Luke 24:49Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Further, lest any should say that abandoning their acquaintances they went to shew themselves, (or as it were to vaunt themselves with a kind of pomp,) to strangers, therefore first among the very murderers themselves are the signs of the resurrection displayed, in that very city wherein the frantic outrage burst forth. For where the crucifiers themselves are seen to believe, there the resurrection is most of all demonstrated.

Otherwise, how would their agitated and perplexed minds have learnt the mystery of Christ. But He taught them by His words; for it follows, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, that is, by the wood of the Cross.

The Saviour assures His disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit, a promise that God had previously proclaimed through Joel, along with power from above, empowering them to be strong and unstoppable, sharing the divine truth with all humanity without apprehension. After they have experienced the Spirit following the resurrection, He instructs them, ‘Receive the Holy Ghost,’ and continues: ‘Stay in Jerusalem and await the gift of the Father which you have heard from Me.

Or the Lord after His resurrection gave the Holy Spirit twice, once on earth, because of the love of our neighbour, and again from heaven, because of the love of God.

"You are to stay in Jerusalem until you obtain the promise from My Father" (cf. Acts 1:4). This aligns with what Joel proclaimed, "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17). Observing His disciples in their sorrow amidst the crowds gathered for the festival following His death, the Lord dispatched His laborers to reaffirm the faith of those who were uncertain, and sent His steadfast leaders (Gal. 2:9) to uplift and encourage the hearts of the vulnerable.

But let us consider how according to John they received the Holy Spirit, while here they are ordered to stay in the city until they should be endued with power from on high. Either He breathed the Holy Spirit into the eleven, as being more perfect, and promised to give it to the rest afterwards; or to the same persons He breathed in the one place, He promised in the other. Nor does there seem to be any contradiction, since there are diversities of graces. Therefore one operation He breathed into them there, another He promised here. For there the grace of remitting sins was given, which seems to be more confined, and therefore is breathed into them by Christ, that you may believe the Holy Spirit to be of Christ, to be from God. For God alone forgiveth sins. But Luke describes the pouring forth of the grace of speaking with tongues.

I will send forth the promise of My Father upon you. This promise entails the arrival of the Holy Spirit, manifesting as tongues of fire. The Lord had foretold this through the prophet Joel, proclaiming: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith the Lord Almighty, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh' (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17), particularly upon the apostles' own flesh. You are to remain in the city of Jerusalem until you receive power from on high. Stay in Jerusalem, acknowledging your frailty and fear, 'until ye be clothed' with the full armor, the 'power from on high,' which is the authority from heaven, the divine strength realized through the tangible descent of the Holy Ghost.

For it was said, Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. (Ps. 2:8.) But it was necessary that those who were converted from the Gentiles should be purged from a certain stain and defilement through His virtue, being as it were corrupted by the evil of the worship of devils, and as lately converted from an abominable and unchaste life. And therefore He says that it behoves that first repentance should be preached, but next, remission of sins, to all nations. For to those who first shewed repentance for their sins, by His saving grace He granted pardon of their transgression, for whom also He endured death.

They then are to be warned, whom age or imperfection hinders from the office of preaching, and yet rashness impels, lest while they hastily arrogate to themselves so responsible an office, they should cut themselves off from the way of future amendment. For the Truth Itself which could suddenly strengthen those whom it wished, in order to give an example to those that follow, that imperfect men should not presume to preach, after having fully instructed the disciples concerning the virtue of preaching, commanded them to abide in the city, until they were endued with power from on high.

Do not be hesitant to recognize that the grace of the sacraments received by individuals enables them to achieve a level of holiness, specifically humility, as well as every other virtue, without their own effort. This grace was imparted to the blessed Apostles in a fiery form. For this reason, the Lord instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until they were endowed with power from on high (Acts 1:4). In this context, Jerusalem signifies virtue, humility represents the power, and the power from on high refers to the Comforter, also known as the Spirit of Consolation. The Scriptures convey that the mysteries are made known to those who embody humility. This Spirit of revelation, who discloses these divine mysteries, can be received within the humble. Thus, some saints have articulated that humility perfects the soul through Divine contemplation.

After having presented Himself to be seen with the eye, and handled with hands, and having brought to their minds the Scriptures of the law, He next opened their understanding that they should understand what was read.

Grace is not merely referred to as grace; it is also the divine strength that empowered the apostles (Luke 24:49).

After ascending to the Father, He bestowed the Holy Spirit upon His holy disciples and apostles. This Spirit, who proceeds from the Father, is co-created with the Father and the Son, existing eternally yet without a beginning. He is the root, source, and cause that comes from the Father, not as one who is begotten, but as one who emerges forth. He has proceeded from the Father since before the ages began, without any limitation or passions, not through birth but through His coming forth. This Spirit, who comes from both the Father and the Son, is unified without confusion or separation.

What insights can we draw from the example set by the holy Apostles? Following their demonstration of obedience, particularly their active adherence to the Word of God, we are called to focus our efforts on continual prayer. This persistent prayer places the believer in a position to be receptive to the Holy Spirit. The Lord, who entrusted diverse ministries to the Apostles, empowered them to receive the Holy Spirit and instructed them to remain in the city of Jerusalem, known as the city of peace and tranquility, away from all forms of service: "Sit in the city, Jerusalem," He instructed them, "until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).

The initiation of the apostles' mission, along with that of the Lord Himself, must be disclosed from Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). After summoning them for a period in Galilee, the Lord leads them back to Jerusalem. It is here that they are to receive the gift from the Father that Jesus had promised, which John the Baptist had foretold (that he baptized you with the Holy Spirit), highlighting the superior nature of Jesus’ ministry compared to his own (Acts 1:4, 5). It was from the same place where Jesus had entered as a sovereign that the call to His universal reign was to be made known. This was the location where His envoys to all the nations were to be established and empowered through the illumination and sanctification of the Holy Spirit in their service.

The apostles, on their mission to proclaim the message of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, required a distinct authority to overcome the burdens of the Cross and affirm that the Christ who empowered them was divine and not merely human. Consequently, the Lord bestowed this authority upon them. Those who profess faith will exhibit these signs: in His name, they will expel unclean spirits; they will communicate in new languages; they will handle snakes safely, and if they ingest any poison, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Regarding these signs, St. Gregory the Dialogist remarks: “If you, beloved brethren, do not manifest the signs essential to the early Church of Christ, do not thereby exclude yourselves from the fellowship of believers.

While the disciples absorbed the sacred teaching, the sorrow of parting was overshadowed by the joy of their minds being illuminated, revealing the increasingly expansive mystery of God’s construction of His dwelling. They were filled with joy at the assurances provided by their Master.

I will send the promise of my Father to you, which refers to the commitment made by the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ to His followers. This commitment involves sending the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, enabling them in their mission of spreading the Gospel globally. The assurance given by Jesus Christ is illustrated in Matthew 10:19 and can be cross-referenced with John 14:16, 17-26. This promise was anticipated long ago by ancient prophets, as noted in Acts 2:16-21. The instruction to 'remain in Jerusalem' signifies that they should not leave for their worldwide mission until they have received this promise from the Father.