Of christ's blessing his people as
a priest
John Gill
Thirdly, I proceed in this chapter
to consider another part of Christ's priestly office; which lies in blessing
his people; for this was what belonged to the priests. Aaron and his sons were
appointed to bless the people of Israel in the name of the Lord; and had a form of blessing prescribed them; which they were to
use, and did use on that occasion, #De 21:5 Nu 6:23-26. Indeed, the blessing of
the priests was only prayerwise; they could not confer a blessing, only prayed
for one; yet when they did, the Lord promised to give one, #Nu 6:27 and some
think Christ's blessing his people is only a species or branch of his
intercession; though Christ does not only intercede for
blessings for his people, but he actually confers them; and whether this is to
be considered as a branch of Christ's intercession; which is made, not in a
supplicant, but in an authoritative manner, as has been shown; or whether as a
distinct part of Christ's priestly office; I shall treat of it particularly and
separately, and much in the same method as the other parts have been treated
of; by showing,
1. That Christ was to bless
his people; this was promised and prophesied concerning him, and was prefigured
in types of him.
1a. First, It was promised to
Abraham, that in his "seed all the nations of the earth should
be blessed", #Ge 22:1-24 28:1-22 and which was renewed to Isaac, #Ge 26:4
and also again to Jacob, #Ge 28:14 and which contains the sum of the gospel
preached unto Abraham; for by "seed" is meant, not his numerous
natural seed, descending from him by ordinary generation, in successive periods
of time; but his single, special, and principal seed, the Messiah, who was to
spring from him, #Ga 3:8,16 and by "all nations"
are meant some of all nations, the chosen vessels, who consist both of Jews and
Gentiles, the redeemed of the Lamb, who are by him redeemed out of every
kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and are effectually called, by the Spirit
and grace of God, out of the world, and the nations of it, in each of the
periods of time, and so are all blessed, both in time and to eternity; and on this account Christ is truly called, "the desire of all
nations", #Hag 2:7 whose coming as an High Priest with good things being
promised, might be expected and desired by them; and those may be said not only
to be blessed in him as their representative, as they are, both in eternity and
in time, #Eph 1:3,4 2:5,6 and not only "through" him, all the
blessings of goodness being put into his hands for them; and
so they come to them, through his hands, and through the efficacy of his blood,
as redemption, pardon, grace, and eternal life, #Eph 1:7 #Ac 13:38 Tit 3:6 Ro
6:23 but they are blessed by him as it is his own act and deed; and so the
apostle interprets and explains the phrase; "In thy seed shall all the
kindreds of the earth be blessed; unto you first, God having raised up his Son
Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of
you from his iniquities", #Ac 3:25,26.
1b. Secondly, Christ's
blessing his people was prefigured in Melchizedek, the type of him, and of
whose order he was. This illustrious person met Abraham returning from the
slaughter of the kings, "and blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abraham of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth", #Ge
14:19 that is, May Abraham be blessed of God with both temporal and spiritual
blessings, which he who is Lord of both worlds is able to bestow upon him: and
on this benediction the apostle observes that Melchizedek, who "received
tithes from Abraham, blessed him who had the promises"; not only of a Son
to be his heir, and of the land of Canaan for his seed, but
of the Messiah, and of the heavenly inheritance; from whence he infers the
greatness, the excellency, and the superiority of Melchizedek, as a type of
Christ, #Heb 7:6,7. The priests under the law, one part of whose work and
office it was to bless the people, and who did bless them, were types and
figures of Christ in that action, and foreshowed what he was to do when he
came, #Le 9:22 Ps 118:26.
2. Christ has blessed his
people, does bless them, and will continue to bless them: he blessed them under
the Old Testament; he appeared in an human form to Jacob, and wrestled with
him; nor would Jacob let him go except he blessed him; and he had power with
him, and prevailed, and got the blessing; as appears by the name of Israel he gave him; and having such an experience of his
ability to bless, he addressed him for a blessing on his grandchildren, saying,
"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads"; meaning
Christ the uncreated Angel, the Angel of God's presence, the Angel of the
covenant, who had protected him from all evil throughout his life, and
particularly from the evil he feared from his brother Esau;
when he appeared to him, and for him, and blessed him, as before observed, #Ge
32:24-29 48:16 and as Christ came in the fulness of time, an High Priest of
good things; he blesses his people with them, of which his blessing his
disciples is a specimen; and which was done by him after he had offered himself
a sacrifice, and was risen from the dead, and before his ascension to heaven;
"he lift up his hands and blessed them: and it came to
pass while he blessed them he was parted from them", #Lu 24:50,51.
2a. First, Observe the
qualifications of Christ to bless his people, his fitness, ability, and
sufficiency for such a work.
2a1. As he is
God, or a divine person, he must be able to bless;
God is
blessed; this is an epithet of his; blessedness is a
perfection of
Deity; it is a principal one; yea, all his
perfections
are comprehended in it, and serve to complete
it;
and hence he is the fountain of all blessedness to his
creatures.
