Hebrews 1:3c

Hebrews 1:3c

He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven

This verse is so brimming with truth and content that we have to break it down, for it starts to lay the foundations for the rest of the Book of Hebrews. There is one more startling statement here which is almost impossible for us to completely comprehend. Firstly, we are reminded of Christ’s mission and purpose when He came to planet earth, it was to provide a way for mankind to be purified of their sins. The one, single, driving motive for His visit was not to heal the sick, or to feed the hungry or to tackle demonic powers, it was to be the once-for-all sacrifice for sinners. He came to rescue us from our wickedness and to wash us clean through His blood. Paul puts it like this, “Jesus Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:14. Later chapters in the Book of Hebrews will explore this theme in much more detail but let’s be sure of one thing, what drove Jesus to live amongst us, to put up with the fickle nature of His followers and to brave the mocking jeers of His hostile captors and the agony of His crucifixion, was His mission, to provide a way for a people to be purified and cleansed from sin. 

Is that it? Mission accomplished, let’s all get on with our lives? No, there is a grand conclusion to the story, for that broken human body was resurrected and transformed, the Son of God was snatched up from the earth to hear the applause and adulation of the heavenly angels. But the Godhead had a statement to make, and it sent shockwaves through the spiritual realms. Jesus the man was elevated to a heavenly throne and given a seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven! Can we possibly grasp the significance of this, or visualise the scene? No, of course not, although we are allowed glimpses in the Book of Revelation, but what we can do is recognise that Jesus Christ now has equal status with God His Father in heaven as well as on earth; Paul again describes this better than anyone, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11. 

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