4. _"He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God,"_ thus we read Mark 16,19. We, therefore, confess that our ascended Lord now _"sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty."_ What does this mean? It does not mean that in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, there is a special throne, prepared for our Lord, the God-man Jesus Christ, upon which He is now seated in divine glory, adored and praised by all the heavenly hosts, and that, because He is sitting on that throne, He is _far away from us, His own._ It means--and so our Catechism explains it--that our dear Lord, after being raised from the dead, _"lives and reigns to all eternity."_ It means that Christ, though He was dead, lives and is alive forevermore, that our living Lord is with us and reigns over us as our gracious King to all eternity. He is, and will be, according to His almighty power, our King forever and ever. 5. Christ, indeed, ascended into heaven. He now is in heaven, in the glory of His Father; _but He is not far away from us. He is with us._ We cannot see Him, as His apostles saw Him, but He is with us _invisibly in His Word, His Gospel._ When we read or hear His Gospel or think about it, our Savior is always at our side. He Himself has promised us: _"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you."_ John 14,18.-- _Our Lord lives and reigns to all eternity,_ that is, He rules and governs us, His own, His disciples. He leads and protects us against all our enemies. Out of His almighty hand no enemy can pluck us. Our mighty Lord on God's throne is our Good Shepherd, who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Ps. 23.--Christ's resurrection, His ascension, and His sitting at the right hand of God assure us of the fact that He is indeed our Lord, and will be our Lord and King to eternity; and in His kingdom we shall live and Him we shall serve in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. REMEMBER:-- 1. _Christ, our Savior, ascended into heaven as the triumphant Victor over all His and our enemies. He entered into heaven, into the glory of His Father, there to prepare a place for us._ 2. _His ascension assures us that the gates of heaven are open to all who believe in Him, that we shall be where He is to see His glory._ 3. _Our Lord sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, that is, He, the God-man, lives to eternity, lives, and is with us in His Word, and reigns over His own with His almighty power forever and ever._ MEMORIZE:-- _In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you._ John 14,2. _I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also._ John 14,3. _Where I am, there shall also My servant be._ John 12,26. _I will not leave You comfortless; I will come to you._ John 14,18. QUESTIONS.