GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
MARK 16:19
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19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven. And he sat down at the right hand of God.
Here Mark records two parts of our Creed in a single verse, the ascension and the sitting at the right hand of God. Apart from Mark, only Luke describes the ascension. In his Gospel, Luke says, “He led them out as far as the vicinity of Bethany. He lifted up his hands, blessed them, and then it happened while he was blessing them: He left them and was taken up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51). In Acts, Luke says: “He was taken up while they watched, and a cloud removed him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). In all three accounts, Jesus’ ascension is described the same way, “He was taken up.” The Greek epairo in the passive is to be hoisted up like a sail: Up, up, up he went, until they couldn’t see him any longer because a cloud hid him.
What does the ascension of Jesus mean for us? Is it a proclamation of the Law, or of the Gospel? It is the Gospel, purely the Gospel, for us Christians. Paul proclaims: “Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘The one who ascended on high took captivity captive, and he gave gifts to men’” (Ephesians 4:7-8, quoting Psalm 68:18). Jesus “took captivity captive,” kicking down the door of the grave, and releasing us from the power of sin, of death, of the devil, and even of doubt and fear. Would God the Father have permitted him to return to heaven physically if his work here on earth were not finished? It is all finished! There is no more price to be paid for sin, no more orders to give to his apostles. There will be no Third Testament. Everything is complete and completely finished. His ascension means that he has been welcomed home by the Father, and he awaits us there– all of us who put our faith in him.
More than this, Mark proclaims that Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father. This doesn’t mean that Jesus is simply seated on a chair to the Father’s right, and that he will never be anywhere else. The “right hand” means the place of authority; he is the Father’s right hand man. When Israel blessed his grandsons, his purposely moved his right hand to bless Ephraim, even though he was the younger. This is because he wanted to and did bestow the greater blessing to the one his right hand touched (Genesis 48:14). Whether for a man or a woman, the right hand was seen as the place of power (Judges 5:26). It is a place of honor especially for a second throne to be placed there, as Solomon did for his mother (1 Kings 2:19).
The right hand of God “is majestic in power” (Exodus 15:6), and he saves “with this right hand those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 17:7). The right hand is also the place from which judgment comes (Habakkuk 2:16). Christ was placed at the right hand of God after he was taken up into heaven. He had said, “In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). This assures us that Christ maintains his human nature in heaven and for eternity. To this we add the following additional proofs:
1, As the Son of Man (according to his human nature as well as the divine nature) “he has the authority to judge” (John 5:27).
2, Christ, with his own human voice, will be able to call forth the dead from their graves, for “a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out– those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29).
3, Christ, according to his human nature, was the Lamb who was slain, and it is the Lamb who “is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise” (Revelation 5:12).
4, His ascension and his sitting at the right hand of the Father are described as part of his exaltation, and the exaltation of Christ is described as the immediate consequence of his humiliation (or emptying). Therefore the exaltation, too, befits Christ according to the nature that was emptied in the humiliation, according to his human nature (Psalm 8:5-6; 110:7; Luke 24:26; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 2:9).
5, The man Jesus Christ was, according to Hebrews 1:4, given a more excellent and superior name than the angels, and by the same human nature he is also exalted and receives divine glory (Philippians 2:9).
6, Whatever things are said to be given to Christ in time are also things that signify his permanent possession of the human nature, since all things belong to him in eternity according to his divine nature (Psalm 93:2; Proverbs 8:23). Yet he is “led into the presence of the ancient of days” (Daniel 7:13); he is anointed (Daniel 9:24), and he is glorified (John 17:1) accoridng to his human nature.
Our Lord’s sitting at the right hand of the Father assures us of these things:
For our comfort, that he rules over all things for the good of his church, as Paul says: “God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power, and dominion, and God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Ephesians 1:20-22).
Also, Christ carries out his office as Prophet at the right hand of God by sending believing preachers, teachers, and missionaries to share his good news with everyone. Paul explains: “The very one who ascended… gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:10-11).
In a similar way, Christ carries out his office as Priest at the right hand of God by praying, interceding, and pleading our case before the Father. “Christ is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). And John writes: “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense– Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).
And again, Christ carries out his office as King at God’s right hand by protecting us from all our enemies in order to bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom. “ He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18).
Finally, he does these things according to both his natures, for since he took up the human nature when he was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary, he has not and will not set that nature aside. Therefore we confess with Paul: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5).
The practical applications of all these things are these: Consolation and teaching. When the Christian ponders God’s love for mankind, a love we surely do not deserve, we are faced with the indisputable fact that he sent his Son to take up our flesh and our cause, to suffer and die on our behalf after living a sinless life to the satisfaction of the Father in our place. This is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This gospel message consoles all sinners, that our sins are paid for with the blood of Jesus our Lord.
This also teaches us to imitate Christ. This is something Paul teaches in Philippians 2:3-5; “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (2:5). As one Lutheran pastor said: “Let human weakness be ashamed to show pride, because divine majesty humbled itself so.” Be humble, and serve God with your life, for he lives and reigns with the Father and Holy Spirit with your good in mind, today, tomorrow, and always.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – Mark 16:19 The right hand of God