CHRIST'S PRESENT POSITION AND MINISTRY

 Christians are often so preoccupied with speculations regarding the time of Christ's coming to earth to set everything right that they forget the fact that Christ is already reigning universally. Here are a few comments from noted theologians belonging to varying doctrinal camps explaining the scope of that present ministry. On this issue, they appear to be remarkably in agreement with one another. You may want to look up the biblical references that are cited below to get a fuller picture of Christ's position, power and activities today.

Ladd: “He is now reigning as King at God's right hand (I Cor. 15:25). However, his reign and his Lordship are not evident to the world...In view of the Pauline emphasis that Jesus has now been exalted and is reigning as Lord at God's right hand (Eph. 1:20-27; Phil. 2:9), we must think of Christ as beginning his kingly reign at his ascension...Lord and king are interchangeable, expressing Christ's exalted sovereignty. His sovereignty rests...on his resurrection...The glory that is now his is known only by men of faith. So far as the world is concerned, Christ's reign is only potential and unrealized. Nevertheless, contrary to appearances, he is reigning and 'he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet' (1 Cor. 15:25). Then his reign must become public in power and glory and the Lordship universally recognized (Phil. 2:10-11).”

Ryrie enumerates the various activities of Christ that comprise His ministry since His ascension:

“He formed the body by sending the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to baptize believers into the body (Acts 1:5; 2:33; 1 Cor. 12:13).”

“He sanctifies it [i.e. the body] (Eph. 5:26), a reference to the entire process of sanctification which begins at conversion and continues until we are presented perfect in His presence in heaven...His work of sanctifying includes nourishing and cherishing His body (Eph. 5:29. To nourish means to bring to maturity (as in 6:4).”

“Our ascended Lord also gives gifts to the body (Eph 4:7-13)...Here Paul uses an illustration from Psalm 68:18 in which the triumphant warrior is exalted when he returns with captured prisoners. He receives gifts from the conquered people and gives gifts to his own people. Christ conquered sin and death during His ministry on earth; now He gives gifts to His followers during His ministry in heaven. In 1 Corinthians 12:5 the giving of gifts is also related to the Lord.”

“The ascended Lord also empowers the body (John 15:1-10). This well-known illustration of the vine and branches makes clear that without the power of the living Christ flowing through us we can do nothing. Clearly that power is resurrection power dependent on a relationship of our being in Him and His being in us (14:17).”

“As a faithful Priest our Lord sympathizes, succors, and gives grace to His people (Heb. 2:18; 4:14-16). ..As a faithful Priest our Lord intercedes for His people (7:25)...As to the exact form this ministry may take in communication or mentioning our needs we cannot fully know; but it apparently focuses both on the positive aspect of asking that things be prevented from happening in our lives (Luke 22:23) and the negative aspect of cleansing us from evil things that do happen (1 John 2:1-2). We will not know until we are in heaven all that this ministry of our High Priest has meant in our lives, both in its positive and negative facets.”

“Just before his death the Lord informed the disciples that He was shortly going to prepare a place for them after which He would return in order to take them there (John 14:1-3).”

Furnish: “There are various aspects of Christ's lordship unfolded in Paul's preaching, but of first importance is the eschatological. It is true that the expectation of the future parousia of the Messiah who will judge and redeem is still alive in Paul, and that the title “Lord' is characteristically applied in this connection...But primarily the lordship is seen as already operative...Through his death-resurrection he has been enthroned in power to exercise his dominion already in the present age: 'For to this end Christ died and lived, that he might reign...over the dead and the living' (Rom. 14:9). ...Christ himself continues to reign, for God has put all things in subjection to him (I Cor. 15:25,27)...At its center, then, Paul's gospel of the Lord Jesus who lives and reigns is a declaration concerning the believer's relationship to Christ as Lord.”

Cullmann: Christ's present works even have their consequences in our own lives on earth. “The new element in the New Testament is not eschatology, but what I call the tension between the decisive 'already fulfilled' and the 'not yet completed,' between present and future. The whole theology of the New Testament, including Jesus' preaching is qualified by this tension...The tension between the 'already' and the 'not yet' is illustrated in various ways: 'We are holy; this means that we should sanctify ourselves. We have received the Spirit; this means that we should 'walk in the Spirit.' In Christ we already have redemption from the power of sin; this means that now as never before we must battle against sin.”