Now Christ is "over all, God blessed for ever",
#Ro 9:5 all
the fulness of the Godhead is in him; all that
the Father
hath are his, he is the Lord God omnipotent, "and
able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think",
#Eph 3:20 he is EI-Shaddai, God all sufficient; as
such he is
the Creator of all things; nothing is made
without him,
but all by him and for him; and he has all the
blessings of
nature in his hands to dispose of; the earth is
his, and the
fulness thereof; and he can give it to whom and
when
he pleases: as such he is the God of providence; and as
such jointly
works in providence with his divine Father; and
has all providential
goodness to bless men with: as such he
is the God of
all grace, the God of his people, their sun
and shield,
who gives grace and glory; and his grace is
sufficient
for them; every good and perfect gift of grace
comes from
him; and grace and peace are equally prayed and
wished for
from him as from the Father; as in all the
epistles.
2a2.
Christ, as Mediator, has a fitness, ability, and sufficiency
to bless his
people; as such, God has "made him most blessed
for
evermore", and "prevented him with the blessings of
goodness",
#Ps 21:3,6 by laying up in him the blessings of
the covenant
of grace, to communicate to his people; by
first
giving all the blessings of grace to him, and then to
them in him.
As God, he has a natural claim and right to all
blessedness;
he has it to the full, infinitely, in right of
nature; it is
independent of, and underived from another:
but as
Mediator, he is made blessed by the will and pleasure
of
his Father; the blessings of grace and goodness are given
unto him; it
is his Father's good pleasure, that all the
fulness of
grace should dwell in him; out of which, his
people, in
all ages, receive grace for grace; and all their
spiritual
wants are supplied from thence; nor can they want
any
good thing; his grace is sufficient for them, and he has
enough to
dispense unto them. Besides, as Mediator, he has
obtained all
blessings for them, in a way consistent with
all the
perfections of God, to bestow them on them. Who can
doubt of his
abilities to bless his people with deliverance
from
sin, Satan, the law, its curses and condemnation, and
from ruin and
destruction; since he has obtained eternal
redemption
for them? or with a justifying righteousness;
since, as he
came to bring in everlasting righteousness, he
is become the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that
believes? or with spiritual peace, he has promised to
give, since
he has made peace by the blood of his cross? or
with
salvation, and all things appertaining to it; since he
is become the
author of eternal salvation, and is able to
save to the
uttermost all that come unto God by him?
2b. Secondly, The persons who
are blessed by Christ: though "all nations" of the earth are said to
be blessed in him, and by him; yet not every individual of all nations; for at
the same time that this was promised to Abraham, God declared that he would
curse them that cursed him; and so all such that curse his people, and blaspheme his name; yea, there are some whose very blessings
are cursed, as well as their persons; and, indeed, all that are of the works of
the law, or seek for justification by them, are cursed, "that continue not
in all things written in the book of the law to do them", #Ga 3:10 which
no man does; and therefore is cursed by that very law by which he seeks for
justification. To which may be added, that all graceless
and Christless sinners, instead of being blessed by Christ, will, at the last
day, be bid to depart from him, saying, "Depart from me, ye cursed",
#Mt 25:41. But,
2b1. All that
are blessed of the Father are blessed by Christ;
God,
as the God and Father of Christ, blessed his people
with all
spiritual blessings in him; and those that are
blessed in
him are blessed by him; the same the Father
blesses, the
Son does also; to whom he will say at the great
day,
"Come, ye blessed of my Father", #Eph 1:3 Mt 25:34.
2b2. All that
are chosen of God in Christ are blessed by him; for
they are
blessed with all spiritual blessings according as
they are
chosen in him; their election of God is the
standard,
rule, and measure of all after blessings; that
stands
at the front of them and secures all the rest; "whom
he did
predestinate, them he also called", &c. #Ro 8:30. The
elect of God are
the objects of all the blessings of grace
which arise
from Christ's death, resurrection, session at
the right
hand of God, and his intercession there; or
otherwise
there would be no strength nor force in the
triumphant
challenge of the apostle, #Ro 8:33,34.
2b3. All that
are given to Christ by the Father are blessed by
him; for
these he prays for blessings, on these he bestows
them;
he manifests the name of God unto them, his favour and
grace, and
the blessings of it; his gospel, and the
privileges
belonging to it; he confers grace on them, keeps
them by his
power, and gives unto them eternal life,
#Joh
17:2,6,8,9,11,12,24.
2b4. All the
covenant ones are blessed by Christ; all that are in
covenant have
a right to the blessings of it, and they are
blessed with
it; God is their covenant God, and happy are
they whose
God he is; God, even their own God, will bless
them.
The covenant of grace is ordered in all things and
sure; and
Christ, the mediator of it, in whose hands they
are, gives them
the sure mercies of David.
