Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: benediction

  • Protect Them from the Evil One

    Protect Them from the Evil One

    Keep Them

    I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

    John 17:15 CSB

    JESUS prays fervently in an upper room in Jerusalem. He intercedes for disciples of every era, not for everyone but only for those the Father has given to Him for eternal life. Protect them.

    Are you one of these?

    For I have kept H8104 the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

    A Psalm of David 18:21 KJV

    The Lord confirms the praises and prophecy of scripture interceding as priest for His own.

    a Benediction

    “… You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

    John 17:6b CSB – the prayer of Jesus

    This last formal prayer of Jesus feels like a benediction – a good-bye to His disciples ‘until we meet again.’

    Jesus prays, “They have kept Thy word [KJV].”

    He is leaving them unguarded in the flesh and asks our Father God, ‘please accept them into Your keeping and protect them.” Our sinless High Priest confirms to the Father that these are worthy of eternal life!

    Benediction:

    ben-e-dik’-shun: From the earliest times the records bear testimony that pronouncing the benediction or giving the blessing was a common practice. In the temple service, this duty was assigned to the Aaronites and was made an impressive part of the service. The form of the benediction used is given in Numbers 6:22-27. source: BlueLetterBible

    יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ ס

    יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ ס

    יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלֹֽום׃ ס

    Numbers 6:24-26 Masoretic text – Command of the LORD to Moses for the benediction of the priests.

    How encouraging to know that the Lord will bless us, and keep us, to make His face to shine upon us, and give us peace.

    You, beloved believer, have likely heard priestly benedictions with some frequency. Jesus, no doubt, must certainly have blessed the multitudes many times as they returned to their homes from His preaching.

    After Christ’s resurrection and ascension the Apostles boldly preached the Gospel from town to town. They too would bless the church, often distant from their presence but near in their prayers:

    • The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. – benediction of Paul’s letter 2 Corinthians 13:14
    • You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. – benediction of Peter’s letter 2 Peter 3:17-18
    • Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – benediction of leter of Jude 24:24-25

    John 17:

    Jesus, now departing from His Disciples to His suffering prior to the Cross, prays for the earthly flock; these His beloved friends and soon-to-be anointed shepherds of His flocks and keepers of the New Covenant.

    11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, ..”

    Our Lord and priestly intercessor now prays:

    “… protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

    12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me.

    I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction…”

    He refers to Judas Iscariot, of course; who not only is absent from this worship before the Father, but who will very soon betray His Master and Lord Jesus to the evil rulers of this world.

    And Jesus continues by pointing to the purpose of His Sacrifice,

    “… so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.”

    Fulfillment of Scripture, a turning point between Covenants

    Genesis 3 excerpt:

    • Now the serpent … said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” – 3:1
      • The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! – v.4
      • For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” -v.5
    • The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this Cursed are you more than all… v.6
      • … And between your seed [offspring of the serpent]
      • and her seed [sons of adam]
      • He shall bruise you on the head,
      • And you shall bruise him on the heel.” – v.15

    By the sweat of your face
    You will eat bread,
    Till you return to the ground,
    Because from it you were taken;
    For you are dust,
    And to dust you shall return.”

    Genesis 3:19 NASB

    YES, Jesus the Son of Man will die and so will you and I.

    Yet why would our King and High Priest Redeemer pray that He will suffer for us?

    Romans 5: NASB

    • Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— v.5
    • For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. v.19
    • ..as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. –v.21

    The Enemy

    From before Jesus was born as a son of man, He turned back all opposition of man’s great enemy the serpent Satan, the spirit of evil opposing all righteousness.

    • The evil one could not kill the child born of the virgin in Bethlehem by the hand of Herod.
    • Satan could not tempt Jesus in the wilderness or from a vantage point above the whole world.
    • The great deceiver could not manage through corrupted Jewish leaders of false faith to push Jesus off a cliff.
    • The serpent and ruler of this world was about to have his day by the hand of Judas, the betrayer not present as Jesus prays to the Father.

    Yet by His Sacrifice for sin Jesus will crush the head of the evil one.

    John 17:

    King James Version - an appropriate kingly honor and 
glory of Jesus, our High Priest 
as He stands before the LORD our Father
praying for us.

    Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

    As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

    I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

    While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

    I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

    They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

    Believer, do you hear Jesus as He prays?

    Though we were not in the room where Jesus became the servant washing our feet as He did for the Disciples, the perfect High Priest now prays for not only the eleven, but for those the Father has given to Him from every era until these last days are completed.

    Are you one of these?