Marshall: And the same applies to Christ's present work through the Church as a body. “Acts refers to the Gospel's relation of 'all that Jesus began to do and teach' (Acts 1:1); the second book relates all that Jesus continued to do and teach through his followers who acted 'in his name' (Acts 3:6,16; 16:18)....It is...through the Spirit [of Jesus] that Jesus is active in the early Christians and their mission...His exaltation led to his 'reign', which will continue until the time when all opposition to him has been overcome and he hands over his kingdom to his Father (1 Cor. 15:24-25).”

Intercession: I was rather surprised to see that Jesus' continued intercession for us in heaven (Romans 8:34b; Hebrews 7:25) was not included in any of the above comments on His continuing activities in heaven. It turns out that it is a somewhat controversial subject, as you can see from the quotes below from some prominent scholars:

    Ellingsworth on Hebrews 7:25: “In both these passages the language is too general to determine whether prayer for help or for forgiveness is intended. Such partial parallels as 2:18; 4:15; 5:2,7 suggest the more inclusive meaning 'help.' Where the forgiveness of sins is specifically mentioned, as in 9:22; 10:18, it is linked with Christ's one sacrifice rather than with his continuing intercession...but there is no logical or theological reason why the author should not have linked the one sacrifice and the constant intercession as naturally as Paul does in Rom. 8:34.”

    Bruce says that “the teaching and action of Jesus on earth must have encouraged His disciples to recognize in Him their all-prevailing intercessor...(Luke 22:32). If it be asked what form His heavenly intercession takes, what better answer can be given than that He still does for His people at the right of God what He did for Peter on earth? He is not to be thought of 'as...standing ever before the Father with outstretched arms...pleading our cause in the presence of a reluctant God; but as a throned Priest-King, asking what He will from a Father who always hears and grants His request.'” (Swete)

    Murray: “Only here [i.e. Romans 8:34b] and in Hebrews 7:25 is the heavenly intercession of Christ expressly mentioned. But it is implied in other passages (cf. John 14:16; I John 2:1; possibly Isa. 53:12). That 'intercession' is referred to in this verse is beyond reasonable question – the same term is used with reference to the Holy Spirit in verses 26, 27. The reality of heavenly intercession on the part of Christ is, therefore, beyond question...the evidence will demonstrate that every need of the believer and every grace requisite to consummate his redemption are brought within the scope of Christ's intercession (cf. 7:24, 25)...Nothing serves to verify the intimacy and constancy of the Redeemer's preoccupation with the security of his people, nothing assures us of his unchanging love more than the tenderness which his heavenly priesthood bespeaks and particularly as it comes to expression in intercession for us.”

    Fitzmyer: “The risen, exalted Christ still presents his supplication to the Father on behalf of the Christian elect. So not only the Spirit intercedes for Christians ([Rom.] 8:26-27), but also the heavenly Christ. Cf. 1 John 2:1, where Christ is depicted as the Paraclete; Eph 1:20. Such an exalted intercessor cannot assume the role of an accuser or one who will condemn us.”

    Kasemann: “His [Paul's] first concern is with the death of Jesus which sets aside all condemnation. This event certainly belongs to the past but to to a past that has been overcome (cf. 4:25; 5:10). For he who died for us is now the risen Lord who according to the interpretation of messianic prophecy current in primitive Christianity sits as he exalted One at the right hand of God. He can thus be our constant Intercessor like the High Priest of Heb 7:25 or the Paraclete of 1 John 2:1, warding off even future accusations against us.”

These scholars above all agree that Christ is still actively interceding for us, even though they may have slightly different explanations of the exact nature of that intercession. But that is not a universally held opinion, as seen in the next two citations:

    Morris: “His [Christ's] death removes the possibility of condemnation for those who are in him...The death is important, and indeed central. But it does not stand on its own, and Paul proceeds to the thought that Christ was raised...Christ is at the right hand of God, an important part of New Testament teaching....It means that he is in the place of highest honor in heaven. The posture of sitting (Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, etc.) signifies 'the finished work of Christ'...This means that we should take 'is also interceding for us' with some care (cf. Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). We should interpret the intercession passages in the light of frequent references to sitting at the right hand of God. His presence at God's right hand in his capacity as the one who died for sinners and rose again is itself the intercession.”

    Wescott: “The modern conception of Christ pleading in heaven His Passion 'offering His blood,' on behalf of men, has no foundation in the Epistle (i.e. Hebrews). His glorified humanity is the eternal pledge of the absolute efficacy of His accomplished work. He pleads, as older writers truly expressed the thought, by his presence on the Father's Throne.”