Revelation 22:14

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

Early on in his ministry Jesus spoke about being blessed.  In the Sermon on the Mount each teaching was wrapped in the mantel of blessing.  We recall his words – blessed are, blessed are, again and again. God’s favor invites us to enter by faith a life of true happiness, a blessed life.

I find it very helpful to give attention to the meaning of words. In this case the word is “makarios,” Greek for our English word blessing. The root of the word means to make something long and large.  It denotes growth, development.  In other words, it is allowing God’s marvelous grace to permeate our being more and more.  A blessed person is one who is open to receive the fullness of God in every area of life.

It is certainly not self-fulfillment or self-realization. It is Spirit- fulfillment and Spirit-realization. True blessing is for those who open their lives to Jesus Christ in all his fullness.

For whom are these blessings?  Only for those who wash their garments in the blood of the Lamb.  Note the tense of wash – not those who have been washed or those who will be washed but those  who are, day by day, moment by moment, always and forever washing in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

This centrality of the cleansing strikes us forcefully because it reminds us of our inability to deserve or earn blessing.  All blessing that is promised comes from God, certainly not from our friends or ourselves.

As we repent of our own strivings and sin we discover that we want to do God’s will, to obey Him who is blessing us.

I love this cluster of words – blessing, come, receive, take freely, enter the open door.  The Bible closes with the grand opening – come all who will!