The one who descended only to ascend again to sit “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3) gave us what was never true before! While on earth, he was Deity in a flesh and blood body; just like the one God made at the beginning: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). But he would discard his human body as he ascended. Read what Luke wrote about the event: “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).
These eleven men were permitted to see what eye had never seen before and would never see again; as this was a one-time event: the ascension of Jesus, the Christ! What a look, as Luke put it, “while they beheld.” There were several things these men did not know but would be delivered by the Holy Spirit, but at they did look, they were able to see a one-time event: the ascension of Jesus, the Son of God! The human pen cannot really write it any better than the pen of Luke, for he wrote as the Holy Spirit gave him to write. You see, Luke was not one of those who were allowed to see Jesus ascend! His words are brief but fill the human mind with wonder: 1) What was it like to look and see Jesus ascend? 2) When did he and how did he, shed that human body in which he had lived for those brief thirty-three years? and 3) Did Jesus, as he went up, ever look back to what he was leaving? Oh, the wonder of it all!
The ascension as it relates to this article takes us from the earth to “the right hand of the Majesty on high.” So great was this event, the inspired writer of the Hebrew letter, called it a begetting: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” (Heb. 1:5). The “begetting” of this verse does not refer to the time Jesus was “begotten” of the Holy Spirit as Matthew wrote: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). The words, “she was found,” simply mean she was begotten of the Holy Spirit! However, the words, “this day have I begotten thee,” do not refer to this event but to the ascension of Jesus; just as Paul said in “Antioch in Pisidia” while in the synagogue on the sabbath day: “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Acts 13:33). Paul here identifies from which he is quoting, as he said: “as it is also written in the second psalm.” Therefore, no one can claim that we are using “human understanding,” as though human understanding of a text is somehow nothing, but a guess and is always unreliable! Nevertheless, we have the Holy Spirit, as Paul spoke by the Holy Spirit, identifying to what event the second Psalm refers! It is to the ascension of Jesus, at which time he would take his rightful seat “at the right hand of the Majesty on high!” Just a note here, it will help you form a better understanding of this and the other verses of Hebrews chapter one, if you would change the word “angel” to prophet; this would have the text read: “For unto which of the angels – the prophets – said he at any time.” As great as were the Old Testament prophets, never did God say to any of them, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee!” No, these words were reserved for but one and that one is Jesus, the Christ!
As the Son of God took his seat “at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” he would be there for us! As it is such a place of honor, and it truly is, the Son of God is there for us! Between the time he set down “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” until the last enemy shall be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:25), he is there for our benefit! First, it may be written as Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6); remove Jesus from this text and how would man come unto the Father? Man would not be able to come unto the Father! The Son of God may be seen as truly placed between God and man; as John wrote: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
Think on these things! For us, who have all sinned, for us who are in need of an “advocate,” there is one who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High, Jesus the Righteous One!
Frank R. Williams