Jesus Is Seated at the Father's Right Hand

Ephesians 1:15-23 Ascension Day is one of those church festivals like the Baptism of Our Lord where we need to see the connection between the event in our Lord’s life-- and our own lives here on earth-- if we are to understand it as Good News for us.  And it is Good News!  Jesus said that it was for our own good that he was returning to the Father. 

We certainly recognize that Jesus deserved to be seated at the Father’s right hand for laying down his life for our sins and rising again to give us eternal life.  The glory and power and honor of this day in our Lord’s life is simply what he deserves!

But how does his glorious ascension benefit us who are still on this earthly sojourn through the valley of the shadow of death? 

Those are the two poles that stand at the beginning and ending of our text today:  the pilgrim people of God, living their lives in a broken world, standing in the need of prayer—and our Lord seated at the right hand of the Father, far above every other name, rule, power, dominion, and authority. 

Is there a meeting place between those vastly different poles that benefits us and works for our salvation?  The answer to that question is:  Yes! 

It is our ascended Lord who hears and answers our prayers.  It is our ascended Lord who sends the Holy Spirit to bring us to faith.  It is our ascended Lord who rules the world and works all things for our good.  It is our ascended Lord who continues to intercede for us and for our salvation. 

This is what our ascended Lord does for us and it is the best possible news that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand, listening to our prayers.  St. Paul writes:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

            How many times over the course of our life have we called out to God in prayer?  How many times have we told a friend or loved one:  “I’ll pray for you”?

That we pray—and are prayed for--is an acknowledgement that our human resources are insufficient for life in this world—that we need help beyond ourselves—help that can only be found in God- and so we go to him in prayer.

But anyone who has ever prayed has faced the temptation of wondering if it really does any good—if we are not just speaking to a vast, empty cosmos.  Or if there is a God who listens, is he concerned enough with what is going on in my life to help.  The Good News for us on Ascension Day is that Jesus hears and helps! 

The Bible never speaks of prayer as an empty gesture or a meaningless, religious act.  The believer’s prayer is always heard and answered.  And in our text tonight we see who it is that hears and answers:  it is the ascended Lord. 

The One who loved us enough to take upon himself our flesh and die for us-- is also the mighty One who is above every other earthly power:  above the leaders of this world—above the forces of nature—even above sickness and death. 

The One who hears and answers our prayers is not only humble and compassionate and kind, he is mighty and strong to save and when we go to him in prayer we can be confident that he hears and answers and will come to our aid in a way that strengthens and sustains our Spirit-given faith in him.  Paul says we can be confident that:

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

            If we’re really honest with ourselves, we know that many of the things for which we pray (while they may be important to us!) are not really eternally important.  They are really not the one thing needful which is saving faith in Jesus Christ.

That is why it is such good news that our ascended Lord puts first things first when it comes to our salvation and sends the Holy Spirit to open our eyes of faith so that we can trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  He promised this very thing!

Jesus told his disciples that after his ascension, he would clothe them with power from on high—that it was better that he returned to heaven so that he could send them the Counselor.  And he breathed on his disciples and said:  Receive the Holy Spirit.

What a precious gift the ascended Lord gives in the Holy Spirit so that we can believe in Jesus—since we cannot do this on our own!  The Bible says:

All of us were born dead in transgressions and sins—that the man without the spirit cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit of God—that we must be born again by the Spirit—and that no one can says “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus doesn’t want anyone to perish in their sins but to come to faith in him and be saved-- and so he keeps his promise and sends the Holy Spirit to bring us to faith.  And he also works just as mightily to keep us in faith.  Paul comforts us with the Good News of the ascended Christ’s power—what Paul calls:

The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 

            Certainly one of the most heartfelt prayers we can pray throughout our earthly journey is that the “one who has begun this good work in us would bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We know that our journey of faith is not only about starting well—but finishing well—since it is only those who abide in faith who will be saved.

We also know about ourselves how difficult this is to do and everything that stands in the way!  We have to fight against our own flesh that leads us away from the way of Christ.  We have to remain steadfast in the face of the devil’s temptations.  And this unbelieving world is allied against us.

Besides these spiritual enemies, we Christians are also affected just like everyone else by the broken-ness of creation that sends droughts and diseases and downturns into our lives.

These spiritual and physical enemies are powerful obstacles to fighting the good fight of faith and finishing the race of faith.  But Christ’s ascension is our assurance that we have a mighty King who fights for us—one who is above every power and authority—one who is right there with us each step of the way in life, powerfully working all things for our eternal good to bring us safely to our heavenly home.

Paul says that in Jesus there is an immeasurable power at work in the lives of those who believe so that no matter what happens to us in life—no matter what situation or hardship we face—no matter how insurmountable the powers allied against us—they are still not greater than the power of the ascended Christ. 

And when we fail at times to hold fast to him—we can be confident that his love and mercy and forgiveness and life still avail for us before the heavenly Father as our righteousness and salvation for Paul tells us that God “ raised him from the dead and seated him with the Father at his right hand in the heavenly places.”  

            There at God’s right hand, Jesus is constantly lifting up his death on the cross as the atoning sacrifice between us and God’s wrath over our sins.  His own life is an enduring witness to the certainty of our own resurrection for where the head is, the body will certainly be.  And as the ascended Lord he lives to make intercession for us when we sin. 

As we pray for forgiveness, Jesus stands at the right hand of the heavenly Father lifting up his perfect sacrifice on the cross and he will continue to do so until we lay down our sinful flesh and are delivered from this vale of tears. 

Jesus’ salvation is not ancient history—but as the ascended Lord, it is our present and our future for Paul tells us that Jesus is:

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

            As we live out our lives here on earth, our Lord’s ascension to the Father’s right hand is an incredible comfort for we know we are not alone in a vast empty cosmos, devoid of any kind of real meaning--but Jesus rules the world in power and might for the sake of his people the church.  And so…

When the economy crashes—when the rain refuses to fall—when we hear that dread word “cancer”—when our children move away, when our spouse dies and when we face our own last days—it is Jesus who reigns supreme over each of these moments—for our good—mighty in power and strong to save. 

We can be confident that his gracious rule over the world and the church and our lives will always work to our salvation and that is why his ascension to the Father’s right hand is such Good News for us on this day.  Amen.