Go! And Wait with Purpose: Bridging Ascension and Pentecost – Waiting in Prayer and Expectation
Introduction
Today, we stand in the gap between two monumental events in the life of Jesus and His Church.
The Ascension of our Lord, the moment when Jesus physically ascended into heaven, leaving His disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit. And Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early Church, empowering believers to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
But what do we do in between?
How do we bridge the gap from Ascension to Pentecost?
The answer is: we wait.
We wait with purpose—waiting in prayer and expectation, just as the early disciples did.
Today, I invite you to open your Bibles to Acts 1:4-14, where we will find our instruction and our encouragement.
Acts 1:4-14 (NLT): “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’
He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.”
Waiting in Prayer and Expectation
In this passage, we find the disciples in a moment of profound transition. Jesus, their risen Lord, is about to ascend into heaven, leaving them with a command—to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit. This waiting is not passive; it is an active waiting in prayer and expectation.
1. The Command to Wait (Acts 1:4-5)
Jesus tells the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised” (v. 4). The word "wait" (from the Greek prosdechomai) is not a mere idleness; it carries the sense of eager anticipation, of looking forward with expectation. This is not waiting for the sake of waiting, but waiting for the fulfillment of God's promise.
Theologically, this moment marks the culmination of God's redemptive plan, where the Spirit of God, promised from the Old Testament, would come upon believers to empower them for the mission of spreading the Gospel. Jesus’ ascension was necessary for the Spirit to come (John 16:7), and the disciples’ waiting became the bridge between the past work of Jesus and the future work of the Spirit.
In our lives, there are times when we, too, must wait for God’s leading, for His timing. But this waiting should be filled with purpose. We are waiting for God to move, for Him to send His Spirit in fresh ways. Are you waiting on the Lord with expectation, or have you allowed discouragement or doubt to cloud your vision?
Luke 24:49 (NLT): "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."
Jesus' command in Acts 1:4 to wait in Jerusalem until the Father sends the promised Holy Spirit mirrors His earlier instruction in Luke 24:49.
Waiting in the city was not merely a matter of standing still but of anticipating the fulfillment of God's promise. This wasn't idle waiting; it was a posture of faith, trusting that God would act. The disciples had seen Jesus' miracles and heard His promises, yet they were now called to trust God's timing for the coming of the Holy Spirit. For us today, this calls us to be still and trust in God's timing, knowing that His plans unfold according to His perfect will.
Tim Keller said, “Waiting on God is not an act of passivity, but one of expectation and readiness to receive what He has promised.”
This waiting, as Keller reminds us, is not inactive. It is a powerful act of trust. When we wait on the Lord, we acknowledge that He is the source of all good things and that His timing is perfect.
2. The Promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:6-8)
As the disciples wait, they ask, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (v. 6). Their question reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of God’s kingdom. They were still thinking in terms of political liberation, but Jesus redirects their focus to the spiritual mission ahead.
Jesus tells them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses...” (v. 8). The Greek word for "power" here is dynamis, from which we get the word “dynamite.” It refers to a power that is not their own but comes from the Holy Spirit, and this power is given for a specific purpose: to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
The Holy Spirit empowers us, not for our own glory, but for God’s mission. Just as the disciples were to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, we, too, are called to testify to the gospel wherever we are. Do you recognise the Spirit’s power at work in you to be a witness to Jesus?
John Piper stated, “The Holy Spirit is not just a force to empower, but a person to guide and comfort.”
Piper’s words remind us that the Holy Spirit is not just about power; He is also about presence. The Spirit guides us, comforts us, and empowers us to carry out God’s mission in the world.
John 14:16-17 (NLT): "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you."
In John 14:16-17, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as our "Advocate," a term that can be translated as "Helper" or "Comforter" (Greek: parakletos). This is more than just a source of power; the Holy Spirit is our constant companion, the one who comes alongside us to guide, comfort, and empower us in our walk with God.
The disciples in Acts 1:8 would soon experience the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence, transforming them from a fearful, confused group into bold witnesses for Christ. For us, this same Spirit equips us for our mission today—empowering us to live out the Gospel, share it with others, and face life’s challenges with confidence in God’s help.