    For if you have by God’s grace come to the Lord Jesus you, like Him, are no longer of the world.

    Yet because the evil one opposes Christ Jesus, you have chosen Him over the world and Satan will seek your soul if you fall away.

    Jesus will continue praying for us as our High Priest before the Father. The Lord has yet more encouragement to keep you in the days ahead.

    To be continued...

  • Hebrews – Benediction

    What is a benediction? Where did it originate and why is it the most appropriate closing to this or any letter?

    Perhaps you have heard a benediction or two, in Latin or another language, words sung closing a worship service.

    “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”

    Numbers 6:22 NASB

    Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel
     Canticle of Zechariah
     Benedictus also known as the Canticle of Zechariah, is one of the hymns for Maundy Thursday in Holy Week. It was sung by the Jewish priest Zechariah, father of St. John the Baptist, in thanks for the son bestowed upon him by God. source:
    Audio Player
    Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel:

    Definition: Benediction

    From the earliest times the records bear testimony that pronouncing the benediction or giving the blessing was a common practice. In the temple service, this duty was assigned to the Aaronites and was made an impressive part of the service. The form of the benediction used is given in Nu 6:22-27. References to this practice may be found in Le 9:22; De 10:8; 2Ch 30:27. After a time, minute directions were given concerning it and careful preparation was made for this part of the service. source: International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

    The Priestly Blessing

    “The Lord bless you and keep you;
    The Lord make His face shine upon you,
    And be gracious to you;
    The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
    And give you peace.” ’

    The blessing of worship given by the one who stands between the congregation and the Lord. Go in peace.

    Although an appropriate closing for a letter to be read to the congregation of a church, not all letters to the churches ended with such a benediction.

    Other Closings of Letters to the Church

    I have linked some benedictions of Paul above. Some letters such as James offer no benediction, while others close briefly.

    Peace to all of you who are in Christ. – First Letter of Peter 4:14B

    Some combine it with a closing caution and others offer just the exhortation.

    Little children, guard yourselves from idols. – 1 John 5:21

    While his last letter, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John closes:

    Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν Ἀμήν

    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

    Hebrews

    Before we conclude Hebrews 13 which begins, ‘Let love of the brethren continue’ and ends with a benediction, let’s take a brief look at the focus of the author’s letter.

    האגרת אל-העברים 1 Habrit Hakhadasha/Haderekh (HHH)
    א לפני שנים רבות דיבר אלוהים אל אבותינו באמצעות הנביאים בדרכים שונות, וסיפר להם, שלב אחרי שלב, על תוכניותיו.
     2 אך עתה, באחרית הימים, דיבר אלינו אלוהים באמצעות בנו, אשר בידו הפקיד את הכול ועל-ידו ברא את העולם ואת כל אשר בו.

    God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

    Hebrews 1:1-2 NASB

    The author of Hebrews’ point of scripture: God speaks to us in various ways. And now the Son, Jesus, heir and creator of the world, has spoken.

    3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

    Hebrews 1:3 CSB

    Jesus, the Son IS exactly, God’s own glory! Quite a statement. Because we are human, the Father became human in the flesh of the Son.

    3: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

    Note that the Apostle is ‘one sent with orders’ and so was the Son to us. The writer refers to us as holy partakers of the heavenly calling. For this same calling Christ Jesus is our High Priest.

    8:6 Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.

    But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

    Hebrews 9:11 NKJV

    15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant… Jesus secured a promised eternal inheritance, because of His Perfect Sacrifice for our sins.

    10:19 Therefore … enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh..

    Persecuted believers in Rome and beyond

    The persecution of Christians in Rome had likely already begun and these Hebrews likely faced severe social suffering, starvation, banishment and even death. So the writer of Hebrews encourages these prior to his closing.

    Endure the race of faith and persecution for His sake. Continue to love each other and continually praise God.

    17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.

    Pray also for me. This familiar theme of connection between leaders of the church separated from those they love. The author suggests that their prayer could lead him to be returned to them sooner. (Perhaps he is imprisoned or hiding elsewhere due to cautious fear for his life.)

    Benediction of the letter of Hebrews

    Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

    Hebrews 13:20-21 CSB

    God IS a God of peace, even when peace seems nowhere near.

    Jesus, Shepherd of the church, was brought up from the dead; therefore we honor Him as Lord. Do His will. All glory to Christ Jesus! Amen.

    This lesser shepherd of the church then encourages them with some additional timely good news of others they know. The author then closes:

    13:25 ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν

    Grace be with you all.

    Philippine Madrigal Singers

    For by His Blood we have grace and peace.