Thursday, April 11, 2013

Jesus Sits Down

"Have a seat."  Please take your seats."  "Sit down!" "Sit a spell."  These phrases remind us of the consistent aspect of sitting in our lives.  Even our Lord Jesus did quite a bit of sitting in Scripture.  Believe it or not, He gave the great Sermon on the Mount from a sitting position (Matthew 5:1).  He declared His call to ministry while He sat in the synagogue (Luke 4:17-21).  Being tired, Jesus sat down by Jacob's well (John 4:6).  He even sat across from the place where offerings were given in the temple and observed the givers giving their gifts!

When we come to this matter of spiritual warfare and the evidence of Jesus' victory we find both His posture and position important.  He sits down at the right hand of God.  For Jesus to sit is to indicate accomplishment and honor.  To sit at God's right hand is to indicate blessing and authority.  Some have wrestled with the concept of being at God's right hand as God is spirit.  When the Bible speaks of God's right hand we call it an anthromorphic expression.  That is to describe God with human characteristics so that we better appreciate His attributes.  Also, we wouldn't necessarily describe God as right-handed.  It is again just to speak of Him in understandable ways since most folk are right-handed. (70-90% == Wikipedia).  Never fear though, He blesses left-handed people, too! (Judges 3:15)

There is a beautiful story in Genesis 48:8-19 where the patriarch Jacob blesses Joseph's younger son with his right hand while crossing his left to the older grandson.  Joseph is troubled by this, but Jacob instructs him that while the older boy will be great the younger will be even greater.  To be sitting at God's right hand is a stirring reminder that Jesus is the greatest!!

See you Sunday!

1.  According to Hebrews 1:3 how would Jesus sitting down indicate accomplishment?

2.  Reading Esther 3:1 gives us an appreciation for Jesus' being seated as an honor.

3.  Study the interesting parable and principle Jesus taught about where to sit when you go to a dinner party.  Luke 14:7-11

4.  Note the Biblical emphasis on God's right hand.  Psalm 118:15, 16; Isaiah 62:8

5.  Why is sitting at God's right hand considered a place of blessing?  Psalm 16:11; Matthew 25:34

6.  To sit at God's right hand is to be in the position of authority and power.  Read Exodus 15:6; Luke 22:69

7.  Look at Luke 20:41-44.  Explain the riddle Jesus gives the teachers of the law based on Psalm 110:1.

8.  Do you think we could reverently describe Jesus as God's "right-hand man"? Ephesians 1:20

9.  Why do you think Jesus' posture changed in Acts 7:55-60?