WORSHIP NOTES
Volume 21, No. 4 (April 2026)
“The dust of the earth is on the throne of the
Majesty on high.” (John Duncan)
Complementing the Incarnation in which the eternal God himself condescends to be one with us in our hurt and creaturely disintegration in order to redeem us from all evil and re-create us from within the ontological depths of our existence, and complementing the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus in which he accomplished this saving mission, is the Ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God the Father. There he who is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh ever lives as our High Priest who through the consummation of his self-sacrifice as the Lamb of God makes intercession for us. As such he is enthroned at the summit of all being as the reconciling center of all things visible and invisible. He is none the other than our Lord Jesus, the incarnation of the Love of God, into whom and around whom all things revolve in the revelation of God to humanity and humanity to God, whose Kingdom, as the Nicene Creed affirms, will have no end.” (Thomas F. Torrance, “The Christ Who Loves Us,” in A Passion for Christ, 18)
Jesus’ Ascension
Mark 16:19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Luke 24:51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
John 6:62 “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?”
John 14:2-2 “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:22 ” . . . beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
Acts 2:32-33 “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand . . . “
Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Eph. 1:20-21 . . .that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Eph. 4:8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Eph. 4:9-10 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
1 Tim. 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Heb. 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, . .
1 Pet. 1:21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Pet. 3:22 . . . who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Jesus’ Exaltation/Session at the Father’s Right Hand/Reign
Matt. 22:44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?”
Matt. 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 12:36 “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’”
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Luke 22:69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
Acts 5:30-31 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Rom. 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Rom. 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
1 Cor. 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
Eph. 1:20-21 . . . that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Eph. 2:6 . . . and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Col. 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Heb. 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Heb. 1:13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
Heb. 7:25-26 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Heb. 8:1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.
Heb. 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
Heb. 12:2 . . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 Pet. 3:22 . . . who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Rev. 1:18 “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”