Where's Jesus? Jacob blesses his sons (Genesis 49:1-28)

After blessing his grandsons, Jacob moves on to blessing his sons.  He takes them in order from Reuben to Benjamin.  Along the way he recounts the sins of his first three sons and essentially excludes them from leadership in the covenant people for self-exaltation and violence, but then he comes to Judah and this is where we get a glimpse of Jesus.  He is the one Jacob prophesies,

"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his..."(Genesis 49:10)

This is Jesus, the psalmist prophesies later about him,

"The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One...'I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill...Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.  You will rule them..." (Psalm 2:2, 6, 8-9a)

He is the one who ascends the throne and sits at the right hand of God the Father.  Luke reminds us, as do the other gospel writers,

"When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted his hands and blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven." (Luke 24:50-51)

And then Revelation picks up the story and shows us the ultimate exaltation of the Lamb,

"Do not weep!  See the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." (Revelation 5:5)

and Hebrews 8:1 affirms this saying,

"We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven..."

Having just passed Ascension Day this a few weeks ago, Jacob's words are a reminder to us that Jesus is the one foretold.  He did rise and return to the Father and he rules.  Again the testimony of the Word is that it all relates to Christ, so even in a series of blessings given to Jacob's sons, we see a testimony of Jesus and his kingly, eternal rule.  Glory be to God!