You shall receive power
Today's focusThe risen Jesus tells his followers to wait for the promise of the Father; the Spirit will give them power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Read
4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Reflection
In this passage, the risen Jesus gives his followers a clear command: "not depart from Jerusalem, but wait." This waiting was not for a lack of purpose, but for "the promise of the Father." While the disciples were concerned with the timing of political restoration, Jesus redirected their hearts toward a different kind of authority. He explains that it is not for us to know the "times or the seasons" governed by the Father. Instead, your role is to trust his timing and rely on the gift he is sending.
Jesus promises that "ye shall receive power" once the Holy Ghost comes upon you. This power is not for personal status or earthly control, but to make you "witnesses" of his life and truth. It begins right where you are, in your own "Jerusalem," but it is meant to overflow into the "uttermost part of the earth." Even when you feel weak or uncertain about the future, you can find peace knowing that the Spirit provides the strength necessary to share his light with the world.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
Where is your 'Jerusalem' — the people right around you — to whom you could be a witness for Jesus?
Pray
Lord, I need your power, not my own strength. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and make me a faithful witness to Jesus — at home, in my community and wherever you send me.