Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day after his death and is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling his kingdom and interceding for us, until he returns to judge and renew the whole world.
Ephesians 1:20–21:
He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Commentary
Charles Wesley
Hail the day that sees Him rise,
Ravish’d from our wishful eyes!
Christ, awhile to mortals given,
Re-ascends His native heaven!
There the pompous triumph waits:
“Lift your heads, eternal gates,
Wide unfold the radiant scene,
Take the King of Glory in!”
Circled round with angel powers,
Their triumphant Lord, and ours,
Conqueror over death and sin,
Take the King of Glory in!
Him though highest heaven receives,
Still He loves the earth He leaves;
Though returning to His throne,
Still He calls mankind His own.
See! He lifts His hands above!
See! He shows the prints of love!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow
Blessings on His church below!
Still for us His death He pleads;
Prevalent, He intercedes;
Near Himself prepares our place,
Harbinger of human race.
Master, (will we ever say,)
Taken from our head to-day;
See Thy faithful servants, see!
Ever gazing up to Thee.
Grant, though parted from our sight,
High above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Following Thee beyond the skies.
Ever upward let us move,
Wafted on the wings of love;
Looking when our Lord shall come,
Longing, gasping after home.
There we shall with Thee remain,
Partners of Thy endless reign;
There Thy face unclouded see,
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee!
David Bisgrove
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.” Someone who’s not around, whom you haven’t seen in a long time, doesn’t have much impact or relevance in your day-to-day life. The Bible tells us that after Jesus’s resurrection, he ascended into heaven, disappearing from view, out of sight. But we’re also told that because of where he now resides, we can be assured that he’s relevant in our daily lives.
So where is Jesus now? He’s seated at the right hand of God the Father. But what difference does that make to us in our day-to-day lives? First, it reminds us that Jesus rules over all creation. Psalm 110 paints a beautiful picture of God’s enemies as a footstool of Jesus as he sits at the Father’s right hand. Can you see the comfort of that in your daily life? When you struggle with discouragement or disappointment or bitterness about the way your life is going, or when you’re discouraged and angry about all the injustice and evil in the world, and like David in Psalm 37 you’re tempted to ask why the wicked seem to flourish, consider where Jesus is now. He’s at the right hand of God the Father. See him there. Enemies are his footstool. The One who conquered death is now ruling the world. Ephesians 1 says that Jesus was given all authority and will one day return and make the crooked places straight. So let where Jesus is now give you hope and courage to trust and follow him.
But there’s even more. Not only is Jesus the King who rules, but he is the Priest who intercedes. Hebrews 10 tells us that Jesus is the great High Priest, who on the cross offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He is now interceding and praying for us at the Father’s right hand. He is our Advocate in every sense of that word. So to see Jesus at God’s right hand as our High Priest is to remember that there is no condemnation for our sin, that Jesus sacrificed himself so that we could be united with him. We have the full rights, therefore, as God’s children.
So, yes, Jesus is out of sight. We can’t physically see him. But he is active in our day-to-day lives and in this world at the right hand of God the Father ruling as our King, interceding as our Priest, and waiting to return, when he will wipe away every tear, beat swords into plowshares, and flood the world with his glory and grace.
Prayer
Risen and Ascended Lord, though you no longer walk this earth, you rule over us from your throne. All authority and power are in you. Your name is above all names. Raise us up at the last day to live with you in your kingdom. Amen.
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