirit and be sent out as His witnesses. Their calling would extend beyond Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth (1:8). In this moment, Jesus shifted their immediate vision from a restored nation to a global mission.
Summary
May we continue not merely as followers of Christ, but as His living witnesses. May the Holy Spirit shape our words, our reactions, our hope, and our confidence, so that in every moment, the presence, power, and character of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ are clearly seen by the world. Empowered by the Holy Spirit—whose divine power transforms fearful disciples into bold witnesses—we continue the calling given to all generations, bearing testimony to Christ through both our words and our deeds, rooted in our personal encounter with Him.
Foundational readings:
Scripture Acts 1:1-14 |. Luke 24:44-53
Catechism 4.5.2, 7.1
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