He Sits at the Right Hand of the Father

We don’t often think about the ascended Jesus at God’s right hand, but the apostle Paul seems to think that focusing on the ascended Jesus is the key to life. We’ll look at how this phrase in the creed, “he sits at the right hand of the Father,” helps us take on a new mindset, fixing our eyes on the ascended Jesus and the way our identity is bound up in him.

For Meditation

Last week we introduced the theme of the ascension. Esther Choi taught us that Jesus’ ascension means at least these three things: that Jesus is interceding for us, that Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus will restore and unite heaven and earth.

This Sunday we move to the next phrase of the creed which digs even deeper into the ascension, claiming that Jesus “sits at the right hand of the Father.” Esther spoke a bit about this last week as well. This language of the “right hand,” though a bit foreign to us, was a common phrase in ancient times to refer to the place of supreme authority and power. Jesus himself said,  “from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69). So to affirm that Jesus sits at God’s right hand is to say that there is a human being who is ruling the universe, and that person is the one who has scars in his hands for us. Truly power and grace come together in Jesus’ authority.

Though we don’t often think about the ascended Jesus at God’s right hand, the apostle Paul seems to think that focusing on the ascended Jesus is the key to life. In this passage in Colossians, he exhorts us to take on a new mindset, fixing our eyes on the ascended Jesus and the way our identity is bound up in him. This Sunday, we’ll talk about what it means to “set our minds” on the ascended and ruling Christ, and how this can change our experience of living through these challenging circumstances.

COLOSSIANS 3:1–4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Download and print our worksheets for ages 3–6 and ages 7–12.

Play along from home this week!

We’ve created parts for band and orchestral instruments, so you can play along to some of our worship songs this week! Find the parts here.