And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)
When Jesus walked the planet, He hand-picked twelve followers to lead and train. These men followed Jesus for three and a half years, receiving instruction and watching Him perform miracles that stunned thousands.
You would think that after being trained by God in the flesh, this team of young men would be a powerhouse. If you study their behaviour, you find a different story. Of the twelve, only one had a vague idea of who Jesus was (Luke 9:18-20). One stole money from Jesus, ultimately betraying Him, and all but one abandoned Him when He needed them most.
As I studied the disciples, I found it shocking that the men Jesus personally trained were still so hopelessly lost…but then I had a profound realization.
After Jesus ascended into Heaven, about 120 people gathered in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem, waiting. Suddenly they were filled with Holy Spirit. Peter, the same man who denied that he even knew Jesus only a few short weeks prior, preached an amazing message and 3000 gave their lives to Christ. Later he preached again and 5000 gave their lives to Christ.
What caused this profound change in Peter and the rest of the disciples? Holy Spirit. Without Holy Spirit, we’re all hopeless. If the disciples couldn’t do anything for God without Holy Spirit despite being trained by Jesus in the flesh, how can we? Will you spend time with Holy Spirit today?