Acts 1:1-11 | God's Power at WorkSample

There’s a picture of my wife’s aunt and uncle gathered together with all their kids and grandkids. They have five boys. All of them are married and went on to have kids of their own. There must be over 50 people in that photo when you count everyone.

After promising them the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s disciples asked him if he was finally going to restore the kingdom to Israel. It’s in the context of that question that Jesus answers: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

It’s as if Jesus is telling his disciples that their vision is too small. They were focused on the tiny people of Israel; the nucleus of a larger family. Jesus is focused on the world.

It’s easy as followers of Jesus to get so focused on our own lives and our own church that we become small minded too. God’s field of vision is bigger. He’s not just interested in what he can do in us. He’s interested in what he wants to do through us. His work always leads to witness.

That picture of my wife’s aunt and uncle gives us a picture of what Jesus is up to. Through two people, over 50 came to be a part of a family. From a small band of disciples, billions have come to find themselves a part of God’s family. And it’s just the beginning. God invites you to be a part of his family. Who will he bring into his family through you? It’s what Acts and the ongoing work of Jesus is about.