Jesus Reigns

Hebrews 1:3

This morning I want us to consider the title Jesus Reigns. Our focus will primarily be on the phrase “ he (referring to Jesus ) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” What does the phrase primarily mean? And what is Jesus doing at the right hand of The Majesty. An attempt to answer these two questions will engage our sermon this morning. As a believer, what’s your approach or response to negative events and news across the world? Even in your own life. How do you handle the difficulties and challenges of this life? World events tend to make people question the existence of God. Even if they don’t question the existence of God, they question his control over world events. If there is God why is there so much suffering in the world. Wars, wickedness, rape, children born with disabilities, children dying of cancer etc. If there is God and he is in control, why?

Jesus Is God

The unbelieving world may be despondent and feel helpless. But for the Christian, the response to these questions is primarily that God is still in control and indeed moving all of world history towards the end for which they were created. This is what Christian theology calls the Providence of God. It simply means God didn’t just create the world and left things to run on auto-pilot. He didn’t just put in place natural laws—gravity, thermodynamics, laws of motion, law of inertia etc and then sat back to watch those play out without his interference in the world he has created. No that’s not the God of the Bible.

God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. (WCF 5:1)

This means God is actively involved in the world he created. That’s the point of the verse (v.3). Now in this verse, we see clearly that Jesus is God:

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” The word radiance in the original language means “a light shining forth” This means Jesus is the reflection of the glory of God. He shines forth the wisdom, power and authority of God. When Moses encountered God, his face lit up with the glory of God that the people couldn’t behold his face. But in contrast to Moses, Jesus brought the full glory of God and the disciples report to us their interactions with the son: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14)

What does this mean for us that Jesus is God and he reigns?

He Has Authority Over All Things

The phrase “sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high” simply means a place of authority. You find that phrase in other places in Scripture depicting authority

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19)

Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him (1Peter 3:22)

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. (Psalm 110:1)

These are but just a few places. Jesus has authority and rules over all of creation: Angels, Kings, Presidents, Nations, even Satan is subjected to the authority of Jesus. He is in total control. Look at the verse again: “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus sustains the world. Nothing is out of his control.

And you, if you who have believed in Christ, you can take comfort in this that your life is not a random turn of events. Jesus is in control over every detail of your life. Nothing escapes him. Nothing takes him by surprise. What are you going through? Turn it over to him. God is not surprised by politics, business and finance, aviation, technology, AI. All things are under God’s control and we can rest in that. See, Jesus didn’t only die for our sins and then left us on our own to our fate. He died firstly for sins, as we see in the verse: “After making purification for sins.” Now what is Jesus doing for us at the right hand of the Father? This should bring us joy.

He Is Interceding For Us

Have you ever thought about this? That Jesus is praying for you? He didn’t only save you. Now that you belong to the family of God, Jesus is praying for you. That’s one of the things happening right now at the right hand of God.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Dear believer, God has not saved you and left you on your own. The king himself is praying for you. You are the subject of Jesus’ ongoing priestly work. Your sins, your struggles, your fears, your life difficulties, they are all a subject of Jesus’ intercession. He is praying for you.

He Is Our Advocate

Not only is Christ interceding for us at the right hand of Majesty, he is our Advocate, like a lawyer called alongside to help us. So that no one can bring a charge against us. We are saved and never to be condemned again. If any accusation is brought against us, Jesus steps in. What confident you and I who have believed in Jesus can have. That no one can bring any accusations against us. Perharps your past haunts you. Perharps you are currently struggling with a sin – I can’t see your heart, but the Lord knows. Whatever it is, you have an advocate in Christ. An advocate is like a lawyer who is called to defend you. That is what Jesus does on your behalf especially when we sin and the devil takes advantage to wound our conscience. The apostle John says

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1)

Brothers and sisters? Do you know of this work of salvation Christ has done on behalf of sinners? Making purification for their sins? Have you become a partaker of this saving grace? If yes, then blessed indeed are you. Do you know also of his priestly and ongoing intercessions?

The reigning king one day will return to execute judgement on sinners. And those not found in him will face everlasting judgement. Are you in Christ or you are outside of Christ? Let me close with the words of a hymn

There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide ’til the day is done:
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
2
No friend like Him is so high and holy,
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
No, not one! no, not one!
3
There’s not an hour that He is not near us,
No night so dark, but His love can cheer us,
4
Did ever saint find this Friend forsake him?
Or sinner find that He would not take him?
No, not one! no, not one!

5
Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will He refuse us the bliss of heaven?
No, not one! no, not one!

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