What Is a Benediction?

I didn’t grow up in church. When I went to a Christian college there were many “church words” that I didn’t have a clue what they meant. Often, I’d learn these words the way a child might piece things together to build their vocabulary. You define the word by how it’s used in a sentence. You don’t actually know what it means, but you learn to parrot it’s usage.

This is what “benediction” would have looked like in my early “Christianese” dictionary:

Benediction, noun: How you know when the service is almost over.

That was the extent of my knowledge. The word, though, has a much richer meaning than that which I had given it. A benediction is a blessing.

What Is a Benediction?

In Latin bene means “well.” And dicere (where we would get the word diction) means “to speak.” Put them together and you get benediction: to speak well. Or from the Latin, benedico which simply means “to bless.” It is to speak a blessing upon another.

Depending on your tradition the benediction will look differently. In some Baptist churches that which passes for a “benediction” is a prayer at the end of the service. Some services will close with the pastor or worship leading raising the hands and reciting the words of the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26.

‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’

More liturgical traditions will end services with a more formal prayer, often given by the priest or pastor. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, a blessing often begins and ends the service.

In the Roman Catholic Church there is Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. According to Catholic Online, “It is ordinarily an afternoon or evening devotion and consists in the singing of certain hymns, or litanies, or canticles, before the Blessed Sacrament, which is exposed upon the altar in a monstrance and is surrounded with lights. At the end, the priest, his shoulders enveloped in a humeral veil, takes the monstrance into his hands and with it makes the sign of the cross (hence the name Benediction) in silence over the kneeling congregation.”

Whatever specific form it takes, the benediction is the giving of a blessing by the priest/pastor/worship leader to the congregation.

Should only a priest or pastor give the benediction? In many traditions the benediction is when one who is in spiritual authority confers the blessing of God upon others. In other traditions, usually those focusing on the priesthood of the believer, we are all called to “bless one another” and even to “bless our enemies” and thus every believer is qualified to give a benediction.

Is a Benediction a Prayer?

I suppose to answer that question we need a definition of prayer. According to Merriam-Webster a prayer is, “an address to God or a god in word or thought.” If we use a simple definition like, “prayer is conversing with God” then a benediction is most certainly a prayer.

You can see this in the way Aaron phrases his priestly blessing. “May the Lord…” It’s a request of God to bless the people. But it’s also a little different than a typical request of God. Consider the difference between these prayers:

“Lord, should I purchase this piece of land?”

“Lord, have mercy upon me a sinner.”

The first prayer is most certainly addressing God. It is asking Him for wisdom. It is conversing with God. But it has no certain answer. There is no Scripture with which you can look upon to tell you whether or not a specific piece of land should be purchased. But the prayer, “have mercy upon me a sinner” is one which we know God answers by responding with mercy. You have biblical promises attached to such a prayer.

The same is true with a benediction. “May the Lord bless you…” is a request, sure. But it’s also a declaration for those who are in Christ. You are blessed. You will be kept. His face does shine upon you. So, the benediction is more than just a well-wish. It is grounded upon a sure and certain hope that we have in Christ. It’s a prayer, but it’s also a declaration of grace conferred because of the finished work of Christ.

What Are Some Important Benedictions in the Bible?

There are many benedictions in the Bible. The most famous, as already mentioned, is the Aaronic Blessing in Numbers 6. Paul also gave benedictions in his letters.

2 Corinthians 13:14 is a benediction:

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Ephesians 6:23-24 is another benediction which Paul gave at the close of a letter:

“Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”

The author of Hebrews also gives a benediction at the conclusion of his sermonic letter:

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

In the Old Testament Psalm 121:7-8 reads as a benediction. Notice how it is more declarative:

“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

What Is the Purpose of a Benediction?

A benediction is far more important than just a closing prayer to cap off your worship service. The benediction is an important part of what we do each week. It is a reminder of the faithfulness of Christ to us.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to read The Care of Souls by Harold L. Senkbeil. He and I are in different faith traditions. As a Baptist, I’m more accustomed to the simple prayer to close a service. But in reading Senkbeil, I realized that we Baptists are missing out on something beautiful that ought to be taking place within our services.

Senkbeil says, “As a servant of Christ you’re authorized to bestow by means of a blessing any promise God makes in his word. Each blessing begins with God because he is always the actor, and the suffering soul the recipient. For example, ‘The Lord God, who has (insert his creative redeeming and sanctifying power here) give you his blessing that you may (find required help, comfort, strength, etc.) for (purpose)—and the blessing of God Almighty: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever.’” (The Cure of Souls, 109)

This served as a reminder to me that I’m not only called to speak the words about Christ, but actually authorized to speak the words of Christ into the soul of another. I don’t have any authority to speak a blessing outside of what Christ has spoken. But any promise that God makes in His Word to people, or specifically believers, I am authorized to bestow.

When you think about this, it changes the way you think about the ending of a service. We don’t just pray to wrap it up. We are actually proclaiming the words of Christ over our people. We are blessing them with the promise of God. 

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Booky Buggy

Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.