“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. “ – Acts 1:6-8
How many times did the disciples just not quite get it? How many times did Jesus think, “Guys, track with me.” How many times does He still think the same with us today?
This exchange occurred after Jesus had spent 3 years teaching about the Kingdom of God publicly (and who knows how many hours privately with His disciples) and climaxed with His crucifixion, resurrection and another 40 days preaching about the Kingdom of God. You would think that after all of this, of all the questions they might have put to Jesus next, it would not have been, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Why that question? Was anything sinking in?
But, they did. And I have to ask, “Are we any different today?” As recipients of God’s revelations, week after week, year after year, both from His word and His work in our lives, are we still asking the wrong question? Too often, like the early disciples, we focus on insignificant theological details that God has left unexplained and miss the obvious.
Like He did with His disciples then, Jesus is still refocusing us on the real issue; the legitimate need of the hour. The world is lost and needs witnesses who will testify to His saving power! We who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, have also received “power” in our lives that makes us legitimate witnesses of His saving grace. Today, let us resolve to be living witnesses; speaking and acting as people who are “on track” with God, asking the right questions, and giving the world the only answer worth dying for: Jesus Christ!