The Holy Spirit came to the first followers of Jesus. They then had the power they needed to take the gospel to the nations (Acts 1:8). This work began with Peter, who boldly and clearly proclaimed the good news about Jesus to the people gathered for the Pentecost celebration. God’s power through the Holy Spirit was on display, both in the message Peter proclaimed and in the response of those who believed.

For ten days following Christ’s ascension to heaven, the disciples had been in Jerusalem. They were waiting for the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit, which would empower them to be Christ’s witnesses to the whole world. During this time, they dedicated themselves to prayer and prepared for the next phase of their ministry by filling Judas’s apostolic vacancy with Matthias. Finally, the day arrived, and they were about to experience the power of the Spirit in their lives.

After Jesus explained to the disciples that they would bear witness from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, Jesus ascended to heaven. As the disciples watched where Jesus had gone, two angels appeared and assured them of Christ’s return. All of this led to today’s text, where we see the disciples obeying Christ’s command to wait as they prepared for the ministry that would follow when the Holy Spirit arrived.