We have had the honor and opportunity to be able to teach occassionally for School of Revolution, the leadership class for our young adult ministry. We meet for an hour and a half before church on Sundays each week. This week, I taught on "the laying on of hands" and Tom taught on managing your finances. I really enjoyed studying and preparing for this lesson, and being able to use some of what I had previously studied (in college and for other teachings I have done) as well as getting further revelation on the subject.
One thing that I always love is studying the old and new covenant parallels and how the shadow/type/example of the old covenant is really, really cool simply just on it's own and then is extra cool because of the prelude to Christ. I remember the "aha" when I finally got the whole Jesus as sacrifice thing fully when studying old testament sacrifices under Carl Rasmussen in college. From there, the excitment has always been there when I get to study these parallels and see the complete connectedness of both covenants and the fulfillment and culmination in Jesus, not just a new chapter in God's story with man.
Anyways, in studying for this lesson, I focused a lot on the idea of tranference (of blessing, power, authority, ministry etc.) through the laying on of hands. There is the basic understanding of laying hands on someone for healing and we see Jesus, many times throughout the Gospels, laying hands on the sick and them recovering. In Mark 16:17-18 Jesus says "they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well," as one of the signs that will accompany those who believe. Jesus also says in John 14:12 that we will do even greater works then Him. Following that, we see Paul and the disciples laying hands on people and seeing them healed and read instruction on this in James 5:14-16.
There is a fairly popular story in Mark 5:24-34 of Jesus walking through a large crowd and a woman, who has suffered from 12 years of bleeding with no hope of recovery from natural medicine, thinks, "If i can just touch his cloak, I can be healed." And she manages to sneak her way in and touch it and is healed. Jesus, who is surrounded by many, many people, stops and says "who touched me?" because he felt power go out of him. This is a cool example of an extension of the laying on of hands and an example of the power that goes along with that, from the Spirit. Similarly, Paul was moving in such power of God, that not only did he lay hands on people and pray over them for their healing, but even garments he touched were brought to people and they were healed (Acts 19:11-12).
If we look back, we see that Elijah had some power in his prophet cloak, because the Spirit of the Lord rested upon him. He snuck up behind Elisah and threw the cloak on him in an act of appointing and anointing him as his prophetic successor (1 Kings 19:19). After a time of sitting under his mentorship, Elijah was about taken up to heaven in a whirlwind by chariots of fire (2 Kings 2:1-15. The two took a journey, where Elisha refused to leave Elijahs's side, though prompted to three seperate times. They reached the Jordan River, and Elijah struck it with his cloak, The water parted and they crossed over. (Not anything new, however, since this same river had been parted when the Israelites finally entered the promised land in Joshua 3:14-17). Elisha, knowing his time with his mentor was about done, asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit and Elijah said this was a difficult thing, but that if he saw him taken away to heaven, he would. Then Elijah was taken away and Elisha saw it. Elijah's cloak fell to the ground and Elisha picked it up. He went right to the river, struck it and called upon God and the water parted and he crossed over. The power and spirit of God upon Elijah now rested upon Elisha and the cloak was the earthly symbol of this and the means by which that power was imparted. I love that story. Especially when you look at it together with the one about Jesus and Paul.
Secondly, we know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44), as well as the daugher of a temple ruler (Mark 5:32-43). We also have a story of Paul talking on an on one night, so long that a guy named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, fell asleep and thus, fell out of the window and to the ground dead. Paul rushed down there and threw himself on top of him and the boy came to life again (Acts 20:7-12). Again, those cool old prophets Elijah andn Elisha give us a prelude to that - both had an experience of laying on top of a dead boy, who was brought life again, through God's power (1 Kings 17:17-24 and 2 Kings 4:32-37). Again, an extension of the laying on of hands.
I love those stories and to read and to see the glory and power of God at work. Also interesting is that Jesus, after he has been raised from the dead and was on his short trip back to earth, told the disciples before he left not to leave Jerusalem until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). From there, we know that they moved in power – preaching the good news, healing the sick, expanding the Kingdom . . . and that call is extended to us in our time.
