The Session of Christ is the present exalted state of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus as He sits at the right hand of God the Father.
It is the ongoing phase of His mediatorial work that follows the cross, resurrection, and ascension and continues until He returns.
From His session Christ intercedes for His people, rules over all creation, pours out the Spirit, and builds His church.
The session declares that the work of atonement is finished, that all authority has been given to the Son, and that His final victory is certain.
After Jesus offered Himself once for all as the perfect sacrifice, He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This “session” (from the Latin for “sitting”) is the theological term for His present position and activity. Unlike the priests of the old covenant who stood daily because their work was never done, Christ sat down, signaling that the sacrificial task is complete. From that place of highest honor and authority He exercises His threefold office: as Prophet He continues to speak through His Word and Spirit; as Priest He lives to intercede for those who draw near to God through Him; as King He reigns over every power and advances His kingdom until all enemies are put under His feet. Believers are already seated with Him in the heavenly places by faith and live under the reality of His present reign while they await the open manifestation of His kingdom at His return.
- The session of Christ is His present seated reign at the right hand of God following the ascension.
- The seated posture declares that the once-for-all sacrifice has been accepted and the work of atonement is finished.
- From His session Christ exercises His offices as Prophet, Priest, and King.
- He continually intercedes for His people and secures their final salvation.
- All rule, authority, power, and dominion are already under His feet.
- Believers share in His session by being seated with Him in the heavenly places.
- The session continues until every enemy is subdued and He returns in glory.
- Finished Atonement – The sitting down of Christ marks the completion and acceptance of His once-for-all offering.
- Supreme Authority – All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him; every name is under His name.
- Ongoing Intercession – As High Priest He appears in the presence of God on behalf of His people.
- Present Reign – He rules over the church and over the nations, directing history toward its appointed end.
- Outpouring of the Spirit – From the right hand of the Father He sends the Spirit and distributes gifts to the church.
- Believers’ Participation – Those united to Christ are already seated with Him and share His victory.
- Waiting for Consummation – He remains at the right hand until His enemies are made a footstool and the kingdom is fully realized.
- Hebrews 1:3 – “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
- Hebrews 8:1 – “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.”
- Hebrews 10:12-13 – “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.”
- Hebrews 12:2 – “…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- Psalm 110:1 – “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”
- Acts 2:33-35 – “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing… ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”
- Romans 8:34 – “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
- Ephesians 1:20-22 – God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion… And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.”
- Ephesians 2:6 – “…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
- Colossians 3:1 – “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 – Jesus Christ “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”
- Mark 16:19 – “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”
- Acts 7:55-56 – Stephen sees “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
- Revelation 3:21 – “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:25 – “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”
The session of Christ is the present tense of the gospel. The sacrifice has been offered once for all; the Son has sat down. From the right hand of the Majesty on high He intercedes, reigns, and pours out the Spirit. Every power is already under His feet, and every believer is already seated with Him in the heavenly places. The church does not wait for a future victory; it lives under a present reign and moves toward a certain consummation. Therefore set your mind on things above, where Christ is seated. Trust His finished work. Depend on His present intercession. And take heart: the One who sits at the right hand will remain there until every enemy is subdued and the kingdom is the Lord’s forever.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.