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. (ESV)

Have you ever told your kid (or someone else’s kid if you’re not a biological parent) that one day they’d be great or do great things? I used to tell my daughter that all the time. I could just see it in her eyes; I could tell by the way she handled herself and her life. It wasn’t that I was telling her she HAD to do great things, I just KNEW she would.  

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I later learned that saying that to her actually caused her some anxiety. She felt she had to live up to something in my mind. What a shame that something meant to be encouraging felt like pressure to perform or be something she was not intended to be.  

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I wonder if the apostles felt the same way…

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In our passage today, we find ourselves in the 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection when he walked with his disciples, his friends. In verse three, we see that during that time, he was speaking about the kingdom of God – maybe just reminding them of all the things he had taught them before his crucifixion. Then in verse four, he tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father.

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What was that promise?  

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Acts 1:5 says, “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” And verse eight says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  

The apostles were promised the Holy Spirit and, with that, power. Do you think they felt pressured to do things they were not able to do? Do you think they worried that Jesus’ expectations may have been a bit too lofty for them? I mean, can you imagine the pressure?  

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The places Jesus described they were to be witnesses might have sparked a little of that anxiety my daughter felt. Jerusalem was where Jesus was executed by an angry mob. Much of Judea rejected his ministry. Samaria was regarded by the Jews as a wasteland of impure half-breeds, and the end of the earth represented Gentiles, whom many Jews viewed as nothing better than fuel for the fires of hell. (paraphrased from David Guzik’s notes in Blue Letter Bible).  

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But here’s the cool thing – the words of Jesus, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, indicate a promise that WOULD happen. The Holy Spirit would come upon the disciples (and very soon at that). Then, Jesus continues and says, you will be my witnesses. This was not an imperative statement or command, it was just an indicative statement, meaning that by the nature of the Holy Spirit coming upon you, you are automatically a witness.  

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This takes the pressure off us. We don’t have anything to do with it – we WILL have power, and we WILL be witnesses – we don’t have to strive for any of it. For believers, the power we have is straight from the Creator of Heaven and Earth – the Spirit of God is an inherent power residing in us by virtue of God’s very nature. The Holy Spirit, a person of the Triune God, has power that lives IN us and can be accessed and used by us. Talk about a witness. Let’s Go!!

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So, unlike my daughter, who felt so much pressure when I told her I expected great things from her, we don’t have to feel that pressure. Yes, God expects great things from us, but that’s because HE gave us the POWER, and HE knows what he designed us for. Knowing this, how can you move forward in the power of the Spirit without fear, anxiety, or hesitation? What thoughts do you need to reframe to fully accept your role as a powerful witness?

God, may we walk in the power you promise us with confidence as your sons and daughters. Not as a response to pressure or obligation, but in the knowledge that we truly have that power. Father, thank you for inviting us into what you are doing, calling us into more, and equipping us to fulfill that call. In the powerful and loving name of Jesus ~ AMEN!