WAITING, waiting, waiting. There's a lot of it in the Bible.
In Old Testament times the idea recurred again and again that one day someone would set right what had gone wrong with the world.
But the dream of a Messiah seemed to change with the changing needs of Israel, especially if they were under the domination of one of the world powers. Then it was a great General who could inspire an army to overcome the invaders.
This seems to have been the prevailing idea at the time of Jesus. Time and again the picture of the Messiah in the Old Testament was totally different, but that made little impact on those who reckoned themselves to be most knowledgeable in the Scriptures.
To get the Romans out was the prerequisite of establishing God's way, which is why they failed to recognise the Messiahship of Jesus. But there were the unknown ones who hoped against hope for many years. We know about them from Simeon and Anna and the others with whom they met who “were looking for the redemption of Israel”.
It seems not to have been an “Oh, well, one day” sort of waiting, but one where life witnessed to hope.
Then there were the disciples aware that here was a man worth giving up your way of life to follow but not really sure of the outcome, except perhaps the hope of an important place in his kingdom. That idea kept them together. They could ignore Jesus' warnings about the cost to anyone who followed him and just enjoy the pleasure of his company.
After the crucifixion the disciples waited – doing nothing because there was nothing they could do except wait for the knock on the door and possible execution themselves.
Then came the realisation that Jesus was alive again. For a while I imagine that they felt this was the moment they had waited and hoped for. They enjoyed the total wonder, and bewilderment, of those days, and the opportunity to ask the question they wanted answered.
One was not so very different from the hope of many of the Jews: "Lord, is now the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”
They didn't get the answer they were looking for. They were told to wait in Jerusalem. But it couldn't last could it? On the day we call Ascension Day Jesus told them that he was going away and they were to wait in Jerusalem. For what? The power of the Holy Spirit.
Did they know what that meant or how it would affect their lives? I doubt it. But they waited as they had been asked to do, but meanwhile they spent their time worshipping and praising God.
For us that time of waiting is over. The Holy Spirit has come and while we may not have had the same experience as the disciples the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives – or can be if we allow him to be. The coming of the Holy Spirit tranformed the lives of the disciples and they began to set up the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit can transform our lives and continue the work of the kingdom through us.
But the waiting is not over. Jesus left us with the promise that he would come again. In the meantime we are to get on with the work of the kingdom in our lives and our sphere of influence, for which the Holy Spirit gives us power.