There are many other things, such as blessing, anointing/appointing of kings and prophets and anointing of others for ministry that go along with the laying on of hands, but I just wanted to share those cool stories and some thoughts on that.
By the way, I really like responses :)
One thing that I always love is studying the old and new covenant parallels and how the shadow/type/example of the old covenant is really, really cool simply just on it's own and then is extra cool because of the prelude to Christ. I remember the "aha" when I finally got the whole Jesus as sacrifice thing fully when studying old testament sacrifices under Carl Rasmussen in college. From there, the excitment has always been there when I get to study these parallels and see the complete connectedness of both covenants and the fulfillment and culmination in Jesus, not just a new chapter in God's story with man.
Anyways, in studying for this lesson, I focused a lot on the idea of tranference (of blessing, power, authority, ministry etc.) through the laying on of hands. There is the basic understanding of laying hands on someone for healing and we see Jesus, many times throughout the Gospels, laying hands on the sick and them recovering. In Mark 16:17-18 Jesus says "they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well," as one of the signs that will accompany those who believe. Jesus also says in John 14:12 that we will do even greater works then Him. Following that, we see Paul and the disciples laying hands on people and seeing them healed and read instruction on this in James 5:14-16.
There is a fairly popular story in Mark 5:24-34 of Jesus walking through a large crowd and a woman, who has suffered from 12 years of bleeding with no hope of recovery from natural medicine, thinks, "If i can just touch his cloak, I can be healed." And she manages to sneak her way in and touch it and is healed. Jesus, who is surrounded by many, many people, stops and says "who touched me?" because he felt power go out of him. This is a cool example of an extension of the laying on of hands and an example of the power that goes along with that, from the Spirit. Similarly, Paul was moving in such power of God, that not only did he lay hands on people and pray over them for their healing, but even garments he touched were brought to people and they were healed (Acts 19:11-12).
If we look back, we see that Elijah had some power in his prophet cloak, because the Spirit of the Lord rested upon him. He snuck up behind Elisah and threw the cloak on him in an act of appointing and anointing him as his prophetic successor (1 Kings 19:19). After a time of sitting under his mentorship, Elijah was about taken up to heaven in a whirlwind by chariots of fire (2 Kings 2:1-15. The two took a journey, where Elisha refused to leave Elijahs's side, though prompted to three seperate times. They reached the Jordan River, and Elijah struck it with his cloak, The water parted and they crossed over. (Not anything new, however, since this same river had been parted when the Israelites finally entered the promised land in Joshua 3:14-17). Elisha, knowing his time with his mentor was about done, asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit and Elijah said this was a difficult thing, but that if he saw him taken away to heaven, he would. Then Elijah was taken away and Elisha saw it. Elijah's cloak fell to the ground and Elisha picked it up. He went right to the river, struck it and called upon God and the water parted and he crossed over. The power and spirit of God upon Elijah now rested upon Elisha and the cloak was the earthly symbol of this and the means by which that power was imparted. I love that story. Especially when you look at it together with the one about Jesus and Paul.
Secondly, we know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44), as well as the daugher of a temple ruler (Mark 5:32-43). We also have a story of Paul talking on an on one night, so long that a guy named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, fell asleep and thus, fell out of the window and to the ground dead. Paul rushed down there and threw himself on top of him and the boy came to life again (Acts 20:7-12). Again, those cool old prophets Elijah andn Elisha give us a prelude to that - both had an experience of laying on top of a dead boy, who was brought life again, through God's power (1 Kings 17:17-24 and 2 Kings 4:32-37). Again, an extension of the laying on of hands.
I love those stories and to read and to see the glory and power of God at work. Also interesting is that Jesus, after he has been raised from the dead and was on his short trip back to earth, told the disciples before he left not to leave Jerusalem until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). From there, we know that they moved in power – preaching the good news, healing the sick, expanding the Kingdom . . . and that call is extended to us in our time.
There are many other things, such as blessing, anointing/appointing of kings and prophets and anointing of others for ministry that go along with the laying on of hands, but I just wanted to share those cool stories and some thoughts on that.
By the way, I really like responses :)
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