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The imagery comes from Psalm 110:1, which says: "The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" New Testament writers quote this Psalm more often than any other text in the Jewish Scriptures (in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians and Hebrews). Even in the Psalms, this imagery of Jesus seated at God's right hand suggests intimacy with God (Psalm 16:8, 11) as well as our Lord's power and prestige (Psalm 80:17).
The seating of Jesus at God's right hand in heaven emphasizes God's unwavering faithfulness to those who put their trust in him. Jesus is the only man who has trusted God perfectly, and Jesus trusted God all the way to death. God met the challenge, so to speak, and vindicated Jesus' faith and his own faithfulness by raising Jesus from the dead and exalting him to a position of glory in heaven.
The author of Hebrews challenges us to follow Jesus in trusting God throughout our own course on earth. "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus . . . who . . . endured the cross . . . and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (12:1-2).
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This imagery of Jesus at God's right hand captures the main point of the Epistle to the Hebrews -- from the Epistle's beginning words right through to its end (1:4; 12:2). Not even angels have a seat at God's right hand, but Jesus does (1:13-14). That main point is that Jesus does not need to make repetitive offerings, for he has taken away all our sins forever by offering his own perfect life to God on the cross, "once for all" -- for all time, for all his people, and for all their sins (see 7:29 - 8:2).
This point contrasts sharply with the ministry of the Levitical priests of the Old Testament. Those priests' work was never done. There they STAND, every day, offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins (10:11). Jesus, on the other hand, offered a single sacrifice which takes away sin forever, an offering which perfects forever those for whom it was offered. Then -- his atoning work completed -- Jesus TOOK HIS SEAT at God's right hand (10:12, 14). Our Lord's seat at God's right hand underscores his finished work. "When he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (1:3).
Once Jesus had taken his seat at God's right hand, the Bible pictures him standing again only one time -- not to perform further work of atonement, for that is completed forever -- but out of respect for the death of Stephen, his first gospel martyr (Acts 7:56). Our atoning offering has been made. Our forgiveness is assured. Our salvation is secure. Our Savior has taken his seat at God's right hand!
You can read Edward's 1973 commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Our Man In Heaven, free of charge here. Published by Baker Book House, with a foreword by F. F. Bruce, this book is now out of print. Edward is now working on an entirely new commentary on Hebrews after 35 more years of studying, preaching and teaching from this wonderful, Christ-centered epistle.
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