Where is Jesus now?
Question 3021
It is one thing to know that Jesus rose from the dead; it is quite another to know where He is right now and what He is doing. The ascension of Jesus is not simply the end of His earthly ministry but the beginning of something wonderful for every believer. Where is Jesus at this very moment? The answer is both straightforward and deeply encouraging.
The Ascension and Exaltation
Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. Luke records this event twice, once at the end of his Gospel and once at the beginning of Acts. “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9) This was no disappearing act or spiritual dissolution. Jesus, in His glorified human body, was taken up visibly and physically into the heavenly realm. The two angels who appeared immediately afterwards confirmed this: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
But where exactly did He go? The Scriptures are remarkably consistent on this point. Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father. Stephen, as he was being stoned, “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55) The writer to the Hebrews declares that Jesus, “after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, proclaimed that Jesus “being therefore exalted at the right hand of God” has poured out the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:33)
The phrase “right hand of God” is not merely geographical language. In the ancient world, the right hand was the place of honour, authority and power. When a king wished to elevate someone to the highest position in his realm, he would seat them at his right hand. This is precisely what the Father has done with the Son. Jesus now occupies the place of supreme honour in the universe. Paul puts it magnificently in Ephesians: 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 above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:20–21)
The Heavenly Sanctuary
Hebrews gives us the most detailed picture of where Jesus is and what that location means. Jesus has entered “into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:24) The tabernacle and temple on earth were copies and shadows of the true heavenly sanctuary. The earthly high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year with blood that was not his own. But Jesus has entered the true Most Holy Place, the very presence of God, and He has done so with His own blood, securing eternal redemption.
This is staggering to consider. The One who walked the dusty roads of Galilee, who ate fish with His disciples on the shore, who wept at the tomb of Lazarus, now stands in the unveiled presence of the Father. And He is there for us. “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 9:24)
Present Yet Omnipresent
Now here is where we must think carefully. Jesus, in His humanity, is located at the right hand of the Father. His glorified human body is in a specific place. Yet Jesus is also God, and as God He is omnipresent. Before His ascension, He promised His disciples, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) How can both be true?
The answer lies in the hypostatic union, the reality that Jesus is fully God and fully man in one Person. In His divine nature, Jesus is present everywhere, upholding all things by the word of His power. (Hebrews 1:3) He is present with His people by His Spirit, for the Spirit of Christ dwells in every believer. (Romans 8:9) Yet in His human nature, He is bodily present at the Father’s right hand. This is not a contradiction but a glorious mystery. We have a Saviour who is exalted above all creation yet intimately present with us in our daily struggles.
What This Means for Us
Knowing where Jesus is should transform how we live. First, it gives us confidence in prayer. We have an advocate with the Father who knows our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way as we are. (Hebrews 4:15) Second, it assures us of our own future. Jesus told His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2–3) His presence in heaven is the guarantee of our future presence there. Third, it reminds us that Jesus has all authority. He is not a defeated Saviour hoping things will work out. He is the reigning King, and all things are under His feet. (Ephesians 1:22)
Conclusion
Where is Jesus now? He is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, seated in the place of supreme honour and authority. He is in the true heavenly sanctuary, appearing before God on our behalf. He is present with His people by His Spirit, never leaving us nor forsaking us. And one day, He will return in the same way He left, to gather His people to Himself and establish His kingdom on earth. Until that day, we look up with confidence, knowing exactly where our Saviour is and what He is doing there for us.
“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.” Romans 8:34
