HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. HE IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER
“In Christ, deity and humanity, uncreated God and created man … are everlastingly joined. There is a man in heaven who is also God: eternally beloved, infinitely valued. He now gives massive significance to us as human beings and to every part of our humanness.” (Peter Lewis, The Glory of Christ, chapter 27)
According to Peter Lewis, as expressed in the quotation above, even though the universe is vast and seemingly void, we human beings, “puny earthlings” do, after all, have significance and value. The Christian message includes the idea that there is a point to it all, that God is interested enough in us not only to become a human being himself, but even to remain a human being forever. As I alluded to earlier, this implies also that the good news of Jesus Christ is not only about spiritual matters, (“saving souls”) but also the gritty reality of physical human need and suffering.
Scripture teaches that Christ is seated as our High Priest, having offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins and, as such, mediating and interceding for those who turn to him and put their trust in him, as indeed he did in Gethsemane (see John 17.20-26). He calls us to serve God and others in love, as those who have significance and meaning. Though we often struggle and fall, he is sympathetic to our human weakness, and invites us to come boldly before his throne of grace in prayer to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (see Hebrews 4.14-16).
(See other posts in this series and check out Edward’s book)