David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:34-36
The New Testament writers often referred to the verse that Peter quotes here (Psalm 110:1). Peter realised these verses were prophetic. God the Father said to God the Son sit at my right hand to rule and I will subdue your enemies. Peter understood that Jesus had fulfilled this prophecy. Later when Paul writes, he tells his readers that Jesus is seated at God’s right hand, “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion … and God has placed all things under his feet” (Colossians 1:20-22). The right hand of God represents the place of ultimate authority and gives us the picture of Jesus being in control of everything seen and unseen. Jesus being seated tells us that his work of redemption is completed and that the devil’s work is destroyed (1 John 3:8). Even though currently we “do not see everything subject to him” (Hebrews 2:8), spiritually, it is a “done deal.”
Furthermore, Jesus doesn’t leave us orphaned in the world but his Spirit lives with us and is in us (John 14:17-18). His Spirit isn’t restricted by time or space. He teaches, guides, comforts, and convicts. He isn’t an impersonal force or influence but is the living Presence of the risen Lord Jesus. Peter tells us that Jesus has poured out his Holy Spirit and this is what people could “see and hear” (2:33). Having the Holy Spirit in our lives makes a difference experientially—a difference that is seen and heard.
