Apostles Empowered by the Holy Spirit

(Final in a series)

I found it hard to relax after the cataclysm of wind and fire that I had just witnessed. There were a lot of "what ifs" in my mind. I was seeking answers and none were forthcoming.

I retired to my inn where my friends were excitedly offering opinions about the meaning of the strange weather and what was to become of our world.

"Did you see that fireball?" one shouted.

"See it? I could feel it!" said another.

Making sense out of the phenomena was futile. Rather than waste any more time in idle speculation I concluded that no one knew what they were talking about and decided to go home.
I was about to walk out the door when it suddenly swung open and in marched Peter and a half dozen of the apostles.

There was an obvious sense of seriousness in their step. Clearly, they had been affected by the day's events. But the thought crossed my mind that they might be as confused as I was.
They sat down at a table just a few feet away. I felt confident that I would be accepted at their table and so I slid over a chair and joined them.

It was a lively discussion, but Peter did most of the talking. There seemed to be no doubt who was the leader of the group. It was not his typical bravado, full of self-importance and bluster, but rather a thoughtful and authoritative recapitulation of the events and their meaning for the future of the faith.

The tavern became quiet when Peter and his group arrived. People cranked their ears to hear what the apostles were saying. They were confused and sought an explanation for the bizarre happenings and felt hopeful that these men, who had been in the middle of it all, could set aside their anxieties.

There had been predictions of catastrophic mayhem following the death of Jesus, with many people convinced that, because an innocent man had been put to death under questionable circumstances, there would be a penalty to be paid for it. Was this the beginning of the retribution that God demanded? And how much more was yet to come?

Ignoring the crowd and their anxiety, Peter tore right into the issue.

"You know," he announced in his newly confident voice, "our work has just begun. We all felt complacent when Jesus was among us because he was so wonderful and perfect. In our pride, we felt that some of his greatness was rubbing off on us and we would have an easy task following in his footsteps. But he told us that would not be the case. We didn't want to believe him, but now we have to face reality."

There were some uneasy looks at those words, but Peter continued: "But he said he would not leave us orphans. We would not be abandoned. He said he would send the Holy Spirit, and that's exactly what he has done today."

One of the Apostles, James, I think, said, "I feel like a new man. I feel a renewed spirit of Jesus coursing through my veins. I feel empowered." One by one the other apostles nodded in agreement and voiced their new-found confidence and passion. Whereas they were previously content merely to watch Jesus work his miracles, now they were driven to take up his mission and carry it to the ends of the earth.

Peter's face brightened. The message was getting through; Jesus was getting through. Their minds were changed. They were new men. Everything that Jesus had told them was now coming true.

Peter smiled at the realization that Jesus had worked the miracle of transforming a bunch of fishermen and a tax collector into a dynamic force for transformation of the entire world.
Seeing these men so committed to Him elevated my faith and love of Jesus to new levels.

There was no mistaking, however, that the road ahead would not be an easy one. I thought of the obstacles they would have to face.

There was the enduring hatred of the Pharisees and Temple leadership, who saw Jesus and his followers as a dangerous radical sect that must be eliminated. There was that smirking Roman soldier, who was at a table in this very inn with some of his well-armed friends, all ready at a moment's notice to hack off the heads of Peter and the rest of us to preserve the glory of Rome.

And, worst of all, there was the consistent and pervasive ignorance and pride of mankind in general, full of idiocy and arrogance, convinced of its innate superiority and sublime wisdom, blind to any failings or weaknesses, and certain that it had all the answers to all the possible questions and concerns that could ever arise in this world or the next.

The apostles had their work cut out for them. But Jesus sent the Spirit as he promised, and they were not the same men they were just hours ago. They were renewed, enervated passionate, intense, ready.

(Note: This article is adapted from The Big Tent, by Dave Mishur, which has recently been published by Liberty Hill and is available on Amazon and other online retailers, and can be ordered at any bookstore.)