It is not for you to know
We get a sense of impatience among the disciples in this passage, and like much impatience it may have stemmed from fear. The disciples had been looking forward to Jesus as Messiah overthrowing Rome’s rule over Israel – Jesus’ death derailed that plan briefly but now things seem like they should be back on track, but over the 40 days from His resurrections He hasn’t made any kind of move in that direction. So naturally, they are getting impatient. What’s the plan?
Here, they ask about this directly, and Jesus’ answer is critical to understand: “It is not for you to know.” We all want answers and a clear understanding of our place in God’s overall plan. But Jesus’instruction is to wait. We hate that!
But there is a promise coming – the Holy Spirit will come, and the disciples will be witnesses. That is ultimately the story of Acts, which is an active, mission oriented book, but that starts with the leader of this new movement disappearing and telling his followers to sit tight.
And so they stand there looking at the sky feeling confused and maybe frustrated. Then along come two angels, much like the scene at the tomb that Luke also described. They promise that, even if the details are hidden, Jesus would return. Their task was first to wait and then to be His witnesses.
We are called to the same – we are not just biding our time until heaven. God has set a plan in front of us and a purpose on this earth. We aren’t meant to simply stand and gaze at heaven, huddled together with like minded people and waiting for the second coming. We are called to be witnesses. There is work to be done!
The church is supposed to be the collective witness of the Good News to the world. We are not here to calculate the times and seasons, to seek and predict the next big change. We are called into the streets and homes and lives of those around us, the nitty-gritty of life. Gaining and losing, loving and mourning, succeeding and failing – we are to be witnesses amongst all of it.
But when we do find ourselves standing around looking at the sky, when we do feel lost or impatient, we have instruction here too: wait. Rather than jumping to whatever seems right in our own mind, Jesus instructs us to wait.
Waiting on God’s spirit can be challenging but it is a fundamental part of building a relationship with God. God’s timing is perfect, even when it differs from our own expectations or desires.
Let us be a people who can wait on God’s timing, and be His witnesses.
— Sermon Notes, Dave Sim, Renew Church, Lynnwood WA, May 12, 2024