It Is Finished - Part 13

Can a man lay his hands on another man and bless that man as was done in the Hebrew scriptures? It seems that Christ's finished work includes a wrapping up of blessings and the power to bless into Christ.

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff... And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." Hebrews 11:20-21, 39-40 NKJV

Can a father or mother bless their children. Yes. If a father says to his son, 'I am proud of you. You will be a fine strong man someday.' that is a blessing. Not a blessing like the Hebrew scriptures speaks of but a blessing for sure. Fathers have that power.

Jacob however put his hands on each of Joseph's son and said words that had spiritual power. They had that power because of Christ and what Christ would soon do.

"For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." Hebrews 6:7-8 ESV

"God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." Acts 3:26 ESV

God sent Christ to rain grace upon you and water the Gospel of Grace like rain waters a seed. Is there ground that receives that seed? Is so it grows and the blessing that is in Christ is manifested.

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark 10:15-16 KJV

Oh yes He did! He still does every day. He has that power. Our words and our hands bring people to Him and He swoops them up into His arms. He puts His hands on their heads. He blesses them.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" Ephesians 1:3 KJV

God has blessed us. He has blessed us in Christ.

Here are two great sets of verses:

"but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?" James 3:8-11 ESV

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:21-24 ESV

I used to think the verse in James meant that blessing was the right thing and cursing was the wrong thing. I should bless instead. Likewise I used to think the verse in Romans talked about being good and the hindrances that we have that need to be overcome.

One uses words and the other actions. If I try to bless I fail. If I try to be good I fail. That whole system needs to be junked. A finished work economy wraps it all up in Jesus. My words and actions must all point to Him and be sourced in Him. Everything else is corrupt communication.

Jesus sent His disciples and we are sent ones also.

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'

I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town." Luke 10:1-12 ESV

It is finished. All blessing sits at the right hand of the father. The power to send is the power to bless. The power to speak about grace that brings a blessing is our power. We don't need to be blessed. If we have received the message and the messenger then we are blessed.