2b5. All the
spiritual Israel of God, the whole Israel of God,
consisting
both of Jews and Gentiles, are blessed by Christ;
what is said
of literal Israel, "Happy art thou, O Israel,
---O people
saved by the Lord", #De 33:29 is true of mystic
Israel, or
the elect of God among all nations; that Israel
whom God has
chosen, and Christ has redeemed and called by
name;
these are the seed of Israel that are justified in
Christ, and
saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation,
#Ps 135:4 Isa
43:1 45:17,25.
2c. Thirdly, The blessings
Christ blesses his people with, some of which are as follow.
2c1. With a
justifying righteousness; this is a great blessing:
David
describes "The blessedness of the man to whom God
imputeth
righteousness without works", #Ro 4:6 and that is
the
righteousness of Christ; and this Christ has not only
wrought out,
and brought in, but he brings it near to his
people; he
puts it upon them, he clothes and covers them
with it; so
that they are justified from all their sins, and
secured from
condemnation and death, and are saved from
wrath
to come; their persons and services are acceptable
unto God; and
it is well with them at all times, in life, in
death, and at
the last judgment.
2c2. With the
pardon of their sins, which is another great
blessing;
"Blessed is the man whose transgression is
forgiven",
#Ps 32:1 and Christ has not only shed his blood
to obtain
remission of sins for his people, but through the
ministry of
his gospel, and by his Spirit and grace he
applies it to
them, #Mt 9:2 and which fills their hearts
2c3. Christ
blesses his people with the adoption of children;
they are not
only predestinated of God unto it by him, and
he has redeemed
them that they might receive it, but he
himself
bestows it on them; #Joh 1:12.
2c4. Those
are blessed by Christ with regeneration and conversion
by his Spirit
and grace through the ministration of his
gospel; this
is the instance mentioned by the apostle, of
Christ's
blessing his people, for whose sake he was raised
up, and to
whom sent, #Ac 3:26. His blessing them lay in
this, in
turning them from sin and self; and in turning them
to himself,
to his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, for
peace,
pardon, justification, and eternal salvation.
2c5. The same
persons are blessed by Christ with the Spirit,
which he has
received without measure; and with the graces
thereof in an
abundant manner, at first conversion, which
are richly
shed on them, through Christ, their Saviour; and
by
whom they are blessed with all after supplies of grace,
till he
brings them to glory.
2c6. The Lord
blesses his people with peace, #Ps 29:11 which flows
from his
peace speaking blood, his perfect righteousness, and
atoning
sacrifice; with peace which passeth all understanding;
and is what
the world can neither give nor take away.
2c7. He
blesses them with the gospel, the ordinances of it, and
the
privileges of his house. He favours them with the joyful
sound,
with the good news and glad tidings of his gospel: he
satisfies
them with the goodness and fatness of his house;
he gives them
a place, and a name in it, better than that of
sons and
daughters; he makes them fellow citizens with the
saints, and
makes them into the household of God, and
causes
them to partake of every blessing and privilege of
the children
of God.
2c8. And
lastly, Christ blesses his people with eternal life and
happiness; he
not only intercedes for them that they may be
with
him where he is, and behold his glory; and not only is
gone
beforehand, to prepare mansions of glory for them; but,
according to
his promise, will come and take them to
himself, and
introduce them into his kingdom and glory,
where they
shall be for ever with him.
2d. Fourthly,
The nature and excellencies of these blessings.
2d1. They are
covenant blessings; which are laid up and secured
in the
covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure;
and
which are very comprehensive, and include both grace and
glory.
2d2. They are
spiritual blessings, #Eph 1:3 such as are of a
spiritual
nature, relating to the spiritual welfare of men,
and
suited to spiritual men; and for the good of their souls
or spirits;
and are what the Spirit of God takes, shows, and
applies unto
them.
2d3. They are
solid and substantial ones; blessings indeed, such
as
Jabez prayed for; saying, "O that thou wouldst bless me
indeed!"
#1Ch 4:10. Earthly and temporal blessings, as
riches and honours,
are things that are not, non-entities,
comparatively
speaking, have no solidity and substance in
them; but the
blessings of Christ, both of grace and glory,
have
substance in them; faith is the "substance" of things
hoped for;
and heaven is a more "enduring substance"; which
wisdom, or
Christ, causes his people to inherit, #Heb 11:1
#Heb 10:34 Pr
8:21 23:5.
2d4.
They are irreversible blessings; the blessing with which
Isaac blessed
Jacob was confirmed by him with a resolution
not to alter
it: and the blessing Balaam was commanded to
bless Israel
with, was what he could not reverse, whatever
good will he
had to it: but the blessings of grace by
Christ,
are such as God never repents of, revokes, or
reverses;
these are "the gifts and calling of God" to grace
and glory,
which "are without repentance", #Ro 11:29.
2d5. These
blessings are eternal; whatever is done in this way of
Christ's
blessing his people "is for ever", #Ec 3:14.
Christ's
righteousness is an everlasting righteousness;
pardon of sin
ever remains; once a child of God, always so;
no more a
servant, but a son, an heir of God, and a joint
heir of
Christ; so every blessing of grace, with glory and
happiness,
in the world to come.