"Blessings" 12-8-24
Overview
What Do We Mean by "Blessing"?
We toss the phrase "God bless you" around so casually that we can lose sight of its weight. Scripture uses a form of the word "bless" more than 400 times, and it points in two directions. When we bless God, we are praising Him—"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name" Psalm 103:1. But when God blesses us, something else is happening: His power and His touch are coming to rest upon a person.
Two Meanings Drawn from Mary and Elizabeth
The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-45 reveals two distinct senses of blessing. When Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cries out, "Blessed are you among women," she is naming the first meaning—God's gracious touch and power upon Mary. Of all the women in all of history, Mary was chosen to carry the Messiah, becoming, in a sense, what the Ark of the Covenant had been: a vessel bearing the immediate presence of God. There are really two miracles here—the miracle of the conception, and the miracle that Mary believed. We only believe by the blessing of God.
When Elizabeth continues, "Blessed is the fruit of your womb," she names the second meaning—to be consecrated, set apart for use. This is the same sense Jesus uses when He blesses the bread at the Last Supper Matthew 26:26-28 and that Paul echoes in "the cup of blessing that we bless" 1 Corinthians 10:16. Jesus, the fruit of Mary's womb, was set apart for the work of the cross—sent, as 1 John 4:14 declares, "as the Savior of the world."
Why This Matters for Us
By nature we are sinful and unclean, and even one sin separates us from God for eternity. But Jesus—the only sinless child ever born—was set apart to bear our sin, absorbing the wrath and justice of God in our place. In Him, we have become a blessed people: forgiven, claimed in the waters of baptism, and showered with God's gracious touch every moment of every day.
Set Apart to Bless Others
The second meaning of blessing now reaches into our daily lives. We have been set apart to be vehicles through which God blesses others. Bonhoeffer rightly observed that with blessing comes responsibility. The world needs intentional blessers—Christians who walk into conversations and relationships asking, "How can I bless this person?" God uses us as instruments of His blessing when we offer an encouraging word, when we are simply present with someone in joy or sorrow, when we take genuine interest in others' lives, and above all when we share the gospel. So this week, by God's grace, consider how you might live out those familiar words—"God bless you"—not as a reflex, but as a calling.
Transcript
Would you open your Bible's please with me, too? 3s
The Gospel of Luke, the first chapter, for our study today, if you're using a pure edition 5s
of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament on page 49. 10s
Luke, the first chapter. 15s
If someone sneezes, what do we typically say to them? 18s
You say, God bless you, right? 22s
God bless you. 25s
You know, there was a day that people believed that if you would sneeze, and it'd 26s
be particularly a strong sneeze, that your soul could pop out. 32s
And so that's why they said, God bless you, because they didn't want Satan to snatch 38s
the soul after they had popped out of the body. 45s
So when someone would sneeze, they would quickly say, God bless you. 51s
God bless you. 55s
We don't have to worry about that. 57s
We don't have to worry about that. 59s
But what does God bless you? 62s
What does it mean? 68s
Does we certainly say that other times when a person sneezes, right? 71s
We say it, perhaps quite frequently. 77s
We hear it, perhaps quite frequently. 79s
What does that mean? 84s
God bless you. 87s
Well, let's look at the direction from us to God. 92s
God bless you is an expression of praise, isn't it? 97s
In particular, when we say, bless God, that's an expression of praise. 103s
For example, in Psalm 103, we read, bless the Lord, all my soul, and all that is within 110s
me, bless his holy name. 118s
So when we bless the Lord, that's an expression of praise to him. 122s
That's how we use that word, blessed. 127s
But what about in God's actions toward us? 132s
What does it mean when we say God bless you? 139s
And we're talking about the direction of God to us. 145s
That's where I want to focus today. 152s
And the story of two women, Mary and Elizabeth, it helps us understand. 155s
Book a new place, at verse 39 of our text. 165s
In those days, Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 170s
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 176s
Now your recall is we started the series last week about these two women, Mary and Elizabeth. 182s
It looked at first chapter, it talks about two pregnancies. 188s
Zechariah and Elizabeth, the scripture says they were advanced in years. 194s
It weren't as young as they used to be. 201s
And they hadn't been able to have a child. 204s
And so the angel comes to Zechariah and says that they're going to have a child. 206s
Zechariah responds, remember, with, with unbelief. 211s
When the angel comes to Mary tells her that she is going to have a child. 216s
Even though Mary was not married and hadn't had relations, Mary, Billy, she believed. 226s
Why? 236s
Because as we studied last week, she focused on the promise and not the problem. 236s
So we see here in verse 39 as Mary sets out here with, with haste and comes to Elizabeth 245s
to bring a greeting. 252s
We see the continuation now of this story. 254s
Verse 39. 259s
In those days, Mary set out, went with haste to a Judean town in the Hill Country, 261s
