A Bible lesson by Ivor Jefferies
1. How did Jesus ascend into heaven, and what happened afterwards?
Read Acts 1:9-11, 2:33-36, Ps. 24:7-10, 110:1, Dan. 7:13-14, John 17:5, Eph. 1:20-22, 4:7-8, Rev. 5:6-14.
2. What is the significance of Christ sitting at the Father’s right hand?
Read Heb. 10:11-12, Rev. 19:16, 20:11.1
3. What is Jesus doing now?
Read Matt. 9:38, 16:18, 18:20, 28:20, John 14:2, 13-14, 17:24, Acts 1:1, 7:55-56, 59-60, 9:4-5, 17, 34, 18:9-10, 2 Cor. 12:9, Heb. 7:25, 1 Cor. 15:25, Rev. 2:1, 9, 3:19-20, 7:9-10, 17.
4. What is Jesus praying for now, and how should this encourage us?
Read Ps. 2:8, Luke 22:31-32, John 17:2-3, 9, 11, 15, 17, 20-24, 26, Rom. 8:34, 26-39, Heb. 4:14-16, 1 John 2:1.
“It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers; and that He prays for our protection against the dangers of which we are not even conscious, and against the enemies which threaten us, though we do not notice it. He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end.” (Louis Berkhof).2
Christ prays for his own by name, and according to their needs. Robert Murray McCheyne said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million of enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”3
Do not think of Christ as kneeling at the Father’s side, or that He is always praying and doing nothing else. Keep in mind that Jesus is God and one with the Father, therefore He can pray around the clock and do many other things at once (John 1:1, 10:30). He needn't verbalize each request, since our names and needs are forever on his heart. The Father shares and knows the Son’s mind, and answers each request accordingly.
5. How is Jesus superior to each part of the Old Testament tabernacle?
- The fence: Exo. 27:9-19, Eph. 2:13-14, 18.
- The bronze altar and the sacrifice: Exo. 27:1-8, Lev. 22:17-25, Heb. 7:26, 10:1-4, 14.
- The bronze basin: Exo. 30:17-21, John 13:10, 1 John 1:9.
- The different layers of the tabernacle: Exodus 26, Isa. 53:2, Matt. 17:2, 2 Cor. 5:16.
- The table of showbread: Exo. 25:23-30, John 6:11-13, 32-35, 1 Cor. 11:23-24.
- The lampstand: Exo. 25:31-40, John 8:12, Rev. 1:20, 2:1.
- The altar of incense: Exo. 30:1-10, Heb. 7:25, Rev. 8:3-4.
- The veil and the ark: Exo. 25:10-22, 26:31-33, Matt. 27:51, Heb. 4:14, 16, 9:3-7, 24-26, 10:19-22.
- The high priest: Lev. 16:2, 6, 29-30, 21:15-20, 2 Chron. 26:16-21, Zech. 6:11-13, 1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 7:16, 23-27.
6. In Christ every believer is a priest. How should we serve God as such?
Read Ps. 51:17, 141:2, Rom. 12:1, 15:16, Phil. 4:18, Heb. 13:15-16, 1 Pet. 2:5.
1 According to John 5:22, 27 and Acts 17:31 Jesus is the Judge of Revelation 20.
2 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1939, 1958), 403.
3 Alexander Smellie, Biography of R.M. McCheyne: A Burning Light (Fearn, Ross-shire: Christian Focus Publications, 1995), 128.