“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.”
Luke 24:50-51
Christ blesses those who believe in Him.
After His resurrection, Jesus did not immediately return to His Father. He stayed with His disciples for some time to:
- reassure them—He was alive, He had conquered death;
- show them that He had been given a new body, no longer subject to earthly laws;
- prove to them that His feelings for them had not changed—His love, mercy, and concern were still the same;
- deepen their knowledge;
- entrust them with a specific mission.
Jesus wanted His disciples to witness His ascension:
- so that they would know where He was going — He was leaving them to join His Father’s glory. The cloud mentioned in Acts 1:9 symbolizes God’s presence. This was already the case on Mount Sinai, during the desert crossing, at the inauguration of Solomon’s temple and the transfiguration of Jesus Christ;
- to make them understand that salvation was not only freedom from suffering and death but
more importantly, fellowship with God in His kingdom; - to show them that the Lord they knew would now be at the right hand of the Father;
- to prove to them that the return to the Father of which He spoke was not a mere figure of speech, but a reality. In the same way, the Lord’s return to take His own is not an image, but a very real event (Acts 1:11);
- He left blessing them — He promised to give them everything they would need to fulfill their mission and prepare for His return. Jesus Christ is God, He does everything He says.
From heaven, Jesus Christ continues to bless His people. The blessing He bestows on them is primarily spiritual (Eph 1:3). Everything that strengthens our relationship with Christ is a blessing.
Spiritual blessing is found in our election, the forgiveness of sins, our rebirth out of water and Spirit, Holy Communion, and fellowship of the faithful (CNAC 4.6.3). Blessing does not necessarily mean earthly well-being. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that we can be blessed while being poor, afflicted or persecuted. The blessed person is recognized by their inner peace, confidence—they know they are loved by God, and their self-control—they are determined to follow Christ no matter what.
Money, health and earthly happiness are not necessarily a blessing. They only become a blessing if they strengthen our bond with Christ. For example, if they increase our thankfulness and resolve to use our goods and strength to serve God and our neighbor.
Conversely, an affliction can become a blessing if it helps bring us closer to God.
Our blessing comes from Christ. During His time on earth, Jesus Christ blessed the children (Mk 10:13-16) and the disciples who believed in and followed Him. Today He blesses those who:
- stand before Him as children—they know that they have no merit and that they owe everything to grace;
- truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for them, He rose from the dead, and that He will truly return;
- keep His word, by loving God and their neighbour (Jn 14:23).
Jesus Christ is with the Father and blesses us. Blessing strengthens our relationship with Christ. We recognize those who are blessed by their peace and inner strength. God blesses our humility, faith and love.