PB Devotional

“In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!””
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

While Galilee had a large Jewish population majority of the people were Gentiles. Jesus was from Nazareth, a city in Galilee. For 3 years, Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
The only member of the original Twelve Disciples who wasn't from Galilee was Judas. Jesus was from Galilee. There was a general sense that if you were Galilean, you were mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Galileans were known for being poor and poorly educated and violent. Can you imagine when the elites in Jerusalem heard Jesus speaking with a Galilean accent.

Where we come from matters. I truly believe it speaks to our area of influence. Jesus was born and raised in Nazareth, which is a city in Galilee. When Jesus ascended into Heaven the angle referred to the disciples as “Men of Galilee” while in Jerusalem. Jesus was on a rescue mission to save the world but he started by saving his home, his street, his neighborhood, his city…his state. Are you on a rescue mission?

The Road to Pentecost