He Ascended into Heaven and Sits at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty
This lesson points to three roles fulfilled by Jesus in his ascended glory: prophet, priest, and king. Our readings will focus on the priestly role as described in the New Testament book of Hebrews. Focusing here will help you get a flavor for the style and content of the book.
Jesus’ priesthood is permanent, whereas Levitical priesthood was temporary (Hebrews 7:23-25)
Levitical priests had to offer sacrifice for their own sins and then the sins of people; Jesus is an undefiled high priest (Hebrews 7:26-27)
Levitical priests entered only a copy and a shadow; Jesus entered the true tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-5)
Offerings of Levitical priests had to be repeated; Jesus offered sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 10:1-12)
Jesus’ priesthood is based on the power of his life, not on human ancestry (Hebrews 7:16)
Levitical priests could only intercede for fellow Jews; Jesus is a priest for all people (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17)
The ‘right hand of God’ is a much bigger concept than simply a physical location. These words are a way of expressing that Jesus is actively present and extends the rule and reign of God in every place in the whole universe. So when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended, he reassumed the full exercise of his prerogatives as the second person of the Trinity.”1
Additional scripture references:
Ephesians 1:20; Romans 8:33-34
Hebrews 1:3; 1:13; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22
- Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Resource for Catechesis and Disciple-Making,8 by Timothy C. Tennent, 38. ↩︎
The Winding Path 