Christ is Superior in Position (Hebrews 1:3)

“Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

·            Christ has a very high and noble position. He sits at the right hand of God Almighty in heaven. Prophets have their honor but it is far inferior to Christ’s honor.

·         This sets Christ in the position where what is described in the rest of the Book is possible…

·         Sitting down at the right hand of the supreme king was an image of the ultimate honor and alludes to Psalm 110:1, cited explicitly in 1:13. ^[1]

·         This verb has a number of meanings:[2]

·         Basic meaning is to sit (down)

·         Matthew 5:1

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

·         John 8:2

² Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

·         be in high position, formally, sit on the right side

·         Matthew 20:23

²³ So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

·         Mark 10:40

⁴⁰ but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

·         Mark 16:19

¹⁹ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

·         Another use of that “snapshot” past - it is past, we need to note it, but that is not the main point so much as the action is done.

·      at the right hand

·         This is the point of the action.

·         Christ sat down - that action is accomplished, but it is not the main idea - this is

·         WHERE is the main idea

·         The preposition introducing, the phrase is one of those that depends on the case of the noun in the phrase, here in the Dative.

·         That causes it to be a marker of location

·         There is no “hand”; it is implied to make the English a little easier to understand.

·         “at the right” -

·         Aside from the normal “right versus left” use, it was used metaphorically of “power” or “authority,”[3]

·         Acts 2:33; with ek, signifying  “on” followed by the genitive plural,

·         Matthew 26:64

⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

·         Mark 14:62

⁶² Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

·         It was also used similarly of “a place of honor in the messianic kingdom,”

·         Matthew 20:21

And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

·         Mark 10:37

They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

·         “…at the right hand…” - Used 27 times…among them:

·         Matthew 25:33

And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

·         Matthew 26:64

Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

·         Mark 12:36

For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’

·         Mark 14:62

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

·         Luke 20:42

Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “ Sit at My right hand,

·         Luke 22:69

Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

·         Hebrews 12:2

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

·         1 Peter 3:22

who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

·         The Son’s enthronement at God’s “right hand” in heaven, promised in Ps. 110:1

¹ The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

·         The reference is also mentioned (re: angels) in  Hebrews 1:13

¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

·         It reveals His superiority in two ways.

·         First, at the “right hand” of the Majesty Christ is ministering in the true, heavenly sanctuary and not an earthly copy (8:1, 2, 5).

¹ Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. [pause and think about that for a moment - that the LORD ERECTED! -  I don’t know if there is “real” tabernacle/Temple up there or not, but Whoa!]

⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

·         Secondly, He “sat down” because His sacrificial work (unlike that of Levitical priests) was finished once for all (Hebrews 10:11, 12).^[4]

¹¹ And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

·         One Tabernacle/Temple - One Sacrifice - Then He sat Down!

 

·         The only question left is Whose right hand?

·      of the Majesty[5]

·         prominence, majesty as in that which is ascribed to God in worship…

·         Jude 25

²⁵ To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

·         The idea is One whose prominence is higher and whose majesty is greater than any other.

·         In the LXX it is translated mostly by the word “greatness”

·         That leads to the logical tangent is what we have here - God can be called “The Majesty”

·         He is here in Hebrews 1:3 and in Hebrews 8:1

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

·         Because it can refer to human greatnesses, the author specifies “on High”

·      on high,

·         An adjective meaning tall or high[6]

·         Matthew 4:8

⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

·         Likewise Mt. 17:1; Mk 9:2; Rev 21:10; Rev. 12; Lk 4:5 v.r.

·         But it can also be used as a metaphor…

·         Hence in this context it refers to the world above, i.e., heaven

·         Actually, this is the only place it is used in this particular fashion…  

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^[1]       Op. Cit., Keener and InterVarsity Press, The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament, Heb 1:3.

[2]       Op. Cit., Swanson, Dictionary.

[3]       W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996). 534.

^[4]       Luder G. Whitlock, R. C. Sproul, Bruce K. Waltke and Moisš Silva, Reformation Study Bible, the : Bringing the Light of the Reformation to Scripture : New King James Version (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1995). Heb 1:3.

[5]       Op. Cit., Swanson.

[6]       Op. Cit., Swanson, Dictionary.