Lords Day 18

Lords Day 18 of the Heidelberg Catechism addresses the question, "Where is Christ?" In this poetic rendition by David Croft we grapple with the presence of Christ--if He is in heaven, is He still here? How does His ascension to heaven benefit us who are here on earth?

Lords Day 18

Now Sons and Daughters

Now sons and daughters of your King
Who of His living water sup
How bless you Christ when ere you sing
To heaven He ascended up?
That Christ while His disciples gazed
Was lifted from this earthen plain
To heav'n where robed in endless praise
Our intercessor Lord remains

Until with angels, trump, and shout
And as the host of heaven's head
He comes, to every evil route
To judge the living and the dead
But isn't Christ as promised then
Still with us till this world's last breath?
He both is truly God and man
As man He heaven 'habiteth

But in His great divinity
In Spirit, majesty, and grace
Abides our Holy Trinity
With all His children every place
But if His human nature cleaves
Not every place with His divine
Then are His natures separate sheaves
Is a divided Savior mine?

The omnipresent Living One
Whom all vast heav'n cannot contain
Transcends the flesh He's taken on
Yet verily He is nor feigns
Incarnate God through history
While timeless days unagèd run
Divine and man, what mystery!
Our flesh, yet God's eternal Son

How doth then Christ's ascension serve
To benefit His holy bride?
In heav'n He intercedes for her
While seated at the Father's side
And His most blessed and heav'nly reign
Where, glorified, His body dwells
Assures us He will come again
To save His love from all her ills

Yet to our mortal misery
This pilgrim's plight of death and dearth
He sends a further guarantee
His Spirit dwells in men of earth
And turns our bodies, mind and soul
To that eternal Beulah land
To live to Him, ‘our only goal’
Who sits enthroned at God's right hand

June 29,1996
Lords Day 18 Heidelberg Catechism Questions & Answers 46-49

It is very hard for us, as humans, to truly understand the two natures of Christ. We know from the Bible, that He is truly God and truly man. We also understand that since His resurrection, we are told that He sits on the right hand of God. In our minds we cannot conceive of His ability to be more than one place at one time. However, the Bible tells us that He will be with us forever, and yet He still sits at the right hand of God the Father.

Such is the difficulty of being finite beings who have difficulty grasping the infinite God we love and serve. We do know that, with Christ sitting at the right hand of God the Father, He is constantly interceding for us. We also know that He will secure a place in Heaven for His people for whom He died.

Because we love Him so, we gradually lose our love for things of this earth and long to be with Him in heaven. Lords Day 18 is a precious reminder of the hope we have in Christ, and our longing to be with Him forever.

Lords Day 18

Lords Day 19

Lords Day 17

Heidelberg Catechism Poetry

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