After Jesus explained to the disciples that they would bear witness from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, Jesus ascended to heaven. As the disciples watched where Jesus had gone, two angels appeared and assured them of Christ’s return. All of this led to today’s text, where we see the disciples obeying Christ’s command to wait as they prepared for the ministry that would follow when the Holy Spirit arrived.

Acts picks up where the Gospel of Luke ends. After Jesus’s resurrection, He spent forty days with His disciples, teaching them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). He did this to prepare them for life and ministry in His physical absence. The disciples were nervous and anxious about the next phase of their lives and ministry, but Jesus gathered them, commissioned them, and assured them of the promise of the Holy Spirit and His physical return.

Hebrews 10:23-25 calls us to keep meeting together, encouraging one another, and spurring each other on toward love and good works. That’s what happens in life groups and discipleship groups. They give us a place to be real, to share struggles and victories, and to remind each other that we’re not walking this faith journey alone. Every time we invest in one another through community, we’re investing in something that will last forever.