The Promise

Luke 24:49 says,  “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

In the 1930s my dad bought a John C. Dueber pocket watch. His dad wanted it. “I don’t know why you should have a nice watch like that. You should give it to me.” Dad answered, “Every time you get a watch you break it or sell it.” The response, “If you give me that watch I promise I’ll carry it ’til I die.” The promise was kept. My dad inherited it then gave it to me. Ninety years later I have it before me now.

Promises are not always kept. When God says something, He doesn’t have to say “I promise.”  What He says He will do! It’s like clockwork.

When Jesus said “the promise of my Father,” He was talking about the Holy Ghost. John 14:16-17 states, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

In Genesis 12:1-3, it appears that God had already called to Abram to leave his country and go to a land that he would show him, which turned out to be Canaan. Abram obeyed. In verse 7 God said, “…Unto thy seed will I give this land:” God’s plan in all of this was to bless all the families of the earth (V. 3). However, He would use Abram and Sarai (names changed to Abraham and Sarah), and their seed (Jesus) to accomplish His plan. God made a covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:18) to give the land to Abram and his seed.

We see in Genesis 17:8 that the land was to be an “everlasting possession.” In verse 13 we have Abram’s part in the covenant, “…and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” Also in verse 8 God said, “…I will be their God.”

Many years passed and Abram’s descendants strayed far from God, until He drove them out of the promised land. In Ezekiel 36 God says He will bring them back into their land and clean them up. Ezekiel 36:2, “I will put my spirit within you…”. This is the promise of the Father Jesus spoke about. 

God had been waiting many years to keep His promise of putting His Spirit within His chosen people. Jesus told His Jewish disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of His Father. It did not stop there. When Peter preached to Cornelius and his house, the Holy Ghost fell also on the Gentiles. God is not through with his Promise. When God said “everlasting” he meant it. Revelation 21 talks of the new Jerusalem (V.2). Verse 12 mentions the twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel. The saved nation will enter these gates (V. 24-26). Thank you, God, for keeping THE PROMISE!