We’ve covered pretty much the entire book of Acts. What’s left is Paul’s last trip, which, to some, is his final missional journey. But, others only refer to this section, chapters 21 through 28, as Paul’s trip to Rome.
As we studied in our previous reflection, Conviction over Convenience, Paul’s trip to Jerusalem was like a setup for his journey to Rome.
He chose conviction over convenience because he was ready to die for Jesus. He knew that his calling wasn’t about convenience, but preaching Jesus to Jews as well as Gentiles, even to the cost of losing his own life.
In this reflection, we’re looking primarily at verses 27 through 29. But, I’d encourage you to start with verses 17 through 26.
Now that Paul is in Jerusalem, he meets with James. Remember James, Peter, and John were the key leaders of the Church in Jerusalem.
Even though the book of Acts only mentions Peter (chapter 1 through the middle of chapter 12), he and the other two were very instrumental in the leadership of the Church in Jerusalem.
There are three important themes that come up in chapter 21: power, perseverance, and witness.
Power
Power is what drives everything in the book of Acts. Read Acts 1:8,
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.
The book, as we talked about earlier in this series, begins with the Holy Spirit who gives the disciples power.
Power is what enables them to become Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
When you think of power, it’s not something that only makes us God’s witnesses, it first makes us children of God first.
That’s what John talks about in his Gospel,
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13.
Ok. You don’t just become a child of God because you come to Church where your parents and grandparents have attended for years.
We become children of God, according to John 1:12, when we choose to believe in Jesus’ name and receive Him into our lives.
This power (right according to other Bible versions) to become children of God makes us God’s witnesses too.
Perseverance
The disciples knew, including Paul, that following and serving Christ came with the price of even losing their own lives for Him.
That gave them so much endurance even when they had to face resistance from the Jews and the Gentiles.
In the case of Paul, he was willing not only to be bound but to even die for Christ (see Acts 21:13).
Of course, Jesus, Himself, said it to the disciples:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:24-26.
Receiving God’s Power through the Holy Spirit means that we have chosen to sacrificially live for Jesus. And, this choice we’ve made gives us the strength to endure anything for the sake of God’s Kingdom.
Witness
Keep in mind that witnessing isn’t the goal, but the result of being filled with God’s Spirit. Read again Acts 1:8,
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.
Every circumstance, in life, can become an opportunity for us to witness.
Paul, according to Acts 21, uses every single opportunity to do it. And, he does it because this is who he has become.
Even though people have done all their best to shut him up, he never stopped being a witness of Christ among the Jews, or the Gentiles.
In Conclusion
We can’t be God’s witnesses without first letting God’s Spirit dwell in us. The Holy Spirit in us gives us the power to face anything in life and always conquer. As a result, we have the strength to use every single circumstance to point people back to Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior of all humankind.
