To Sit or Not to Sit

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Rom 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ESV

When we see our High Priest interceding for us we often forget that He is “sitting” at the right hand of the Father. I saw something the other day that helped me get a better understanding of why it’s important that Jesus is “sitting.”

Considering the priesthood of Aaron and that of Jesus it is significant that the priesthood of Aaron never sat, they were always working in the Tabernacle and in the Temple. But when our High Priest entered heaven His work was complete and He sat down.

I read one time that the tabernacle of Israel in the wilderness was ornamented with gold that was worth well over two million dollars, and yet there wasn’t one chair in the tabernacle or the temple for that matter. There was no provision for the priest to sit  because in practicing their liturgy there was no time to sit. they were constantly working. But when Jesus finished His work on the cross as God’s High Priest, He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven where He sat down at the Father’s right hand and is ever making intercession for us (Heb 7:25).

Looking back at the work of the priesthood of Aaron it was twofold: The offering of a sacrifice and serving as a mediator between God and man on behalf of the people. The priestly work of Christ in sacrificing His life for us on the cross was finished forever in a moment. His work was done the moment He yielded His spirit back to the Father. His work was complete and there is nothing left for Him to do and so He is now sitting on the throne at the Father’s right hand, ever making intercession for us.

Jesus is our mediator, and the only Mediator that can exist between God and man. It’s because He died for us that we have access to pray directly to the Father through Him alone. He is all-sufficient and He is fully occupied with His love for us. He is not concerned with the plans of governments and nations. That was all planned before the foundation of the world and nothing is going to change God’s course of events. As a result, Jesus has all the time in the world and heaven to be occupied with His love toward those He redeemed on the cross.

Yes, when Jesus uttered those three words … it is finished … it meant that His work here on earth complete and it is now being carried on by the Holy Spirit. He is preoccupied with interceding and mediating for us with the Father. How sad that Israel is still looking forward to the day when they will rebuild the Temple and once again the priesthood will be working; making sacrifices and mediating between God and man.

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