In the Meantime,
“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew (Nathaniel), and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas (Lebbaeus Thaddeus), the brother of James (the son of Alphaeus). These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.” Acts 1:12-14
One of the most difficult things in the world to do sometimes is to wait. Jesus’ disciples had just watched Him ascend back to His Father in heaven. The last thing that He had told them was that they would receive power to be His witnesses across the globe after the Holy Spirit had come upon them. All they had to do now was to wait. I can’t help but believe that the eleven disciples were, as we say today, “pumped” with hope and excitement because of all that they had seen and heard that day. Not only was the promise of Jesus’ return made, but they were also assured that heaven was real, and that Jesus was back with His Father and would send the Holy Spirit to lead them as they stepped out in faith to begin their journey of spreading the good news of salvation by grace through faith to a lost world.
The trip from Mt. Olivet to Jerusalem was a “sabbath day’s journey” or a little over one half of a mile (2,000 cubits). This distance was the limited amount of travel that one could do on the Sabbath. I would imagine that the disciples talked among themselves as they walked along the road, but they may have remained silent as they prayed and contemplated all that had transpired particularly over the last few weeks. They had experienced Jesus’ arrest, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His visits with them until the time for Him to return home. Even if no one said anything, they all were likely pondering over in their minds what the future would look like. At this point, they weren’t filled with the Holy Spirit, although Jesus had given them a measure of His Spirit earlier (John 20:22). Many of their questions would soon be answered.
When the disciples arrived back in Jerusalem, they went into an upper room to wait for the Lord’s promise of the Holy Spirit. Luke lists their names beginning with Peter and ending with Judas (not Iscariot, but the one called Thaddeus). The order in which they are listed seems to indicate that those named first were more active in their ministry than the ones named later. We know that scripture focuses on Peter, James, and John, and we might speculate that the other disciples traveled great distances to spread the gospel which kept communication at a minimum. All of the disciples were important, and Jesus loved each one of them. He chose them. He knew their potential.
As the disciples waited and prayed in the upper room, they were not alone. The women followers of Jesus were also there. They weren’t named here, which was common in scripture, but I suppose they were the ones who went to the empty tomb on that eventful Sunday morning. Jesus’ mother Mary is named. I can’t help but think about her joy that her Son rose from the dead, but at the same time, this was probably a very lonely time for her. She had Jesus with her for over 33 years, and now He was gone. However, she did have other children, among them Jesus’ half-brothers who were also present in the upper room. Matthew 13:55 names these half-brothers as James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. Mark 6:3 tells us that Jesus had some half-sisters who, as indicated earlier, were not named. For those who believe that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life, scripture is clear that she had other children after Jesus was born, and that she referred to Jesus as her “firstborn” Son which indicates that later there were sons born to her and Joseph. In this passage, we have the last mention of Mary in scripture.
As the disciples, Mary, Mary’s sons, and the other women prayed, they were all in agreement. There were no divisions, schisms, or personal goals to interfere with the purpose for which they were gathered. Their hearts were united as they prayed for guidance and strength, and they must have prayed for protection. Those who followed Jesus at that time were few and far between, and those who hated Jesus and anyone who believed in Him as God’s Son and man’s Savior far outnumbered the Christians. Since that time, many have come to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but many more still reject Him and mock believers. As believers, we need to emulate those who gathered that day in the upper room and pray that we will be lights in a dark world, that God will protect us from the evil one and those over whom he has influence and power, and that we will not give up in the face of hardship and persecution. We are not the ones who are facing God’s eternal condemnation and judgment.