Seated on the Throne

 

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (Psalm 110:1-7 ESV).

 

Artists through the centuries have struggled to depict the Ascension. It is understandable since it had never happened before or since. However, many feel that the commissioned work by Rembrandt (pictured here) seems to have caught at least some of the feel of that event. One critic says:

 

“Jesus ascends standing on a small cloud which seems to be continuous with the helm of his extensive cloak.  Little cherubs look as if they are attaching themselves to the cloud as children might do were this a passing cart. But some of them look as if they are propelling it upwards. Their playfulness communicates joy.  Christ is fully clothed in abundant white and radiates light.  Yet we see that his feet are solidly planted on the cloud.   We also see the wounds in his hands, once outstretched on the cross but now stretched out in glory, inviting those below to follow him.  On the right , the disciples are caught up into the scene above them. Some have hands joined but the one in the centre spreads his arms as Christ does, surely aspiring to follow him.  This Christ is as human as they are, but his humanity is now exalted and glorified.”

 

Soon we will be celebrating Ascension Day on the calendar of the church. Forty days after Easter Sunday, Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving his disciples to do the work of his church on earth. In today’s reading, we have a glimpse of that day from King David, who wrote this psalm. Jesus is in the genealogy line of King David. About 1,000 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem (David’s hometown), David gave thanks and praise to God as he wrote this psalm. Jesus links himself to this psalm in the gospel of Matthew. He asks the religious leaders and teachers, “Whose son is the Christ (or, Messiah)?” They all answer that the Christ is the Son of David. Jesus then asks how that son can be called a lord over King David. To back up his point, Jesus quotes the first verse of the psalm, which they know is a prophecy of the Messiah, who would one day sit at God’s right hand. The teachers are silent. They don’t know how to answer. (cf. Matthew 22:41-46). The answer is in the fact that Jesus has always been with God the Father. He has always been the Son of God, even before he became the Son of David. As the Apostle Paul explains, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17); isn’t it amazing and humbling that the triune God was working out this story from the beginning of time? He has worked out every detail of our story as well. Now, that’s Good News!