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 266s
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaked in her womb. 271s
Now the leaping of the child in the womb isn't perhaps that uncommon. 281s
Huh? 288s
Movement of the child, the kicking of the child. 289s
Here it's described as a leap here. 292s
How do we understand this leap? 297s
Look at chapter 1, verse 15, as the angel is speaking about John, the child of that Zechariah 300s
and Elizabeth are going to have. 308s
In the very last part of verse 15, it says of John, even before his birth, he will be filled 311s
with the holy spirit. 320s
When John leaps in Elizabeth's womb, that is a spirit, faith-born leap. 325s
What's unique about it is it is happening at the exact moment that Mary comes and 338s
greets Elizabeth. 347s
That then relates back to what we know about John, where it says, even before his birth, 350s
he will be filled with the holy spirit, faith-born leap. 357s
But please now, at the second part of verse 41, 365s
An Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, 370s
blessed are you, among women, 379s
blessed are you, among women. 385s
A form of the word bless is used, 391s
some 400 and 28 times in holy scripture. 397s
And one of the meanings of it is, 405s
God's touch, God's touch, God's power and his touch upon the lives of people. 410s
And so, when it says in Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit and exclaimed with a loud voice, 423s
blessed are you, among women. 429s
That's referring to God's power and God's touch upon Mary of all of the women in all of history. 434s
She was the one that God said would bear the Messiah. 445s
When I think back into the Old Testament, with the Ark of the Covenant, 452s
where's the portable vessel that contained the imminent presence of God? 457s
And now, Mary is a portable vessel containing the imminent presence of God. 467s
Verse 43, 479s
And why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me for a soon? 483s
Is I heard the sound of your greeting that child in my womb leaped for joy? 490s
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. 499s
Is that word again? 511s
See, there's really two miracles here. 513s
There's the miracle of the conception for Mary and the miracle that Mary believed. 519s
Because we only believe by the blessing of God, by the touch and power of God. 529s
And so indeed, the last is Mary. 541s
Of all the women in all of history, she has received the power and touch of God. 545s
And then the other miracle is the miracle of faith that she is the recipient of the power and the touch of God, all my. 551s
Bless them to receive the power, the touch of God. 564s
Is there another component? 576s
Is there another component? 577s
The blessed. 583s
Each and every Lord's day. 587s
Every Lord's day. 590s
We receive the sacrament of holy community. 593s
And just a little aside here for you when you play some Bible trivia. 599s
Ready? 604s
How many times with what frequency did the early Christians receive holy community? 605s
How often did they receive it? 616s
You know? 618s
They received that daily. 620s
Daily as they gathered together. 623s
As we gathered together then on the Lord's day, we receive the supper. 627s
Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew the 26th chapter. 636s
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and after blessing he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, 645s
Take eat this is my body. 653s
Then he took a cup and after giving thanks he gave it to them saying, 659s
Drink from it all of you. 663s
For this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 666s
Now those what Matthew under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is relating here when he says, 674s
While they were eating Jesus took a loaf of bread and after blessing. 681s
Blessing it. 686s
He broke it. 689s
Bless it. 691s
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10th chapter, he says, 693s
The cup of blessing that we bless. 697s
Is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? 702s
The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 707s
Hear the word again? 712s
The cup of blessing that we bless. 714s
Here's another meaning of bless. 718s
It means to be consecrated. 723s
It means to be set apart for use. 726s
So you've got blessed in the sense of the power of the touch of God. 733s
You also have blessed in the sense of being set apart for use. 736s
Let's go back to verse 42 now. 745s
Verse 42, 749s
Elizabeth's exclamation with a loud cry. 752s
Blessed are you among women. 756s
See that that's that first meaning of blessed. 760s
Right? The power of the touch of God. 762s
All of history, she's the one chosen here. 763s
Then she says, 767s
And blessed is the fruit of your womb. 770s
There's a second meaning. 777s
There's a second meaning. 779s
First, see me in the power of touch of God. 782s
The second to be set apart for use. 785s
The first use of blessing applies to Mary. 788s
The second use of blessing it applies to Jesus. 791s
Blessed is the fruit of your womb. 796s
That phrase, blessed is the fruit of your womb. 800s
It's a common phrase in the Old Testament. 803s
It appears one time, one time in the New Testament. 806s
And it's here. 815s
Jesus was set apart for the work that he was sent to do. 819s
That's why there's the phrase here. 829s
Blessed is the fruit of your womb. 832s
Who is the fruit of Mary's womb? 836s
Jesus. 838s
And Jesus was set apart for the work that he had come to do 840s
and what was the work that he had come to do. 845s
First John, the fourth chapter, it says, 849s
