And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven. Luke 24:51
We had gone to visit an old friend who was lying on his deathbed in hospital. At the end of our visit, as we waved to him while backing out the door of his room, he raised his hand and smiled to us. That picture remains in my mind as the last time that I saw him alive, our final good-bye. We all have those pictures in our minds as we recall people who were special to us, as we recall the last time we saw them. But none of us will have such a memory as that of the disciples as they saw the Lord Jesus for the last time. They would remember it for the rest of their lives.
The previous verse tells us that the Lord had led His disciples out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. His departure into Heaven occurred as He was blessing them. This blessing was a special event, and reminds us of the manner in which Aaron, the first high priest, would bless the people as he would complete the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings (Leviticus 9:22). All of the children of Israel would be gathered for that great event, and they would rejoice when the offerings were made. Aaron’s lifting up of his hands signalled that those offerings were complete and were accepted by God. That is a lovely picture to us, as we consider the departure to Heaven of the Lord Jesus, that His last act – even as He rose into the air – was to remind us that the sacrifice is complete and is accepted by God.
Those hands that the Lord Jesus lifted up would be clearly marked by the nail wounds received at Calvary. This the disciples could clearly see as the Lord Jesus blessed them. In this, the Lord Jesus differs from Aaron and the other high priests who would have blessed the people. Those other high priests might have some blood on their hands from performing the sacrifices. But they would not have wounds in their hands. The Lord Jesus did. That is because He not only made one great sacrifice for sins forever (Hebrews 10:12), but He also was Himself that very sacrifice. Some of this the disciples understood as they stood on the mountainside and watched the final departure of their Lord. Their understanding would be deepened in the days and months ahead, as the Holy Spirit arrived to instruct them. And today, we review that scene, so thankful for the reminder by our Lord in His act of blessing that He is our High Priest and Sacrifice. – Jim MacIntosh