So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8 NET
Jesus’ disciples, along with most of the Jews of that day, looked forward to a time when the Jews would again have a strong and independent nation with a descendant of David sitting on the throne. For three years, Jesus had preached that the kingdom of God was at hand. And his disciples had come to believe that Jesus would be the one who would reign as king over this kingdom–a conviction that grew even stronger after his resurrection.
So they asked him, “Is this the time? Are you going to throw out the Romans now and establish your kingdom?” Given their expectations, this was a logical question. But Jesus’ response to them was not what they had expected.
God’s calendar is not something that we have access to. As Jesus said, we are not permitted to know the times or periods the Father has set by his own authority. While he has shared with us some of what will happen in the future, he generally does not give us a date, as much as we might like to have one.
Many today seek an answer to the same question his disciples asked. When is Jesus going to return and establish his kingdom? And they may look at current events as pointing to an imminent return.
But Jesus’ response to us today is the same as it was then. Rather than trying to catch a glimpse of God’s private calendar, we should focus on living for him where we are, bearing witness to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
