Our readings in this series are from the book, What in Heaven Is Jesus Doing on Earth? Jesus has ascended into heaven and is seated at the Father’s right hand. Can you see Him there? Yes, you can. Here’s a reading from the Forward, pages 3 and 4:
“As the Puritan John Owen observed, everyone holds in mind some image of Jesus, which begins to present itself each time His Name is mentioned or He is approached in worship or prayer: “Every [believer] hath the idea or image of Christ in his mind, in the eye of faith, as it is represented unto him in the glass of the Gospel…We behold His glory ‘in a glass,’ which implants the image of it on our minds.” This, Owen insisted, is a very good thing, because “hereby the mind is transformed into the same image, made like unto Christ so represented unto us – which is the conformity we speak of. Hence every true believer hath his heart under the conduct of an habitual inclination and desire to be like unto Christ” (Christologia).
“When Jesus ascended to heaven and took His seat at the Father’s right hand – as we dutifully confess in the Apostles’ Creed – He did so in a glorified body, a glimpse of which the three disciples were given on the Mount of Transfiguration, and which John described in splendor and majesty in Revelation 1. Additional glimpses of Jesus, exalted in glory, shine forth from the Psalms, in various of the Prophets, and again in Revelation. We can be sure that, though we see these as in a glass darkly, we see them truly, as described by those who reported to us what God has revealed for our good.”
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
- How would you describe your vision of Jesus? How does that vision affect you?
2. Since we see this vision through a glass darkly, what should we expect as we seek to improve our vision of Jesus?
Order your copy of What in Heaven? either in book form or as a free PDF by going to The Ailbe Bookstore. Forward today’s podcast to a friend and invite them to read and study with you as you discover the important implications of Jesus’ reign at the Father’s right hand. Seeing Jesus as we should can enrich and enlarge your faith to give you more courage, creativity, and consistency in following Jesus. So it’s important we get this right.
