Our Savior at the Throne

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (Hebrews 4:13).

Where is Jesus these days? In the heavens at the Throne of God, that’s where. The New Testament writings give three who bore witness to this reality – Stephen, Paul, and John.

Stephen was a deacon chosen from among the earliest believers in Jerusalem to serve in the administration of widow support. We read in Acts 6 that a pattern of prejudice sprang up in the church.

Yes, even at the start there were church disputes. A cultural conflict needed a solution because “there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. …” (Acts 6:1).

The Apostles allowed the congregation to select men to handle this detail and Stephen was one of the seven chosen. He also proved to be a remarkable apologist and preacher. His words cut to the heart of unbelieving Jews to such a degree that he faced a tribunal.

Stephen’s defense of the Gospel was delivered with a face that was aglow like that of an angel. At the climax of his message, he shouted, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

His hearers fell into rage. The mob dragged him out of town and stoned him to death. Stephen went to Jesus with forgiveness on his lips, saying “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Hebrews 7:60).

The Light and the Lamb

Paul watched the execution of Stephen and stirred a program of persecution. He was involved in that activity and was en route to round up Jesus followers in Damascus when he got a vision from above. “… Suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven…“(Acts 9:3).

This enemy of the faith was blinded and fell to earth as Jesus spoke to him. As a result of that encounter, he began telling everyone, everywhere, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the anointed Messiah promised from the Scriptures.

John the Apostle, in his Revelation, made several references to the Lamb who was slain, but now “alive forevermore,” standing in the midst of the Throne of God. “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb who had been slain. …” (Revelation 5:6).

Our great Savior who is seated above knows all that we are going through. What’s more, He is aware of our very experiences, for they were His experiences as well: “For we have not an High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14).

The writer of Hebrews wanted to get this point across to his readers. These were people in distress and discouraged. Persecution weighed on them. He sought to deliver a prescription for vision correction.

See the Reality

“Seeing” – open the eyes of your heart to the truth of who Jesus is and where He is now. Get this reality settled in your mind. Get a grip, he said — “Let us hold fast to our profession.”

The writer was right there with his audience. He wanted them to see Jesus as He was seeing Jesus. It was his profession that he communicated. He sealed this section with this marvelous instruction.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

We really can allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with feelings of unworthiness. It is natural and all of us get tripped up from time to time. We struggle in our walk of faith.

None can separate us from Christ. We are His and He is ours. Share on X

That’s why our understanding of these truths is so important. None can separate us from Christ. We are His and He is ours.

Jesus said this so clearly in John 10: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

Look closely at these words. We have been given eternal life and shall never perish. We are in the Son’s hand and in the Father’s hand. Seems like we have a double layer of protection afforded to our souls

Who or what could ever get to us to snatch us away from Him? No one and nothing can get to us now. We belong totally and completely to Him.

There for Us as Us

Jesus the Righteous One passed into the Heavens and abides at the Throne. And because He is there as our Advocate, our Representative, we are most welcome.

So we should come to Him and the Throne. We should come with an absolute confidence that only the Holy Spirit can settle into our hearts and minds.

Don’t be thrown off by human ideas about priests. Jesus came as a Priest after an eternal order, one rooted in Melchizedek.

This strange and mysterious servant of the Lord showed up with a table of bread and wine for Abraham, after he had won a miracle battle to save the prisoners swept out of Sodom (see Genesis 14:7). His priesthood was not based human standards.

Rather, the order of priesthood conferred on the Son is validated in the power of His endless life. His role as our priest is something He holds permanently because He died for us and is alive forevermore. Resurrected to glory and ascended to glory, He stands there for us.

Here is the kicker for me. This is the reality of ultimate comfort regarding the Son:

“Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Again, where is Jesus? At the right hand of the Father.

What is He doing? Interceding for us as our Advocate.

We have more than a friend at the Throne of Grace. We have the King of kings and Lord of lords speaking on our behalf.

For us this is a no-lose situation.