I edited this old post this morning because I might use it for something. And if I’m going to put time in on it, I might as well repost it, right?
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:11-14 ESV)
The description of Christ sitting at the right hand of God makes us think, first of all, of the exalted position of Christ. And yes, his exalted position is important, expressing to us that Jesus is Lord of All and that every creature is obligated to bow to him and confess him as Lord. But I’m not focusing here on Christ’s placement as coequal with the Father; I’m looking at the description of Christ’s posture and what that tells us.
An old covenant priest stood daily in his priestly work. He was always in a standing position in God’s presence because his ministry was never done. Over and over again, every day, he offered the same sacrifices. His sacrifices had to be repeated because they were ineffectual: they didn’t actually take away sins. They were, we might say, a stop-gap measure rather than a real solution. The old covenant priest’s sacrifices never cleansed completely, and the outward cleansing they provided was only temporary.
There’s a pathetic quality to this picture, isn’t there? I like to complain that “a woman’s work is never done,” but I’ve got nothing on those old order priests. Day in and day out they did exactly the same work, and that it was necessary for them to keep standing and repeating only served as a reminder of the unsatisfactory nature of their work.
Not so with Christ’s work as priest: Christ offered one sacrifice of himself and then he sat down on the right hand of God. His work was over. It was over because it was effectual—not a stop-gap measure, but a real solution that took care of the whole problem all at once. It “perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Never again does his work have to be repeated, for our High Priest did a complete job: his work cleanses completely and cleanses forever. It is finished.
So Christ is right now sitting and waiting for his enemies to become his footstool. He can take a resting position because the once-for-all-time sacrifice has been offered. The job is done. Even though his enemies are not yet lying beneath his feet, the work that will bring him certain victory over them has been accomplished.
And because Christ sits, we can rest. If we believe, we share in the benefits of his work. We have forgiveness and where there is forgiveness, “there is no longer any offering for sin.” The work is done and we can rest in the forgiveness he has accomplished for us.
What’s more, because he sits, we can come. That his priestly sacrifice was completely effective means that
we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10: 19-22 ESV).
Our full assurance and our bold approach are grounded in his completed work. There is a dedicated access road for us. That our Priest is a sitting Priest confirms to us that our hearts have been sprinkled clean; our bodies have been washed; we are fully and finally forgiven; and the way is opened for us. Let us draw near!
He came, he died, he rose, and now he sits, so we can rest from our work and enter his presence.