3. The Ascension and the Promise of Return (Acts 1:9-14)
In the final part of the passage, Jesus ascends into heaven, and two angels appear to remind the disciples that He will return in the same way. This moment encapsulates both hope and mission—the hope that Christ will return, and the mission that we are to wait, pray, and be witnesses until He does.
The disciples' response is instructive: they return to Jerusalem and devote themselves to prayer, "constantly united in prayer" (v. 14). They understood that the power to carry out the mission they had been given would come through prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
As we wait for the return of Christ, we are called to live lives of prayer and unity. Are you devoting yourself to prayer, seeking the Lord’s guidance, and expecting Him to move in mighty ways in your life and in the world?
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT): "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" (NLT)
The ascension of Jesus, as recorded in Acts 1:9-14, signifies both an end and a beginning. Jesus' physical departure from earth doesn't leave His disciples abandoned; rather, it marks the commencement of their commission to spread the Gospel.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus entrusts His followers with the great commission, reminding them that His presence is with them always, even in His physical absence. His promise of return (Acts 1:11) affirms that while we await His second coming, we are called to be faithful witnesses.
We are not alone in our mission, for the risen and ascended Christ reigns over all, and His Spirit empowers us to fulfill His will on earth. This is a hope-filled reminder that our waiting isn't in vain; the mission continues, and our Saviour will return in glory.
4. Waiting in Prayer and Expectation
Remember how ehe first disciples united in prayer, eagerly awaiting the promise of the Holy Spirit?
This is a beautiful model for us today—waiting is not about inactivity but active dependence on God through prayer.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT): "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us that prayer should permeate every moment of our waiting. When we pray, we invite God’s peace into our hearts, which transcends our circumstances and fills us with a sense of His presence.
When the disciples prayed together in Acts 1:14, they were not just biding time; they were actively seeking God’s will and preparing themselves to receive His empowering presence. Likewise, our waiting in prayer can be a source of peace, not anxiety, as we trust that God is at work even when we don’t see immediate results.
5. The Gospel Message: Christ’s Death, Burial, and Resurrection
As we wait, we must remember the reason for our waiting—the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus came, died, and was buried, but on the third day, He rose again, victorious over sin and death. The ascension of Jesus is a sign that He has completed His work on earth and is now reigning at the Father’s right hand. But His return is imminent, and we must be ready.
As you wait for Christ’s return, do not wait in vain. The call to repent and believe the gospel is urgent. If you have not yet trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, today is the day to place your faith in Him.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NLT): "I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me: Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said."
The Gospel is the heart of all that we do, and it is the reason for our waiting. Christ's death, burial, and resurrection are the foundation of our faith and the power by which we live.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, reiterates the Gospel’s essential truths: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life.
Jesus' victory over sin and death is not just a past event; it is a present reality for all who place their trust in Him. As we wait for Christ’s return, we do so with the hope that the same risen Christ will one day return to make all things new. This is the Gospel we proclaim, and it is the power that sustains us as we live out our mission today.
Conclusion and Call to Action:
My dear friends, waiting is hard. It is easy to grow weary, to lose hope, and to become distracted. But I urge you to wait with purpose, to wait in prayer and expectation, trusting that God’s promises are sure. The Spirit is at work, empowering us to be witnesses of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples did in Acts 1, let us wait with purpose, prayer, and expectation. The Spirit is not only the power for our mission; He is the presence of God with us, guiding and empowering us to live lives that testify to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As you wait, are you praying in expectation of God’s work in your life?
Are you trusting the promise that Christ will return, and are you living in light of that promise?
Let us pray, wait, and act with confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to all who will listen.
Let us respond to the call to be faithful in our waiting. Let us pray, let us seek, and let us be ready to testify to the power of Christ in our lives.
And if you have not yet trusted in Jesus, I invite you today to turn to Him in repentance. Confess your sin, believe in His death and resurrection, and receive the forgiveness and new life He offers.
Benediction:
As we go out today, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ empower you to wait with purpose, to pray with passion, and to live as witnesses of His glory. The Holy Spirit is with you, strengthening you, guiding you, and equipping you for every good work. May His peace fill your heart as you go in His name. Amen.
