What made the disciples and Christ followers shut themselves in the upper room before Pentecost?
Imagine what they had been through. First, they were living in a dry spiritual time, not having heard from the Lord through the prophets for some 500 years. I see people get depressed over not hearing from him for 500 hours. The religious leaders of the day made it their business to show the people their inadequacies before God, adding to God’s law even more rules according to their own self-righteousness, suppressing any hope. And as if that were not enough, Israel lived oppressed by the Roman Empire, forced to pay taxes and homage to a faraway ruler. Oppressed, depressed, suppressed… they certainly were not free. Then, along came Jesus!
Jesus showed up declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus didn’t just talk love, acceptance and forgiveness, he modeled it everywhere he went and in all he did. He preached a love that bridges every difference, whether racial, positional or experiential. He was not afraid to touch the unclean or contagious, sup in the home of men of ill reputation, call the outcast his neighbor, cast out evil spirits to free a life, ignore man-made regulation of spiritual activity, or confront apparently upright people with their religiosity and hypocrisy. While he was the Prince of Peace, he did not bring peace everywhere he went, but sometimes quite the opposite, because his message and his life was so contrary to the norm and the comfortable.
Jesus didn’t just talk love, acceptance and forgiveness, he modeled it everywhere he went and in all he did.
While he was not a violent reformer, he definitely was about reform, and the people seeking light and truth found it in him. Faith grew in them as they heard his words (Ro.10:17). Hope sprouted in their hearts, as they saw prophecy being fulfilled before their eyes (Ro.15:13). And total unconditional love was poured out before them and in them, as they witnessed Christ’s death on the cross and then his victorious life after resurrection (Ro.5:5). There was no way they could be the same, and they didn’t want to be.
Those first followers of Christ went into the upper room for 10 days of prayer and fasting to be invested with the power and unction from the Holy Spirit- not to hide away from coming trouble but to be ready to become the biggest troublemakers the world had known. Yes, the first Christians were big-time troublemakers who went against the norm of darkness in the world, publicly speaking the truth not cowering before persecution, snatching captives from the lies and powers of Satan, and teaching a living gospel that transforms lives spirit, soul and body.
Abraham encountered a God he didn’t know, but when given a great promise, he met the challenge to get up, go out into the unknown and walk with God. Joseph had a great dream but then suffered the worst betrayal and unfair treatment over and over again, but yet held onto his faith in God and, against seemingly impossible odds, God brought it to pass. Moses had a life-changing encounter at the burning bush, but he didn’t stay there, but got up, went out, and became the liberator of the people.
The first believers went into the upper room to be equipped to be witnesses at home and abroad. Yes, they were taught the gospel of the kingdom and the apostles’ doctrine, but being witnesses is much more. The word comes from [martus] which is martyrs. Did they want to be mocked, ostracized, be beaten in public squares, be wrenched away from their families, face lions, or die horrific deaths? Of course not! They were just as human as we are. But after the tremendous outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, the first believers did not camp there but went out willing to live, preach and even die for the light and love that they knew the whole world needed… even unto you and I today.
I pray God pours out his Spirit on us anew, that the routine and ordinary would not suffice
Have you like I been asking God to use you in the great harvest that is coming? I pray God pours out his Spirit on us anew, that the routine and ordinary would not suffice, but we would yearn for the life of love and power that can rescue from eternal damnation those around us and transform our world for his kingdom.
