Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
For those of us that know Jesus as Savior, this is one of the most powerful verses. As we celebrate this week—because He lives—we capture at the end of the verse that He is seated at the place of honor beside God's throne. A lot of other translations use "at God's right hand." The reason why that distinction is so valuable is because there are so many things that come with that description, especially in biblical times. The right hand was used to describe strength, authority, victory, protection, and even honor.
You Are the Joy Set Before Him
Before we get into the rest of it, I want to pause, because this is such a powerful part of this verse. When it starts off, "Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding the shame"—do you realize that you are that joy that was set before Him? Your salvation is that joy. He knew that on the other side of the cross was the hope of redeeming you to Him and to our Father. I didn't want to just move past that without pausing and celebrating it.
The Power of the Right Hand
Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and there are different things in Scripture I want to focus on as to why that is so important. In Exodus chapter 15, verse 6, it talks about the power and strength of the right hand. This is talking about the crossing of the Red Sea, and Moses declared, "Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power," causing the sea to part for them to walk across on dry ground. That's the power of the description of His right hand. It also brings salvation and deliverance. In Psalm chapter 98, verse 1, it describes this when it says "His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him"—the power of salvation and deliverance from the right hand. Another attribute is protection and support. In Isaiah chapter 41, verse 10, it says, "I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
He Is Alive and Working
In our life, we don't serve a God that's no longer living—a God that can't speak to us, isn't alive, isn't moving, isn't working. We get to celebrate that because He lives, He is seated at the right hand of God. The power and strength, the salvation and deliverance, the protection and support are all coming from God's right hand, which is where Jesus is seated. The power of knowing and understanding that. Because sometimes we can think of God as this Old Testament powerful, scary figure—and then to know that Jesus, who died for you, who thought of you as the joy on the other side of that cross, is the one seated at the right hand of God.
That's why He is described in John chapter 1 as the Word—"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God." Jesus is at the right hand, which is the expression to us personally of all of these attributes, of the power and might of His right hand. I hope you're able to live in the hope of that. I love what Romans chapter 8, verse 34 says: "Who then will condemn us? For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is seated in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us."
When Jesus Stands
One last thing I would share. One of the most beautiful and powerful things about Jesus being seated at God's right hand is the account of Stephen. Stephen was sharing the Gospel in Acts, and he was stoned because of it. Before he died, he looked up into heaven and saw Jesus standing at God's right hand. If you know anything about when a king stands as someone enters the room, it signifies admiration, deep respect, and honor for that person. What a powerful thing—that Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, seated at the right hand with all of these attributes we've been talking about, would stand in honor of one of His own.
I would just ask you—take some time with Him today. Because He lives, He is at God's right hand, being the expression of all of this to you today. I encourage you to celebrate that, live within that, and understand that He is on your side today—fighting for you, loving you, protecting you, supporting you. May you rest in that today.
