The Session of Jesus

The following is an outline from our church family’s study about the Session of Jesus Christ. This was preached on April 11, 2021.

What is the Gospel?

God’s announcement of good news about His Son

The Session of Jesus Christ — What is Jesus doing right now?

Please Read the Following for This Study:

• Psalm 110
• Hebrews 7

Review

Meaning of “Gospel”

• Gospel = Good News
• Announcement of Good News from a king about himself and his kingdom
• Gospel of Jesus Christ = God’s announcement of good news about His Son’s person and work (Romans 1:1-4)

The Heart of the Good News

• Jesus Christ has died for our sins and has come back to life again.
• Response to this Good News: depend solely upon Jesus Christ to rescue us from sin
• Religion’s message is what we must do to be right with God 
• Christianity’s message is that God has done all of the work for us to be right with Him in Jesus Christ – we receive that through faith. 

Summary of Study So Far

Jesus is God who came as a man (the God-man). He lived the perfect life of obedience that God commands which we cannot live. He died the death that we deserved to die in our place for our sins. He rose again the third day, and He is alive forever! He has been lifted up to the Father’s right hand in honor and authority. 

Last Time – The Ascension of Jesus Christ

• Jesus has gone back to the Father in heaven
• This was a public event where individuals on earth saw Him go up (Acts 1:9-11), and heaven received Him (Psalm 110:1).
• The Father has received the Son and given Him the place of highest honor and authority (Psalm 110:1)
• This is evidence that Christ has completed the work of redemption and the Father has affirmed His acceptance of the Son’s work.

This Week:

Philippians 2:9 – “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name”

• Jesus has gone back to the Father. He has been exalted to the place of highest honor and authority.
• What is Jesus Christ doing right now?
• Why does it matter to us?

The Session of Jesus Christ

• Session – “the sitting together of a court, council, legislature, or the like, for conference or the transaction of business: Congress is now in session.” (dictionary.com) – This court is now in session.

• Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand, but He is not dormant.
• He has sat down to indicate that the work of redemption is complete (Hebrews 1:3; 10:11-14) – He does not offer sacrifices daily as the OT priests did, but His was a once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 9:26, 10:10).

• Yet, Jesus is not sitting dormant; He is active.
• So, what is He doing?
• Why does it matter to us?

1. Jesus is ruling with all authority in heaven and earth

• He has authority in heaven (the spiritual realm) (Ephesians 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:3-14)
• He has authority in earth
• He has authority over the church – He is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23)
• He is the One in charge of His church
• He is the Life of His Church (Colossians 3:4)

2. He has given and is giving the Holy Spirit to His people

• John 15:26-27;  16:7 – It is to our advantage that Jesus went away – He sent the Helper (Paraclete) to us.
• Acts 2:33, 38-39 – Jesus has been exalted to the Father’s right hand and has poured out the Holy Spirit. All who repent receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for all the Lord calls to Himself.

• Jesus is present with us through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:20)
• We are sealed, secure, and authentic in our salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)
• We are empowered to live for Jesus through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

3. He gives gifts to His people

• In the ascension of Jesus Christ, He has given gifts to His people to enable our service for Him and to build up His people (Ephesians 4:7-16)
• These gifts are not natural abilities or talents; they are supernatural abilities given by the Lord Jesus to enable us to serve Him (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
• These gifts include:
  1. Men given to the church as gifts to equip the saints for the work of ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers – Ephesians 4:11)
  2. Gifts given to individual believers to enable them to serve Jesus by serving His church for His glory (1 Peter 4:10-11)

4. He serves as our High Priest forever – Hebrews

• This is a very detailed ministry of the Lord Jesus that is too vast for us to cover in one sermon or segment of a sermon (there is a large letter written about this – Hebrews)

OT High Priests:

• OT High Priests represented the people to God, especially in the Day of Atonement sacrifice (Leviticus 16-17) – once each year the High Priest entered God’s presence in the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of a goat on the mercy seat. This would cover the sins of the people for that year – actually, it looked ahead to the sacrifice of Jesus that would cover the sins of His people forever.

• OT High Priests were sinners (Leviticus 16:11-14), temporal (they died! – Hebrews 7:23), and could not actually atone for sins (Hebrews 10:4).
• The OT High Priest’s work was never completed – every day and every year sacrifices had to be made (Hebrews 7:27)

Jesus is an infinitely superior High Priest than the OT High Priests:

• He is a perfect High Priest – He has no sin (Hebrews 7:27)
• His priesthood is forever; He will never die again (Hebrews 7:21-24; Psalm 110:4)
• His priesthood is a royal priesthood – after the order of Melchizedek (Genesis 14; Psalm 110:1, 4; Hebrews 7) – Jesus is King and Priest – Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” and he was “king of Salem” (king of peace).
• His priesthood is not based on ancestry (He was from Judah, not Levi), but it is based in the power of His indestructible, risen life! (Hebrews 7:15-16).
• He has atoned for sin, not in the sacrifice of bulls and goats, but in the sacrifice of His perfect life in our place for our sins (Hebrews 7:27)
• So, Jesus stands as a permanent representation for us in the presence of the Father, interceding for us and advocating for us – His presence there is a continual reminder and representative that our salvation is complete and all our needs are being met in Him.

Why does this matter to us? What makes this good news? (Recap)

• Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand as ruler over this universe, so His plans and mission will be accomplished – we are on the winning side, no matter what.
• From the Father’s right hand, Jesus has given gifts to His church corporately and to each of us individually to equip us to serve Him and enable us to glorify Him by building up His church.
• Jesus is our perfect and permanent High Priest:

• He has paid the penalty for our sin in His sacrifice of Himself – once for all!
• He permanently represents us before the Father – His presence at the Father’s right hand is permanent statement of:
  1. That our salvation is complete in Him – He has accomplished all the work of our salvation
  2. That the Father has forever accepted us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
  3. That all of our needs are being forever met in Jesus Christ

What must I do to be saved?

• Depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ who has paid the penalty for your sin and now sits at the Father’s right hand.
• Draw near to God through Him:
• Hebrews 7:25: “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.”

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”