The Man-Savior’s meeting with the disciples in Luke 24 was the right time for Him to commission them to preach the forgiveness of sins. After pointing out to them that it was written that Christ should suffer and rise up from the dead on the third day, He told them that “repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (vv. 47-48). Forgiveness of sins could be proclaimed only after the Man-Savior’s vicarious death for the sinners’ sins had been accomplished and had been verified by His resurrection (see Rom. 4:25).
To proclaim the forgiveness of sins is to proclaim the jubilee. Luke 4 speaks of the release of the captives. To proclaim the forgiveness of sins is to proclaim the release of captives from slavery and bondage. The Lord Jesus seemed to be telling the disciples, “You have been brought into My resurrection and into the jubilee. Now you must proclaim this jubilee.”
The first aspect of the jubilee, an aspect on the negative side, is the forgiveness of sins. According to the following books of the New Testament, the forgiveness of sins ushers the forgiven ones into the riches of the Triune God. Therefore, forgiveness of sins brings us into the enjoyment of the Triune God. This is the jubilee.
The Gospel of John, as one of the God-Savior, emphasizes life for fruit-bearing (John 15:5). The Gospel of Luke, as one of the Man-Savior, stresses forgiveness of sins for proclaiming. To bear fruit in life requires essentially the Spirit of life received through the breathing of the Spirit (John 20:22). To proclaim forgiveness of sins requires economically the Spirit of power received through the baptism in the Spirit (Acts 1:5, 8).
In order to proclaim forgiveness of sins, the Man-Savior’s disciples needed further equipping. Essentially, they had what they needed; economically, however, there was still a lack. Hence, they were to wait in Jerusalem until the Lord poured out upon them the promise of the Father, which was the promise of the economical Spirit. That promise was fulfilled in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. After His ascension and enthronement, the Man-Savior poured out the economical Spirit upon the disciples, who had already become members of the Body of Christ essentially. What had been accomplished by the Lord in His resurrection was something essential. The disciples still needed to be equipped with the Spirit economically. This was accomplished by the Lord in His ascension.
In Luke 24:49 the Lord Jesus says, “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The promise here is the promise of Joel 2:28 and 29, fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4, 16-18), for the outpouring as the power from on high for the believers’ ministry economically. This is different from the Spirit of life, who was breathed into the disciples (John 20:22) by the resurrected Savior on the day of His resurrection for His indwelling so that He might be life to them essentially.
The Spirit in John 20:22 is the Spirit expected in John 7:39 and promised in John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-8, 13. Hence, the Lord’s breathing of the Holy Spirit into the disciples was the fulfillment of His promise of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. This fulfillment differs from that in Acts 2:1-4. That was the fulfillment of the Father’s promise in Luke 24:49. In Acts the Spirit as “a rushing violent wind” came as power upon the disciples for their work (Acts 1:8). In John 20:22 the Spirit as the breath was breathed as life into the disciples for their life. By breathing the Spirit into the disciples, the Lord imparted Himself as life and everything to them essentially.
As for the Spirit of life we need to breathe Him in as the breath (John 20:22). As for the Spirit of power, we need to put Him on as the uniform, typified by the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9, 13-15). The former as the water of life requires our drinking (John 7:37-39); the latter as the water for baptism requires our being immersed (Acts 1:5). These are the two aspects of the one Spirit for our experience (1 Cor. 12:13). The indwelling of the Spirit of life is essential for our life and living; the outpouring of the Spirit of power is economical for our ministry and work.
We need to be impressed with the fact that in addition to receiving the Spirit of life essentially, the disciples still needed to be “clothed with power from on high,” to be empowered by the Spirit economically. What took place in John 20 was a matter of life essentially, but what happened in Acts 2 was a matter of power for ministry economically. In order to be clothed with power, we need to put on the Spirit as a uniform. This is typified by the mantle of Elijah. For this reason, some Bible teachers have called the Spirit of power the “mantle Spirit,” the Spirit as an outer coat. In 2 Kings 2 Elisha was expecting to receive Elijah’s mantle. When Elisha received this mantle, it was an indication that he had received the spirit of Elijah. In Luke 24:49 the Lord has a similar thought, the thought of the mantle Spirit. He told the disciples to wait until they were clothed with power from on high.
We also need to realize that the Spirit of life and the Spirit of power are two aspects of the one Spirit for our experience. We see both aspects in 1 Corinthians 12:13. On the one hand, we have all been baptized in one Spirit into one Body; on the other hand, we have all been given to drink of the one Spirit. To be immersed in water is outward, but to drink water is inward. Furthermore, drinking the Spirit inwardly is essential, and being baptized in the Spirit outwardly is economical. The inward aspect of the Spirit is for life essentially, and the outward aspect is for ministry and work economically.