Because I am a bonehead, I put the wrong Bible passage in the midweek sermon I posted last week, which should also have been Numbers 6:22-27. But you probably already knew that...
Aaron’s Benediction for The Second Wednesday in Advent God’s Face At the end of every service of Holy Communion, God’s people have God’s Words laid upon them. As you heard from tonight’s Old Testament, God’s Words have been laid upon God’s people since the days of the Exodus, as they wandered in the wilderness of Sinai. Since those days, and continuing to this day, the people of God receive God’s name, laid upon them like a coat or a blanket: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. In tonight’s Gospel, the father of John the Baptist gives us help with the second part of this benediction, which speaks about the face of God. Zechariah sang concerning John, his infant son, “You will go before the Lord to prepare His ways.” The King James Version says it better and more beautifully, “Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord.” Before whom did John go? Jesus. Who is “the face of the Lord” whom John preceded? Jesus. In tonight’s Old Testament, while the people were still awaiting their entry into the Promised Land, God was focusing their attention upon the Advent of His Son. Equally their Messiah and your Christ, Jesus is “the face of the Lord.” Our common English translations of Aaron’s Benediction make it hard to hear how God repeats Himself. This is more literally what God tells Aaron and his sons to say: The LORD makes His face to shine upon you, that is to say, He is gracious toward you; The LORD makes His face to shine upon you, that is to say, He gives you peace. Throughout His Scriptures, God makes it clear that His face indicates His love and mercy, His compassion and grace—everything that Jesus is. • When David sought relief from his distress, he prayed, “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O LORD!” (Psalm 4:6). The same David also declared, “The LORD is righteous; the upright shall behold His face” (Psalm 11:7). • In the New Testament, Peter quoted Psalm 34 in the same manner with regard to God’s facial features: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12). • The same Psalm warns us that judgment and wrath result when God hides His face: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (Psalm 34:12-16, cf. Psalm 143:7, Ezekiel 15:7, 39:29, Micah 3:4) Who gets consumed and destroyed eternally? The one from whom God has turned and hidden His face. Who receives forgiveness and grace and every blessing? The one upon whom God shines His face. Who is God’s face? John the Baptist’s father says that Jesus is God’s face. Jesus. John the Baptist went “into the wilderness” (Numbers 1:1, Luke 3:2) before Jesus, and Zechariah was said of John, “Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord.” God commanded Aaron and his sons to declare that the face of God not only shines upon you, but the face of God also delivers to you the blessings of forgiveness and peace: The LORD makes His face to shine upon you, that is to say, He is gracious toward you; The LORD makes His face to shine upon you, that is to say, He gives you peace. When these Words are spoken over you at the end of every Communion, you receive yet again the shining face of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s grace (John 1:14). Jesus is the source of God’s forgiveness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus is the very shape of God’s face, the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Again, when Aaron’s Words are spoken over you, you get the indescribable miracle (Philippians 4:7) of God’s living peace (Colossians 3:15). Zechariah sang it well concerning your Lord Jesus: Because of the tender mercy of our God, the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79). When Aaron’s Words are spoken over you, you get Jesus: condescending again to be with you; extending His arm to guard and keep you always; shining the eternal face of God upon you so that you will never be separated from His grace and His peace. _______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list [email protected] http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
