And do when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:6-8
Very familiar passage. Jesus had just died and been resurrected. The reality of Him was increasingly resonating with them. He appeared to not only His disciples, but also hundreds of His followers over a period of 40 days. Things had really seemed dark and dismal for a while but now the disciples were hopeful things had taken a dramatic turn for the better. I can track with their thinking that certainly the tough times for God’s people were over and Jesus was ready to fulfill all those prophecies they had been waiting for. Surely the Kingdom of God was in effect - and they were poised to rule with King Jesus! If this had been a national championship, the t-shirts were already printed and ready to be distributed!
They just needed a “go” from Christ….
But that’s not what they got.
Instead of nodding affirming assurances to their question about timing of the Kingdom, Jesus responds strangely. Actually feels abrupt.
He not only says “no, it’s not now” - He also says “and you don’t get to know when it will happen, either”. They were plunged into uncertainty. Deliberate uncertainty.
Scripture doesn’t record the response of His disciples to this. Maybe by now they had learned to expect the unexpected from Jesus but I have to believe there was at least a gasp or two. Surely they had to feel a little emotional whiplash at the ups and downs they had experienced over these six weeks!
Although we are not told the flow of the conversation, it doesn’t appear that Jesus left them in the state of perplexity for long. While He doesn’t give them the answer they were looking for, He gives them something better. He tells them that they don’t need to know what and when and how anything is going to unfold because He is giving them power. The Holy Spirit. Power to live in the uncertainty. Power to be sustained. Power to have confidence and peace without knowing all the answers.
Jesus not only gives them power in uncertainty - He gives them a mission. To be His witnesses all over the earth. He doesn’t tell them how they will accomplish it - He just tells them to do it and He supplies the power. Power to not only live in the uncertainty but also to be fruitful and victorious.
And we know the rest of the story. We are living proof that they carried out His mission. And the baton has been passed from that generation of Christ-followers to the next. All through the ages. And, Lord willing, that will continue until the Father tells Jesus it is time to get His Bride:)
As I read those verses and put myself in the mindset of the disciples, I was struck by how much I am like their question in verse 6. More often than not, I find myself acting like a child facing an unknown event or schedule. I ask questions (and not just of the Lord!!) like what time, where, how, who, what do I need to do. And I do it over and over again, just to be sure I get it. I really really really like knowing what I am about to face before I face it! I am seeking comfort and security in knowing what to expect and what will be expected of me. In times of uncertainty - whether it’s plans for a family trip or teaching schedule or who’s coming for dinner or the results of medical tests - I feel unsettled until I know some answers.
I felt the Lord speaking to me in the rest of that passage, telling me that I can live in the uncertainty - of small things AND of big things - because I don’t need the answers. I need JESUS. And He is available to me all the time because He gives me His Holy Spirit. I can trust that I will have the strength and wisdom and confidence I need for whatever may come because He has promised me POWER. The power to live victoriously in the uncertainty. The power of the Holy Spirit.
And this power He gives is not just for my peace (although that is a humongous part of it!) but also for my participation in His mission. I won’t have to stumble along in fear and confusion - He will guide me into the places He wants me so His Kingdom will be furthered. It’s all bigger than “me” - it’s about HIS plans, not mine. And there is no need for me to know the details of those plans in advance.
So, I may still pester my people to give me an ETA for holiday dinner, but I am more content to live in the uncertainty of life. To seek to be filled - controlled and directed - by the Holy Spirit more than I seek the answers for the details of the unknowns.