Getting the Big Picture by Narrowing Your Focus

Acts 1:5-8

One would expect the above question to have an obvious answer, but does it?  Sure there were times when the Apostles did not fully understand why Christ came; there are many examples.  Mark 1:35-37 speaks of one such occasion.  After healing many people Jesus went off to a solitary place, but the people would not leave Him alone.  Simon goes to look for him and tells him that the people are looking for him.  Jesus speaks up to Simon and says the reason why I have come is to preach the good news.  Sometimes even the closest people to Jesus did not really understand His purpose for coming.

In Acts 1:6-7 the disciples ask Jesus when he will be coming again to restore His kingdom.  Did they miss the big picture again?  The word “restore” is Acts 1:6 carries the concept of a political restoration.  So the disciples were asking Christ if He was coming again to restore his political kingdom, when Jesus did not come to set up a political kingdom but a spiritual one.  However, the Jews rejected Christ and it seems that they would have rather had a political kingdom than a spiritual one.  What is interesting though is that when the disciples asked Jesus if He was going to restore his kingdom, He did not deny it; rather He told them that it wasn’t for them to know the future.  The point is that they were concerned more with the future rather than the present.   

This concept is carried over into the realm of prophecy and study on end times events.  People want to know when these prophetic events will happen; some even become obsessed with it.  Why?  Personally, I think that people want to know when prophetic events will happen so that they can wait until the last minute to get their affairs in order.  But Christ spoke of end times events from a different perspective.  He tells his disciples in Acts 1:8 that they need not worry about the future kingdom, they need to focus on the present expansion of Gospel to the kingdoms of this world. Truly one can be too heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. 

In a sin-cursed world where the prevailing focus is on self, it’s easy to focus on the future and the glorious restoration of all things.  However, Christ has called us to be salt, to influence and effect his world.  He has given us that same command He gave the disciples – be my witnesses.  Be my light in the dark world, show them that there is hope, and that hope is only found in Him!