And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his son 853s
as the Savior of the world. 859s
The fruit of Mary's womb blessed because Jesus had been 867s
set aside for the work of the cross. 876s
Came across the story the other day of a woman that was jogging. 887s
She came across two neighbors that were in an argument. 893s
So she thought to herself, 900s
I'm going to live out blessed that are the peacemakers. 902s
And so she tried to bring peace here between these two neighbors 905s
that were arguing on the jogging trail. 910s
It didn't work. 916s
She tried. 917s
It didn't work. 919s
They just kept arguing. 920s
So she came to the point where she realized that this was fruitless. 921s
And so she just turned to them and said, 927s
Blessings, blessings beyond your day. 931s
Blessings beyond your day. 934s
One of the women stopped the argument at that moment. 938s
Look at her and said, 946s
I'm not a God person. 951s
I don't want blessing. 957s
Take it back. 964s
She certainly needed the blessing, though, of God. 971s
She needed that. 975s
We all need that. 981s
Particularly, she flee the blessing of the work of the one that was set apart to go to the cross. 985s
Because at the cross, the more Jesus Christ bore all of the sin, all of it. 1002s
But one sin, the Bible tells us, 1012s
separates us from God for all of eternity. 1015s
But one sin, then you get into the depth of our sin. 1018s
That by nature, we are sinful and clean. 1024s
In other words, we have the condition of sin. 1027s
From the moment of conception onward, 1032s
there is the condition of sin. 1036s
There is not a baby that is born, 1039s
sinless. 1043s
Save one. 1046s
Jesus. 1048s
You see, all of us by our sin are separated from God, 1052s
and God in His grace sends His Son the Savior of the world. 1057s
Jesus, for the work that He had been given to do, 1061s
the blessed one here. 1066s
In the womb of Mary comes forth and goes to the cross and bears all of this. 1070s
The sin that separates us from God from all of eternity. 1079s
He pays the debt, the wrath, and justice of God falls upon the Son, 1082s
and not us. 1087s
Because left to ourselves, left to ourselves, 1089s
we are lost, we're lost for all of eternity. 1094s
But Jesus had been set apart, the work, 1099s
to go to the cross and bear our sin. 1105s
The second member of the Trinity, God in the flesh. 1109s
And on the cross, he bears it all, 1115s
and the word of absolute is one for us. 1118s
And when Elizabeth exclaims, 1124s
blessed is the fruit of your womb. 1127s
Blessed and be it is He was set apart, set apart for the work. 1133s
Beloved, we are blessed people, aren't we? 1149s
We are blessed people, because we have received Jesus, 1154s
Jesus has come and born our sin on the cross. 1163s
He washes us in the promises of holy baptism, 1168s
the victory one to the cross and the empty two, 1173s
and we are washed in it. 1176s
We are blessed people. 1179s
For given and claimed by God, 1183s
for all of eternity, we are a blessed people. 1185s
We are a blessed people, because we are the recipients of God's power and gracious touch 1190s
in the innumerable blessings that He showers us with each and every day, 1196s
each and every moment. 1203s
We're a blessed people. 1205s
And we are a blessed people, because we have been set apart. 1209s
So that we might be a vehicle through which God blesses people. 1215s
How blessed are we? 1224s
Then we get to be vehicles through which God blesses other people, 1227s
beloved, the world needs intentional blessers. 1232s
The world needs it. 1238s
The world needs us to be those vehicles through which God blesses people, 1241s
and God uses us to bless people when we give the encouraging word 1251s
when we minister by our simple presence. 1259s
When we take the interest in the other and their joys and their sorrows, 1263s
when we walk with them in the difficult times and in the joyous times. 1268s
God uses us to be these intentional blessers. 1275s
We become simply these vehicles whereby God is blessing. 1279s
We become these vehicles of the blessing of God when we share the gospel, 1284s
the soly, the most glorious message that can ever be heard. 1289s
When we become these vehicles of blessing, 1294s
the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that with blessing, 1300s
common responsibility is right. 1304s
How blessed we are. 1310s
In the touch of God upon our lives and how blessed we are, 1312s
and that we have been set apart to be vehicles of his blessing, 1316s
that's responsibility isn't it? 1320s
Glorious responsibility. 1323s
Where we mindfully approach relationships and think to ourselves in conversations, 1327s
how can I bless you? 1334s
How can I bless you? 1337s
And the person they leave from that conversation, 1340s
and they may not be able to put two and two together yet, 1343s
but they might think to themselves, you know? 1346s
I always enjoy talking with them. 1348s
Why? Because they've been blessed. 1352s
See, that's intentional blessing. 1356s
That's being set apart. 1358s
That's the responsibility for being the vehicles through which God blesses other people. 1359s
When we say, how can I bless that person by serving them? 1366s
We intentionally, when we're talking with people, we say, 1371s
Lord, use me as a vehicle for your blessing, 1376s
because I thank you, 1385s
that you've set me apart. 1389s
You've blessed me by setting me apart for that task. 1393s
God bless you, 1406s
a power and touch of God, 1411s
and the setting apart of God for us to be vehicles. 1415s
how can we today, tomorrow, this week, 1428s
how can we today live out, 1438s
God bless you? 1448s
Thank you. 1459s