120 – Christ’s Sitting at the Right Hand of God

CHRIST’S SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

§ 120. Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 1 is the full and constant participation, according to His human nature,2 in the exercise of the universal dominion, rule, and government over heaven and earth and all creatures,3 and especially over His church on earth,4 which power and sovereign majesty the Son of God had possessed and exercised before the incarnation 5 and communicated to His human nature in the incarnation,6 but from the full and continual use of which, according to His human nature, He had voluntarily abstained in His state of humiliation.7

1. Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

  Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

  Acts 3:20–21 And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

  Ephesians 1:20 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.

  Hebrews 1:3, 13 Who … sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (13) But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?

  Psalm 110:1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.

2. is the full and constant participation, according to His human nature,

  Philippians 2:9–11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  I Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.

  Ephesians 1:20–23 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.

  Hebrews 12:2 Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

  Luke 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

3. in the exercise of the universal dominion, rule, and government over heaven and earth and all creatures,

  Philippians 2:9–11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  Ephesians 1:20–23 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.

  I Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.

  Hebrews 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him.

4. and especially over His church on earth,

  Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church: and He is the Savior of the body.

  Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

  Acts 5:30–31 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

5. which power and sovereign majesty the Son of God had possessed and exercised before the incarnation 

  Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.

  Psalm 45:7–8 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad.

  John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

6. and communicated to His human nature in the incarnation,

  Colossians 2:9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

  Philippians 2:6–7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

7. but from the full and continual use of which, according to His human nature, He had voluntarily abstained in His state of humiliation.

  Philippians 2:5–9 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name.