Filled With Power

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“

For 40 days, Jesus appeared to His disciples before ascending into heaven. On this day, just before He was taken up to heaven, Jesus shared His desire that His disciples would stay in Jerusalem to wait for the gift His Father promised. In a few days, His disciples would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and then become His witnesses in Jerusalem and throughout the world. This baptism was very important as it empowered Jesus’ disciples to witness for the Lord and still does today.

The Greek word for power is dunamis, which is supernatural strength, might, and ability. This would be the necessary power to fulfill God’s purpose as witnesses, the Greek word martyres, those who testify to the truth of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection from personal experience.

This word sounds a lot like the word we hear today: martyrs, the heroes of faith who suffer persecution and death for advocating or refusing to renounce their belief in, or cause regarding, Jesus Christ. Stephen, one follower the Bible describes as “a man full of God’s grace and power,” who “performed great wonders and signs among the people,” is described in Acts 6:8 as such. He was a man of great wisdom, the Bible says, “the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (Acts 6:10).

Acts 6:9 says that “Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia” began to argue with Stephen, but were no match for the wisdom the Holy Spirit provided him. So they secretly convinced some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

Then they stirred up the people along with the elders and teachers of the law and brought him before the Sanhedrin, who produced false witnesses against him. The Sanhedrin was the supreme Jewish council and court in ancient Israel, including the High Priest, who governed religious, civil, and criminal matters in Jerusalem. They were influential leaders—Sadducees (priests), Pharisees (scribes), and elders—who questioned Jesus and early Christians.

Sadly, Stephen was stoned to death, but not before he preached a solid, truthful message about Moses and their ancestors, as well as some tight, but right words describing his opposers. He was even privileged to see His Lord and Savior in heaven, standing at the right hand of God, waiting for him as he was being stoned. I would not be surprised if Stephen felt no pain at this point.

We may never endure the level of persecution the first disciples did, but we know that persecution comes with being God-fearing and fully submitted to the Lord. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” 2 Timothy 3:12. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to endure and persevere with boldness on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit not only empowers us to be witnesses, but is described as the Third Person of the Trinity who comforts, convicts, teaches, guides, and distributes gifts to the Church.

Let’s remember to thank God for His precious Holy Spirit.