We have the full scope of the Lord, past and future. He appeared at his birth. He’ll appear again, and we’ll be with him in glory. What about now? Where is the Lord appearing now? I want to read this entire passage, but I want to focus on verse 24.
Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
What about now? We know where the Lord is, yet there are times when we need a sign from the Lord, a clue, an idea. We know he’s in heaven. But did you know he is appearing right now just where you need him most—at the right hand of the Father. Because of this, we know we have the Holy Spirit. He indwells the heart of every believer. The Father presides in heaven because he is God. At his right hand is Jesus. He’s been there since the ascension, and he’s there for one purpose. Verse 24 says “for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” He’s there for us!
It works in a three-fold way, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Where do we need Jesus? Hebrews goes into such detail about the spiritual condition of man, the expectation of the Father, how salvation came to be, and who Jesus is. When we think about the Lord we must never forget what he did in the past for us. The cross is our hope of salvation. Verse 22 says “without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Let’s go back to verses 14 and 15. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Here is the detail that helps us to understand how we’re saved and can trust in the finished work of HIS cross. The complete atonement of Calvary is for all individual sins and for the sins of all individuals.
Our Savior rose from the dead and is alive forevermore. Forty days after he rose from the dead, he went back to his former glory. However, he went back in a resurrected earthly body. He was God the Son and the Son of Man. In I Timothy 2:5 Paul said “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Where do we need him? Sometimes we pray and tell the Lord how much we need him and how much we want him to come down and touch us. That’s all right because we think of it that way, but he doesn’t have to come to us. He IS with us. How can he be and be at the right hand of the Father? Jesus said if he didn’t go away the Comforter could not come. We have the fullness of the Father and of Jesus Christ within us. The Holy Spirit is inside of us just where we need him.
The Father presides over heaven. He’s the Lord God Almighty. That’s where we need him to be. The Holy Spirit is in our heart just where we need him. Wherever we are, work, home, or shopping—wherever—his presence is within us. He’s there even when we sleep. That means Jesus is where we need him most—“in the presence of God for us.”
Remember the past sacrifice stands. We know that because Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. He ascended into heaven; he’s still there. The angels see him; our departed loved ones see him. They are where he is. Jesus told the thief “today thou shall be with me in paradise. The nail scars are still in his hands and feet. A resurrected body, fully God and fully man, is at the Father’s right hand; because of this, we have victory. Be assured. Jesus ascended and is now appearing, right now, FOR US. He sits and is set at the right hand. There is not a thing that can knock him down. Satan cannot touch him now. We have reason to look up. Our Savior is above it all.
Being where he is, is Jesus’ wish for all of us. In his final prayer, he prayed that we would be one in him as he was one with the Father and the Father in him. God presides, and Jesus is in his presence for us. He offered himself as the sacrifice. Salvation was successfully completed. Because of God’s acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice, there is approval for our salvation. This is not religion. This is God’s Son. The only God in existence appointed one Son. I know I’m saved because Jesus wouldn’t be where he is if God had not accepted him. He’s where I need him most.
He’s there to be our mediator. He knows the devil is alive; we have a living Savior; his blood takes our sins and makes us alive in him. He’s at the Father’s right hand mediating for us. He comes between us as unworthy human beings and a holy God. He is the middle ground, and we have a relationship with God. The Father is reconciled to us, and we are reconciled to him. An advocate pleads for us. Imagine trying to talk to the God Almighty. Moses stuttered. Abraham said “who am I?” We don’t know how to frame our words and thoughts to God. Our prayers are being handled by the Holy Spirit and the Lord. God answers them for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father JUST where we need him to be. No wonder Paul said if God be for us, who can be against us. We’ve been made more than conquerors through him that loved us.
We are Christians because of the cross. Because of the cross, Jesus is at the Father’s right hand. He was tempted in all points like we are. He came through. He won the victory for all. One day the Father will tell Jesus to leave his right hand and come after us as his children.
We have a “right now, right hand” Savior. Let’s appreciate it. It is our victory.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 