Luke 24:44-53 The Holy Spirit Promised

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,  and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,  and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.  And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy,  and were continually in the temple praising God.

The Gospel of Luke concludes with Jesus equipping his disciples from on high, which is the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell them.  But not them alone but to all who place their trust in Christ.  The second of Luke’s books, The Book of Acts, tells the story of the apostles taking the gospel of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.  This is called the Great Commission and we are still fulfilling it today.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, I carry Your gospel into the world in my lifetime where I live.  All who call themselves Your disciples join in this mission.  It is a mission that cannot fail, because it bears the stamp of God’s approval in fulfilling it.  When You return again, let me be found doing Your will and Your labor.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.