According to Luke who wrote both The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles researched the life of Jesus in order “to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3-4) Luke investigated the life of Jesus and the ministry of the disciples so that the person Theophilus could confirm the things he already believed.

Luke was also a doctor and a friend of Paul the great theologian and missionary. There are many churches around the world named after both Saint Luke and Saint Paul.

Luke was not an eyewitness to most of the events he records, but talked to those who were present. After the resurrection of Jesus and just moments before His ascension, Luke records that Jesus said this to those present:

“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.” (Acts 1:8)

Jesus’ final words are words of action. “You will be my witnesses.” Not a lot of choice given the disciples in that moment. Jesus tells them exactly what is next for them. Jesus could have told them lots of things before his return to heaven.

I created a list of things Jesus could have said before his ascension:

• Be theologically correct.
• Take care of yourselves.
• Build lots of buildings.
• Judge people who don’t share the same beliefs and/or moral compass.
• Turn the relationship we have into a set of rules to follow.

I could go on. Jesus doesn’t say any of these things anywhere in the gospel stories about him let alone his final words. Yet it remains he said, “You will be my witnesses…” Hmmmm.

Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, Jesus promises something before the whole “be my witness” thing. The Holy Spirit. Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit so that they will have the power to be witnesses. Jesus not only tells them what to do, but then gives them the power to do it.

OK I get it, we are Lutherans and we don’t talk about the Holy Spirit except on Pentecost and maybe Reformation Sunday. Maybe that is the issue! We need more of the Holy Spirit in our lives to accomplish the tasks that Jesus has set before us!

All of us have a measure of the Holy Spirit. We would not be able to believe without it. Let me go out on a limb here and say that it would be permissible to ask our Father in Heaven to give us a larger portion of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.

If we are struggling with being witnesses for Jesus and would rather be in the witness relocation program than say the name of Jesus to a friend—then we need more of the Holy Spirit.

When Paul (Luke’s friend) wrote Timothy a letter, Paul wrote this, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (1 Timothy 1:6-7)

Paul was talking about the Holy Spirit. God is so good that not only does He give us direction but also gives us the power to accomplish the task.

Pray for a greater portion of the Spirit in your life.

God bless you all,
Pr. Ben