Jesus' blessing
Often when I travel, I am asked to speak at Grace Communion International church services, conferences, and board meetings. Sometimes I am also asked to recite the final blessing. I then draw frequently on the blessings Aaron bestowed on the children of Israel in the wilderness (the year after they fled Egypt and long before they entered the Promised Land). At that time, God instructed Israel about the implementation of the law. People were unstable and rather passive (after all, they had been slaves all their lives!). They probably thought to themselves, “God led us through the Red Sea out of Egypt and gave us his law. But now here we are, still wandering around in the desert. What comes next?” But God did not answer by revealing to them in detail His plan concerning them. Instead, he encouraged them to look to him in faith:
And the Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say, ‘This is what you are to say to the Israelites when you bless them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’” (4. Mose 6,22).
I see how Aaron stands with outstretched arms in front of God's beloved children and speaks this blessing. What an honor it must have been for him to give them the blessing of the Lord. As you know, Aaron was the first high priest of the Levite tribe:
But Aaron was set apart to consecrate the Most Holy Place, he and his sons forever, to offer sacrifices before the Lord and to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord forever (1 Chronicles 23:13).
Donating a blessing was an act of reverential praise in which God was made to be encouraging to His people - here during the arduous Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. This priestly blessing referred to God's name and blessing, so that his people may live in the assurance of the grace and providence of the Lord.
Although this blessing first of all applied to an exhausted and discouraged people on their journey through the desert, I recognize their relation to us today. There are times when we look uncertainly into the future in the sense of wandering aimlessly. Then we need encouraging words to remind us that God has blessed us and continues to spread his protective hand over us. We must remember that he sheds his countenance on us, that he is gracious and gives us his peace. Above all, we must not forget that out of love he has sent us his son Jesus Christ - the great and last high priest, who himself fulfills the blessing of Aaron.
Holy Week (also called Passion Week) begins in about a week with Palm Sunday (commemorating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem), followed by Maundy Thursday (remembering the Last Supper), Good Friday (the day of remembrance that reminds us of God's goodness towards us, revealed in the greatest of all sacrifices), and Holy Saturday (commemorating Jesus' burial). Then comes the all-encompassing eighth day—Easter Sunday, when we celebrate the resurrection of our great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God. (Hebr. 4,14)This time of year powerfully reminds us that we are forever blessed “with every spiritual blessing in heaven through Christ.” (Eph. 1,3).
Yes, we all experience times of uncertainty. But we can remember the greatness of God blessing us in Christ. Like a powerful river, whose waters flow from the spring far into the land, God's name paves the way for the world. Although we do not fully realize this direction, we are awed by what is actually revealed to us. God is truly giving us His blessing. Holy Week reminds us of this.
While the people of Israel heard Aaron's priestly blessing and undoubtedly felt encouraged by it, they soon forgot God's promises. This was partly due to the limits, even weaknesses, of the human priesthood. Even the best and most loyal priests in Israel were mortal. But God came up with something better (a better high priest). The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus, who is forever alive, is our permanent high priest:
Therefore he is able to save forever those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us: one who is holy, innocent and undefiled, separated from sinners and higher than the heavens [...] (Hebr. 7, 25-26; Zurich Bible).
The image of Aaron spreading his arms over Israel in blessing refers us to an even greater high priest, Jesus Christ. The blessing that Jesus gives to God's people goes far beyond Aaron's blessing (it is broader, more powerful and more personal):
I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor or their brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteous deeds and will remember their sins no more.Hebr.8,10-12; Zurich Bible).
Jesus, the Son of God, speaks a blessing of forgiveness that reconciles us to God and brings our broken relationship with Him back into balance. It is a blessing that brings about a change that reaches deep into our hearts and minds. It sets us up to the most intimate following and communion with the Almighty. Through the Son of God, our brother, we recognize God as our Father. Through his Holy Spirit, we become his beloved children.
When I think about the Holy Week, another reason comes to my mind why this blessing has great significance for us. When Jesus died on the cross, his arms were spread out. His precious life was sacrificed to us as a blessing, an eternal blessing resting on the world. Jesus asked the Father to forgive us in all our sinfulness, then he died to live.
After his resurrection and shortly before his ascension, Jesus gave another blessing:
He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. And it happened that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. (Lk. 24,50-52).
In essence, Jesus was saying to his disciples both then and now: “I myself will bless you and sustain you, I will cause my face to shine on you, and I will be gracious to you; I lift up my face upon you and give you peace.”
May we continue to live under the blessing of our Lord and Redeemer, whatever uncertainties we encounter.
With a faithful look to Jesus, I greet you,
Joseph Tkach
President GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL
