May 3 - Wait for the Spirit

Read Acts 1:1-10

Context: Luke is expanding up on the last few paragraphs of the gospel he had written, talking about Jesus' final appearance to the disciples.

Text:
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Did the disciples understand who the Holy Spirit was any better than we do? Jesus was often filled with the Spirit, and there are many instances in the Old Testament of men also being filled with the Spirit. They had used the power of the Spirit many times when healing others, so they had quite a bit of knowledge. I wonder how 'being filled with the Spirit' was different before and after Jesus?

I imagine the disciples had many questions for Jesus that weren't answered before his ascension. And, most likely, they didn't realize he was leaving until the moment he was taken up. Did they really hear all that he had to say that day? They were probably confused and wondered how they could be baptized with the Holy Spirit...an entity they could not see. All they could do was gape at the sky thinking of all the things they wished they had asked Jesus, kicking themselves for things they had not said.