Title: Threefold Blessings in Jesus
Contents
Threefold blessing in Jesus (Acts 3:22-26)
Today's text is the last part of Peter's sermon and testifies that we will receive the true blessing that God has promised through Jesus Christ. Jesus' becoming the Christ was fulfilled according to the prophecy of Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). It was Jesus who prophesied that Moses would raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren. Also, it is Jesus who was prophesied through the prophets from the time of Samuel. Therefore, we must believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One) who came in the capacity of prophet, king, and priest. This Jesus Christ was sent by God into this world, and Jesus is the source of blessing expressed as a servant (child). People can turn away from their wickedness and receive blessings by believing in Jesus. So what is the meaning of a prophet like Moses? Why did God send Jesus as a servant? And what blessings are given to those who believe in Jesus Christ?
1. A prophet like Moses
Through Moses, God testified that the people of Israel were rescued from Egypt. And it was prophesied that such a prophet would be raised, and it is Jesus Christ who came in the fulfillment of this prophecy. This is what Moses worked as a shadow and a model of the Old Testament of Jesus. The expression that Jesus is a prophet like Moses is God's intention to realize God's will through Jesus' prophetic work. If Moses is the savior of Israel, then Jesus Christ is the savior of all mankind. If Moses was the mediator of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Testament. If Moses was the founder of Judaism, Jesus Christ was the founder of Christianity. Just as the Age of Law in the Old Testament accomplished God's work through Moses, the Age of Gospel in the New Testament showed God's salvation and blessings of glory through Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 17). Therefore, believing in Jesus Christ, which was testified through Moses, is the way to receive God's promised blessings.
2. Why Jesus Was Sent as a Servant
The reason God first sent Jesus Christ into this world is to give the blessings promised through Abraham to all people (Genesis 12: 2-3; 22:18-19). Jesus is the original person in the image of God. And he is the seed (offspring) of Abraham's covenant (Galatians 3:16). However, he humbly came into this world in the form of a man, that is, a servant, to accomplish God's will (Philippians 2:6-8). And through the death of the cross, which is the mission of a servant, He took on all the curses of the law, and finally made the blessing of Abraham spread to all people and made them receive the promise of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14) In this way, God sent Jesus as a servant so that all humans might repent of their wickedness, confess Jesus as the Christ, and receive the blessing promised to Abraham through faith. Therefore, the expression of Jesus as a servant is to give the blessing of eternal life to mankind through his toil for mankind, devotion to spread the gospel of the kingdom, and bear the mission of the cross (1 John 2:25).
3. The Threefold Blessing of Jesus Christ
God's blessings to those who believe are the blessings of the ministry of Jesus Christ. First, Jesus received and worked as a prophet according to the testimony of prophets like Moses. Therefore, if you listen to the words of the prophet, you will be blessed, and if you do not listen, you will be destroyed. Second, Jesus Christ is the official of the king. Those who believe in Jesus Christ receive him as the King of their souls and receive his eternal reign. Therefore, the blessing of those who have Jesus Christ as their king will receive the blessing of protection, guidance, and peace both physically and mentally. Third, Jesus Christ is the office bearer of the priesthood. To restore communion with God and to be blessed by improving relationships with neighbors. This means blessing through intercessory missions. All these promised blessings of God are blessings given by grace through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:32). Therefore, the blessing of eternal life that God has promised in Jesus Christ is grace that preserves the spirit, soul, and body completely (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and it is a blessing that flows to believers all over the world just as a river flows through service and sharing.