Final Instructions
READ
At the very beginning of the book of Acts, we're given an account of Jesus' final moments on earth before He ascended into heaven. After spending forty days with His disciples following His death and resurrection, Jesus left His people with these parting words:
"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." — Acts 1:8
REFLECT
Not long ago, I left my kids with a babysitter for the day. Before I walked out the door, I told them I loved them — but my final words were instructions: love each other well, take care of one another, and please don't drive the babysitter crazy. My hope was that they would look out for each other in my absence and care for my most prized possessions while I was gone: each other.
When I read our passage for today, I was struck by the fact that Jesus did something remarkably similar. He, too, left His earthly family with final instructions centered on caring for one another.
Final instructions always reveal something.
In Jesus' last words before ascending into heaven, He unveiled His plan for His eternal family — and in doing so, He revealed the very character of God. And while Acts 1:8 captures His final words, He had shared a similar message just days earlier. In Matthew 28:16-20, after the resurrection, Jesus met His disciples in Galilee and commissioned them:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
We know this passage as the Great Commission — Jesus unveiling His mission plan for His followers. Contrary to what the disciples expected, Jesus didn't come to give them power to overthrow earthly governments. He came to build a heavenly kingdom, here and now, through the family of God.
His final instructions in Acts 1 follow that same pattern, and they give us three important takeaways for anyone who follows Jesus:
Takeaway #1: We are never alone. Both passages remind us that God Himself is with us. In Acts 1, Jesus specifically tells us that the power of the Holy Spirit is what enables us to live on mission. We don't have to carry the weight of that mission in our own strength — God is with us.
Takeaway #2: We are witnesses to God's goodness. Both passages call us to be witnesses — to share the life-changing love we've received from Christ with the people around us. The Spirit wasn't given so we could simply feel better and keep the good news to ourselves. We are sealed for eternity and sent into the world as a visible expression of His kingdom.
Takeaway #3: God's love is for everyone. These passages show us that God doesn't just love us — He loves all people, every nation and culture, to the ends of the earth. The mission of God is the great unifier, breaking down every divide the world puts up. And Jesus' final instructions invite us to join Him in that restorative work.
Jesus' last words don't just tell us what to do — they show us who He is. They put His great love on full display, and that love compels us to take part in His redemptive mission through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is the gospel — the good news — that we get to share with a world that so desperately needs it.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you've read.
How does it make you feel to know that the power of the Holy Spirit lives in you?
What would it look like for you to step into the mission Jesus has set before you?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God's presence. Consider one thing you want to carry with you from your time in His Word, then close your devotional by praying:
Lord, thank You for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. Teach my heart to be sensitive to Your leading, and help me to live on mission — sharing the love I've received from You. Where there is brokenness in my community, give me the courage to testify of Your redeeming love. Where there is heartache, give me the grace to suffer well alongside others. When the world sees someone as unlovable, give me eyes to see them the way You do — as someone who is deeply beloved. And when I doubt my ability to be a witness, remind me of Your promised presence through the power of Your Spirit. Lord, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Port City writer Brittany Salmon wrote today’s devotional.