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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
There is another preparation so all-essen tial that you must not go without it. Tarry ye in the city until you receive this further all-essential preparation, until ye he endued (clothed) with power from on high.” How solemn, how full o f import for us. They were simply to tell the world what their own 'eyes had seen and what their own ears had heard from the lips o f Jesus Himself,, but they must not move a step until the power o f the Holy Ghost had come upon them. In point o f fact, they had to wait ten days, but it was not a waste o f time. They accomplished rrfore in one day as the out come o f the waiting than they otherwise would have accomplished in a lifetime. They alone knew the gospel which the world was perishing in ignorance of, yet they must wait. The Greek word trans lated “tarry ye,” means literally “ sit down.” Later they were to “go,” but now they were to sit down. Would it not be well if. it were said to every candidate for the mis sionary field who is eager to go and preach the Gospel at home or abroad, “ Sit down, do not go, do not stand and preach yet, ‘sit down until you are clothed with power from on high.’ ” Tuesday, March ¿ 8 . Luke 24 : 50 - 53 . Having given His disciples their parting commission, He took them to Bethany, the place so hallowed by many sacred mem ories. He knew He was about to leave them, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While His hands were still raised in' blessing His feet began to leave the earth. He went up with His hands stretched out in benediction, and His hands have been stretched out in blessing ever since. He “ was carried up into heaven,” and there He is today, bodily, as the Son o f Man (cf. Acts 7:56). He ascended to appear in the presence o f God in our behalf, and to prepare a place for us (Heb. 9:24; "John 14:2). His presence there makes us eternally secure (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25), and His presence there now guarantees our presence there hereafter (John 12:26; Rev. 3:21). As He disap peared and was so clearly shown to be
did if we had the gospel o f Luke alone, but we have the other'gospels to throw light on Luke’s account, and furthermore, Luke himself gives us a fuller account in the Acts o f the Apostles. He here summarizes what in the later record he tells in detail. Jesus here tells them that all the events that occurred were simply the fulfillment o f His own words and o f the Old Testa ment Scriptures. In the most emphatic and unmistakable way He set the stamp o f His authority upon the whole Old Testament. There were three recognized divisions of the Hebrew; Bible then used (our present Old Testament).; These three divisions were “ The Law o f Moses” (the part we call the Pentateuch), “ The Prophets,” (com prising not merely most o f the books we call prophetic, but many o f the historical books as well, the material for which was supplied by the prophets), “ The Psalms” (or sacred writings), comprising the remaining books o f our present Old Testa ment. Jesus took each o f the three recog nized divisions o f the Old Testament Scriptures and set the stamp o f His author ity upon each and all, so if we accept the authority of Jesus Christ we are logically driven to accept the entire Old Testament as the inerrant W ord o f God. Then He proceeded to open their minds that they might understand the' Scriptures. That is the only way any one can ever understand the Scriptures. No amount o f mere verbal study o f the Word, no matter how familiar we may be with Greek and Hebrew aipd cognate languages, will enable us to under stand the Scriptures unless Jesus opens our minds (cf. Psa. 119:18; John 14:12, 13; 1 John 2:20, 27). It was especially the testi mony o f the Old Testament to His death and resurrection that Jesus brought out at this time. On the ground o f the sure facts o f His death and resurrection, repent ance and remission of sin should be preached in His name unto all the nations. The disciples were then told that they were themselves to be the first witnesses o f these glorious truths. Doubtless they were eager to begin at once, but Jesus said, “ No, do not begin yet, you are not ready.
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