His Part, My Part

Luke 24:49 states, “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.”

Mom had passed away, and Dad did not have much longer to live. I was given the responsibility to oversee their material possessions. Sitting in a public transportation bus with my dad in front of the hospital, the pressure was on. We had waited in the lobby of the hospital for a woman to meet us with some very important papers that required Dad’s signature. She did not make connection with us until we had boarded the bus. As the bus was ready to leave, she got on. Squatting in the aisle, she was having Dad sign the papers. The bus driver insisted that we had to move on. Being a bus driver myself, I understood his position. I assured him it would only be a second. It wasn’t. I was caught in the middle and was very nervous. It must have shown. Dad said to me, “Would you just calm down and relax.” This I did. The papers were finally signed. It was only a couple of months later that Dad could no longer sign his name.

The point of this account is to show that my part was to wait. Dad’s part was to sign. In our text, Jesus said that His part was to send the promise of His Father. He said the disciples’ part was to tarry until they were endued with power from on high.

Let us first look at Jesus’ part. In Luke 24 the resurrection is recorded. That was God’s part—raise Jesus from the dead. Then we have the Emmaus road account where Jesus appeared to two men and explained the Scriptures to them that pointed to Himself. Finally, meeting with the disciples in Jerusalem opened their eyes to the Scriptures also.

In verses 46-47 He states His job description: 1. To suffer. 2. To rise from the dead the third day. 3. Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

Jesus was faithful to do His part. Now let us look at our part, my part. Jesus said He was about to send the “promise of His Father,” or the Holy Spirit. The disciples were simply to tarry until they were endued with power from on high.

Waiting should be easy enough. However, outside pressures can make that a difficult job. How often when we go to prayer, we remember that we have forgotten to do something. We either get up and do it, or continue to dwell on it. Other times we say everything we can think of, wait a few minutes and decide that prayer is over.

Continuing to kneel until God speaks to us doesn’t feel like prayer. In group prayer, the quiet silence can become unbearable. What if He were to say, wait for two hours and then I will speak? What about a whole day? What about 10 days—as they waited in the upper room? What did the disciples do for ten days in the upper room? In Acts 1:14 we see that they had a prayer meeting. Present were the 11 disciples, women, and Jesus’ mother and brothers. They all agreed in prayer. It was an earnest prayer of supplication. Perhaps they were praying in one accord for the Holy Spirit to come. They also prayed for God to choose the man to fill the place of Judas. Matthias was chosen.

God chose the Feast of Pentecost, which comes after a 50-day waiting period from the Passover, to pour out His Holy Spirit. The crowds were there for the feast celebration. The disciples received power to witness. The church was born because God did His part and the disciples did their part. It goes together; His part, my part!