When Jesus stands

When the Son of Man rises from his throne, he will consider our apathy, our disobedience, or our unbelief a serious matter in his presence. He is not a tame lion.

In Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22, Jesus says to the high priest, “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of God.” In the Apostle’s Creed, we confess, “On the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of God.” That’s the common language of the church and in the Bible.

And yet, what does Stephen see, as stated at the end of Acts 7? “Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Standing! Now you might think, well, what’s the difference? He’s seated; he’s standing. It’s not a big deal. But no, this language of being seated at the right hand of God is so common and almost liturgical that mentioning a standing Christ is surely here for a reason.

So why is Jesus standing instead of sitting?

It is for this reason: He has stood to receive Stephen’s testimony and to be his advocate. He has said that he might come forward to be the judge of those who will trample upon God’s prophet. Jesus is rising from his throne to come to Stephen’s defense and to judge his persecutors.

It is the plain fact of Scripture, whether we want to believe it or not: everyone is appointed to die, and after that comes judgment (Heb. 9:27).

Jesus says in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he has done.” Everyone will stand before the throne to face the risen Christ. And it will not be a light thing. When you see the Son of Man in all his glory rise from his throne and stand before you, you will not laugh your way into heaven. You will have a couple witty rejoinders, a little bit of snark, and a few good one-liners. He will not be impressed with all the reasons you have for why you ignored him: “You gave me bad parents!” “I didn’t know any better!” “My life was unfair.” When the Son of Man rises from his throne, he will regard our apathy, our disobedience, or our unbelief as serious in his presence. He is not a tame lion.

He stood to vindicate Stephen, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Article by Clearly Reformed

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Notes

This scene, Jesus at the right hand of God, echoes Jesus' prophecy from when He was on trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:62). It was the statement that the Sanhedrin took as justification to condemn Him to death. Stephen's description seals his fate as Jesus had His. The Sanhedrin cannot indulge in such a public confession that Jesus is God.

Acts 7

1. Stephen, permitted to answer to the accusation of blasphemy,

2. shows that Abraham worshipped God rightly, and how God chose the fathers,

20. before Moses was born, and before the tabernacle and temple were built;

37. that Moses himself witnessed of Christ;

44. and that all outward ceremonies were ordained to last but for a time;

51. They reprehended their rebellion and murdered Christ, whom the prophets had foretold.

54. Whereupon they stone Stephen to death.

59. Who commends his soul to Jesus and humbly prays for them.