When we think of Christ in heaven we often think of Him as victorious, powerful, unapproachable and He cannot truly relate how we feel or understand our suffering. However even though Jesus is in heaven, His heart is still totally for believers. The heart of Christ in heaven is still 100% totally for His people on earth.
We read in Hebrew 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.”
Puritan, Thomas Goodwin said this verse help believers know how Christ’s ‘heart beats and His bowels yearns towards us even now He’s in glory.’ This verse is to encourage the believer beyond anything that may discourage them.
Maybe we are tempted to think that Jesus is now too distant because of all His power and glory in heaven. While Jesus was on earth you may have thought ‘I can relate to this friend of sinners but now with all my guilt, sufferings and trails, I cannot relate to this Christ in heaven who is so glorious, who is above and beyond me.’
Wonderfully, again Thomas Goodwin points out that the incarnation is not over! He says that Jesus, in His ascension, didn’t get rid of any of that human nature. He took it with Him all the way to the throne. If anything Christ’s heart beats more strongly for believers.
Jesus strength doesn’t reduce His sympathy. Spurgeon said, “The sympathy of Jesus is the second best thing next to His sacrifice.”
If you read Acts 7 we see Stephen who speaks this epic Bible overview to the religious teachers. And because of Stephen’s stand for Jesus and the anger of the teachers, Stephen is stoned to death. And we read in Acts 7:55-56
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”
Twice there we see Jesus ‘Standing at the right hand side of God.’ I don’t know if that surprises you? Usually when we think about where Jesus in heaven we think of Him seated at the right hand side of the Father. In Acts 7, we see Him standing. Why? The sympathy of Jesus.
The heart of Christ is so inclined to towards His people, that it causes Him to stand when He sees their affliction. When you go through suffering, persecution, loneliness, depression or grief, when Jesus sees the suffering of those He loves, it makes Him stand and say in loving compassion, “Father, see my brother! See my sister!”
He watches over us with such love, He stands when He sees our afflictions. Christ cannot love you more than He already does.
Spurgeon said, “Jesus is touched not by your strength, He is touch by your frailty. As the mother feels the weakness of her baby, so does Jesus feel for the weakest and poorest of His chosen.”
Lloyd
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