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In the 40 days between the resurrection and ascension of Christ, there are records of many witnesses to the facts. In our last newsletter I wrote of the necessity of the resurrection and how the early church made it the center of their preaching. Let’s go back for a moment to this period when the resurrected Christ walked on this earth.

“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 ESV). On one occasion He appeared to “over 500” believers (I Corinthians 15:6), and to the disciples both individually and collectively many times.

Ascension of Christ (Jorisvo)In Luke 24:30-48 (same event in John 20:19-25) Jesus appeared to his disciples (except Thomas), “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city

[of Jerusalem, Textus Receptus] until you are clothed with power from on high.'” (Luke 24:45-49 ESV).

“Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (verse 49 KJV). This is the “Wait! There’s more.” It was not the first time he had spoken of this enduement. In John 7:38-39 in that famous incident in the temple on the last day of the feast, Jesus alluded to the coming Pentecost, “‘Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”‘ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (ESV).

Then on the night before Jesus was killed, he told his disciples clearly, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you“ (John 16:7 ESV). So it should have been no surprise to be told to “stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Then in Acts 1:4-5 Luke states: “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now'” (ESV).

The holiness movement of the 1800s, out of which came the Azusa Street Pentecostal revival of 1906, took this command to tarry as being applicable to all believers in Christ and Pentecostal churches often held “tarrying meetings” where they would pray and plead for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter, the power from on high (Acts 1:8). However, the command was obviously only for the eleven remaining disciples to stay in Jerusalem where they were when Jesus gave the instruction. And that is what they did for however long it took, which was 10 days.

You and I don’t have to “tarry” or “stay in the city,” for just as Christ died once for all (Romans 6:10), so the Holy Spirit was given once for the whole church age. You and I don’t have to beg and plead, we just need to accept the gift. “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him“ (Luke 11:11-13).

“Pentecost” is the Greek word for “the fiftieth day” and refers to 50 days after the Jewish Passover when they held the Feast of Weeks. The Acts 2 occasion of Pentecost was a one-off historical event that ushered in a replacement for the Jewish religion under the headship of the resurrected Christ, who now sits on the right hand of the Father’s throne. The Book of Acts is the history of the first 33 years of the early church as they followed the instructions of Christ to share the good news with the then known world.

Whenever they needed help it was available by revelation, including how to fix up their mistakes, where to go next, what to say in front of kings, and how to encourage one another in the outworking of the spirit within. You and I also have that same Helper, Comforter, who is resident within us, and we should listen to his guidance and use his power to meet the needs of people the Father sends across our paths.