Westminster Larger Catechism # 54
Commentary by Dr. Chuck Baynard
Q54. How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God?
Answer: Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man
he is advanced to the highest favor with God the father, with all fulness of joy, glory,
and power over all things in heaven and earth; and does gather and defend his church, and
subdue their enemies; furnishes his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and makes
intercession for them.
References: Phil. 2:9; Acts 2:28; Ps. 16:11; John 17:5; Eph. 1:22; 1 Pet. 3:22; Eph.
4:10-12; Ps. 110:1; Rom. 8:34
The most important aspect of this statement is one which is beyond our total
comprehension in my opinion; that is that Jesus not only ascended, but did so with the
nature of man fully and eternally united. I see shadows of being created in God’s
likeness and image, though once broken but now restored as I read this statement by the
Divines and consider the proof texts offered. We will deal more fully with this union of
the natures in the next question concerning how Christ provides intercession for us.
Nonetheless, let us take time here to consider this awesome event.
Though created in perfection and in the likeness of God as His image bearer, by sin man
must be one of the most repulsive things in existence to a holy God. What a fantastic
thought then, that this brokenness, this sinful nature which caused God to
"repent" from having created man in the days of Noah, by the perfect submission,
obedience, and sacrifice of our Lord now is exalted above all and sits at the right hand
of God the Father. (Repent is set apart in that it may indicate that God had changed His
mind in some way, and the destruction of the earth except for the eight souls protected as
a seed was a change in the counsel of God: not so, but was God’s allowing of
terminology that man could understand. God does not change in any way at any time. The one
absolute in all eternity is God.)
I believe that when dealing with the exaltation of Christ, we are dealing with this
God-man, Jesus Christ. As the eternal Son, there is no exaltation God can give or restore.
But as the Christ, fully God yet fully man we have another aspect to consider. Now perhaps
we are getting enough of the full picture as to why it was so necessary that Christ in the
flesh as man also be without sin. Any inherent taint to this nature and it could not
become the most exalted being in heaven or earth. The imputation of our sin to Him is not
the same as if the sin were His, by nature. Yet the existence of this nature of man ever
before God has much to do with the how of Christ’s constant intercession for us.
In John 17 Christ is praying for what is His by virtue of being God. Why ask for what
He already has, and cannot lose? Because as Jesus Christ, even while still alive, the
unity of the natures is in place. He is still God, still one, yet something within the
Godhead has changed. As we consider these things we must be careful we separate neither
the Trinity, nor the human nature that now belongs to the Son. I write these words with
the utmost of humility, for I do not understand the fullness of what I write, but with
prayer and study of God’s holy Word, know that this must be truth. This change cannot
be reversed, and now Jesus Christ, the eternal Son needs to be exalted, that He may return
to the exact same place He came from. Here I find a shift in He who cannot change and must
attempt to maintain the immutability of God, even as I admit something has changed,
something has been added; the nature of man is now united with God, its Creator. That this
was part of the eternal counsel of God does not neatly place this into its slot in the
Godhead and cover the fact that an eternal change, an event has taken place. That this
union, this exaltation is of a necessity I think we can see readily enough. I do not think
we will ever seamlessly explain how this can be. Nonetheless we can rejoice in this truth
and accept God’s immutability by faith.
I find here the true rejoicing (joy) we can have in the fifth petal of our precious
TULIP. As the human nature was united to Christ, never to be separated, we can be sure
that this too is our ultimate place of rest, being fully restored to the likeness and
image of God, as we eternally enter into our place as co-heirs with Jesus Christ. As
nothing can ever remove from Christ His human nature, so nothing can remove us from
God’s hand. As Christ is, so shall we be. In this great event we find the true
meaning then of Christ in His prayer revealed to us in John 17, "... I do not pray
for these alone, but also those who will believe in Me through their word, that they all
may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in you: that they also may be one in
us..." Quite a different picture than that of more popular and worldly pictures of
our future home and place in heaven. We will not be sitting around on clouds playing
harps, but united with Christ forever, even as He is united with God the Father. We find
similar words in Revelation 3:21 where we read "... will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." Not a
city with untold numbers of thrones, but in His throne, which is His Father’s throne.
We will be united with God the Creator in a way I don’t even think we can vaguely
imagine. This concept of unity with God isn’t understood, nor widely taught, and I
have no intention of trying to open a new can of worms here. I only point to the
simplicity of the Scriptures, and the fact that because Christ has gone before us, in our
nature, we too will one day make this same transition into perfect harmony and the
immediate presence of God; and being in Christ now (also mentioned in John 17) are
already. Not the error of becoming God taught by the heretics, but of being one with God
in a way that none can separate us from God, and that this is an accomplished fact already
for the elect.
As we develop this continuing revelation of God and His intent for the elect,
don’t forget what we have had revealed so far. Keep this in the context of God
working in and through the covenant with Christ from the beginning; of the Law being given
to reveal sin and the evil one. The idea of working our way through all of the questions
this way is to develop a complete theology, covering all aspects of life here, and in
heaven. As the circle closes, we become unshakable in our faith and can be used mightily
by God in the revelation of His truth to others. Seeing then that we are eternally His,
gives great comfort and strength during our trip through this temporal world. How precious
then each petal of the reformed TULIP becomes, and we see not only its truth, but
necessity in closing this circle of belief that sheds the darts of the evil one as easily
as water.
The Divines again insert many things that are Biblical truth, but in my opinion not
germane to the exaltation of Christ. Yes Christ intercedes for us, Yes He gathers and
defends His church, and most of all He gives us the gifts we need to accomplish our work
in His name here. However the portion of the statement dealing with the glory, power, and
authority of Christ we need to burn into our memory. The victory has been won, and we
simply wait for its manifestation in time. Christ "has been" exalted and
returned to the right hand of God. Christ is the King! That He will one day appear on
earth, manifest as the King of kings and Lord of lords is a great and wonderful truth we
all should be praying for constantly, loving the appearance of Christ; yet, the truth is,
this isn’t a new accomplishment, but the manifestation on earth of what is already
true in heaven, an accomplished deed in the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God
the Father.
Dr. Chuck Baynard - May 1998
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