And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

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.”

1) What was “the promise of the Father” that the disciples were supposed to wait for?
The promise of the Father was the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who was coming to dwell permanently in the hearts of all believers. Before this, the Spirit would come upon certain people for certain periods of time (usually, to help someone accomplish a God-given purpose), and then depart from them. But beginning after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit would now live in the hearts of every believer permanently.

2) What does it mean to be “baptized” with the Holy Spirit?
Baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the moment when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the heart of a believer, unifying him or her with Christ and with other believers. This first happened at Pentecost, which is the event that Jesus is referring to in these verses. But from Pentecost on, this baptism happens for every believer at the moment a person receives salvation (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

3) What would the Holy Spirit bring to the disciples, and for what purpose?
Jesus said that the disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them—the same power that raised Christ from the dead would be dwelling in their hearts. Christ said that the disciples would be His witnesses throughout the earth. The Holy Spirit dwells in us to empower us to live the life He has called us to live, and to tell others about Him.

1) What was “the promise of the Father” that the disciples were supposed to wait for?
What comfort there is to know that the Holy Spirit is with us, always! As believers under the New Covenant, we don’t have to pray as David did in Psalm 51, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me,” because the Spirit now lives within us permanently! Nothing we do can drive Him from us, and He is always with us to comfort us, guide us, and empower us to do God’s will.

2) What does it mean to be “baptized” with the Holy Spirit?
If you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit lives within you. From that moment on, there is a process of sanctification, where God is conforming you to His image. Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is key in this process, as the Spirit brings Scripture to mind to help you in your situations, and as He gives you the power to be free from sin. Praise God for this gift that He has lavished on us!

3) What would the Holy Spirit bring to the disciples, and for what purpose?
Evangelism can be intimidating, and too often we allow fear to keep us from sharing the hope that we have in Christ. But Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could be His witnesses! He has called us to tell others about Him, and He has given us the power to do it. Who is God calling you to witness to? Pray for the Spirit to enable you to speak to them this week.

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Power Poured Out!
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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