3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
After His death on the cross for our sins, Jesus ascended to His throne in heaven. His resurrection and ascension allowed Him to assume the place of honor at the Father’s right hand.
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
The seventh affirmation about the Son is that He finished His work on our behalf. When Jesus finished His work on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” He then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The seated posture conveyed that His work was finished. This was not true with the Levitical priests of the Old Testament. They never sat down because their work was never finished. The type such as a sacrificial lamb could never pay for sins; only the antitype, the reality, or that which goes against the type, could finally pay for the sins of the world.
Jesus sat down at the Father’s right hand because He finished His work as the High Priest. The priests of the Old Testament never sat down in the tabernacle or temple because their work was never finished. They daily offered sacrifices. Their sacrificial work would not finish until Christ finished His sacrificial work as High Priest. He cried on the cross, “It is finished.”
Jesus sitting down does not mean that He was tired; the idea is that He completed or finished His work of redemption. The sitting down of Jesus at the right hand of the Majesty on high indicates that His finished work was complete.
The “right hand” was a position of favor and authority in the first century. The enthronement of Jesus took place subsequent to His death on the cross. The implication of sitting at the right hand of God is the incarnate royalty of Jesus. It is the place of honor that is important here.
This idea is a reference to Psalm 110:1 and is a key text in the book of Hebrews. Christ seated as High Priest stands in contrast to Aaronic priests who stood while ministering. He accomplished everything that needed to be accomplished on our behalf. We have permanent eternal prerogatives with God because of Him (Eph 4:10).
The phrase “Majesty on high” indicates that God is to be held in the highest respect. We should reverence this Person (He 8:1). We should hold a majestic view of God.
PRINCIPLE:
Christ mediates for us as our High Priest.
APPLICATION:
Jesus as the final Prophet who spoke the final word, and as the Priest who accomplished the perfect work of cleansing us from sin, now sits as King enthroned in a place of chief honor.
Jesus is the mediator who personally paid for our sin. Now He personally represents us at the right hand of the Father. He once for all offered Himself on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. By this, Christ dealt with the sin issue once for all. He did this so that we could freely relate to God. Otherwise, God could never fellowship with us in our sin. God cannot compromise Himself with sin. Jesus bore personally the sin problem on Himself. He took my hell that I might have His heaven. Anyone who accepts His sacrifice will have the privilege to fellowship with God eternally.
Jesus purged the penalty of my sin eternally. He paid the price for sin. There can be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (He 9:22). Sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high was an act of high privilege and authority.
Christ functions as our High Priest. He interceded for us on the cross and He continues to intercede for us in heaven (Ro 8:34; He 7:25).
