The Urgency of Evangelism
“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)
Immediately after the resurrection, the disciples have a burning question. It is a question of eschatology, or end times. When will the kingdom be restored to Israel? Probably it was not yet apparent to the eleven that God intended to bring gentiles into the kingdom. But whatever they understood, or not, they were eager to know the timing.
The response of Jesus is frank: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” Bock indicates that the Greek phrase means simply, ‘this matter is of no concern to them.’
Instead, Jesus calls his disciples to a mission: the mission of witness, of going through Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth, acting as witnesses of himself.
It is a simple but urgent reminder: you have a mission – focus on the mission.
Bock further describes it this way: “Luke’s view of the end is simple. It will come. With it will come an accounting that Jesus will perform on behalf of God. This is the flip side of God’s role as Creator. God is also Judge. All are responsible to God and will give an account to God. When the Lord will come is not a matter of concern for believers. Their task is the mission.” (Bock 41)
In other words, we live in the in-between. We know that Jesus is in heaven, and Jesus will return. There are legitimate questions about the end times, for the Bible speaks much on this subject. But it is crucial that nothing (not even legitimate questions about the end times) hinder us from our mission of witness. There is a problem with anything that slows the church down from the work of witness.
This emphasis is continued in verse 11. Heavenly messengers question the disciples, who saw Jesus’ ascension just moments earlier. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Here is a gentle rebuke hidden in the form of a question. “Why do you stand looking into heaven?” Why are you cloud-gazing, loitering? Or, as we might say, ‘what are you doing, watching the grass grow?’
The reason why this action is unnecessary is because of what will come soon enough: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In other words – there is work to be done, for Jesus’ return will occur soon enough. So stop loitering, and start obeying!
It is a powerful call for all believers. What hinders us from this work of evangelism, the work of witness, bringing the message of the gospel to all? Jesus will return soon enough – we have work to do!
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