The Promise of My Father

John 20: 17; Luke 24: 46-49 and Acts 1: 7-8; 2: 1-47

The Feast of Pentecost used to celebrate the giving of The Law at Sinai to Moses, but after the Ascension of Christ it became the celebration of the Giving of the Holy Spirit.

1 The event of the Giving of the spirit is called "the Promise of my Father.John 20: 17: "… go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." This was said by Jesus to Mary Magdalene, whom we are told had been delivered from seven evil spirits (Sere Luke 8: 2).

Why had she got those demons? Had she been abused as a child? Had she been deprived of a father's love. We do not know. We are not told. But we may be sure that a person so demonised must have been far from safety, far from security, far from the love of God. Now Jesus pointedly refers to his Father and to her Father. Isn't that absolutely beautiful?

Luke 24: 46-49: "Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day be raised from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

2 The Actual promise: "to pour out my Spirit on all flesh"Joel 2: 28ffThe gift of the Holy Spirit would not only be to prophets, priests and kings, and not only for special anointings. The Spirit would now be given to all believers: to young and old; to powerful and powerless; to male and female; to bosses and servants; to employers and to employees.

3 Wonders and signs attested both the ministry of Jesus and the Giving of the Spirit
History shows that the idea that the Holy Spirit would stop giving supernatural gifts is not a part of Anglican theology. Article 35 and the Second Book of Homilies, produced in the time of the Reformation in the sixteenth century, illustrate this.

Homilies II. 16 was written for Whitsunday (Pentecost). It includes the following words: “The holy Ghost doth always declare himself by his fruitful and gracious gifts… : Even so do they bring men, and not without good cause, into a wonderful admiration of GOD’s divine power (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11).” The same document commences with a reference to “the great & manifold gifts, of the holy Ghost, wherewith the Church of GOD hath been evermore replenished…”

4 Repentance and Faith enables the promise to come to us
Sonship of God is found by many through Christ's sonship, as predicted by David.The path: Repent and be baptised.The promise is to children and descendants.

5 What do we receive when we Repent? The promise of My Father and of Your Father:
(1) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit always
(2) Forgiveness always
(3) Many other blessings can flow out from all this:The joy of God our Father; The empowerment of God to share him with others; Release of natural and supernatural gifting.

Lindsay Johnstone

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