The Father’s Promise

My dad would have been 95 
this week. What a good dad --
and our Heavenly Father is even
better! Holding onto that 
promise.

Scripture:

Luke 24:44   Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah^a is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations,^a beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Observation:

The ending to Luke’s gospel really just prepares the way to be woven into his next book, the Acts of the Apostles. He paves the way for understanding and clarity. Jesus’ resurrection has made clear what God was revealing throughout the law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the psalms. Now, everything has been fulfilled in Christ, for he is the Messiah. 

Since the work of God has been accomplished in Christ, the disciples are now to shoulder their responsibility by proclaiming the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus to all nations. This was to begin in Jerusalem, and that is why the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon the people in that city. The disciples had been, and would continue to be witnesses of these things. 

Finally, Jesus mentions the Father’s promise. This is the Holy Spirit — and they are to wait until they receive power from the Father. Something dramatic would happen to the disciples and they would be empowered to go out and proclaim salvation to the entire world. 

Application:

Throughout Luke’s gospel we have found ourselves on a journey of discipleship, along with those who were physically present in the text. The entire gospel is a handbook on mentorship for disciples. You and I are left with instructions from the Lord. Since all of this has been revealed to us, and since Jesus fulfills the scriptures of the Old Testament, we are then left with an assignment. At the same time, it is the Lord, himself, who opens our minds to this understanding. Good preaching and teaching only goes so far. We need the presence of the Lord to open peoples’ minds. 

Finally, I find myself wondering about what the Father promised. The assignment came with a promise that we would be “clothed with power from on high.” The mission hasn’t changed, and nor has the promise. Even in a world that is pushing back against the need for repentance, the good news is still to be proclaimed. When the notion of sin is being challenged, and the sense that no one is responsible for their own actions is being widely accepted, the mission on which disciples have been deployed remains the same. The world may change, but the plan for discipleship does not. Transformed disciples of Christ are to proclaim the name of Christ, along with repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations. This is our responsibility — but it comes with the promise. 

The power and the opening of minds comes, not from us, but from the Father through the presence of the Holy Spirit. There is a great need for dynamis — Holy Spirit empowered disciples to remain focused and on mission. We begin to think it’s not possible when we try to accomplish God’s work in our own power. The Father promised us power. Ultimately, it’s up to us to wait for that power, and the resulting empowerment for the mission. We are not on our own! 

Prayer:

Lord, I need your fresh empowerment today. I lean into the promise and want to trust in the Father. Amen.