Title: Jesus' Blessing Prayer
Contents
Bible: Luke 24:50-53 Sermon: Jesus' Blessing Prayer
Today's text is that when Jesus said farewell to his disciples, he led them to Bethany, raised his hands and prayed for us (the laying on of hands), and left us and ascended to heaven. The laying on of hands and blessing prayers are the last prayers to be prayed. Before Jacob died, he prayed for his 12 sons. Moses laid his hands on Joshua so that he could carry out his duties.
The Antioch Church established Paul and Barnabas as missionaries, placed their hands on them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, and sent them to the mission field.
Jesus healed children (Matthew 19:13,15), the sick, the deaf, the deaf and the blind (Mark 6:5, 7:32, 8:23). For 18 years, he laid his hands on a woman who had been possessed by a demon and could not open her hands, and gave glory to God (Luke 13:13).
1. Jesus Takes His Disciples Out
When Jesus took his disciples out of Jerusalem, it is reminiscent of the Exodus incident where Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. Jerusalem is the place where the Messiah was crucified. If the disciples are bound to the Jewish religion in Jerusalem, the promises of Christ will not come true. He went out to the front of Bethany near the Mount of Olives, where he would ascend to heaven. It is close to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed all night with his disciples. When Jesus wanted to show his disciples important lessons and important events, he took them where no one was disturbed.
He spoke the counsel of the Comforter in the Upper Room, the glory of the Mount of Transfiguration, the Garden of Prayer in Gethsemane, Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi, and the parable of the kingdom of heaven, and went into the house and interpreted it. Before ascending to heaven, he took him out to Bethany, said the Great Command, and prayed a blessing.
When God made a promise to Abraham, he made the promise by taking him out and looking at the sky (Genesis 15:5).
Those who will receive blessings from heaven must follow Jesus Christ out of the gates. I have to ask where Jesus is going to take me. He took them out to Bethany to give the disciples a vision not in Galilee and Jerusalem, but in Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth.
2. He lifted up his hands and blessed us.
The hand of Jesus Christ crucified is the hand of blessing. A hand that truly loves and forgives us. The raised hands of Jesus Christ are the blessing prayer and the laying on of hands that he prayed to make heavenly power and blessings flow down to the disciples.
Numbers 6:22-27 is the priest's blessing prayer. The Lord promised the priests that if I would bless the children of Israel in my name, I would bless them. He raised the holy hand of Jesus and blessed the disciples so that they could receive power from heaven so that they could carry out the ministry of Jesus' witnesses.
3. He left them and took them up to heaven.
Jesus left his disciples on the earth and ascended to heaven. Ultimately, the focus of Jesus' ministry was the ministry of discipleship. The disciples carried out the rest of Jesus' ministry. The Lord ascended to heaven to bless with both hands raised, and when we pray with our hands raised high toward the Lord's presence, power, blessings and grace come down from heaven. The ascended Jesus is now the object of worship. The more we receive the blessings of heaven, the more joyful we become in praise and worship, and the more our worship comes to life, the more we carry out the work of Jesus Christ.