Sinclair Ferguson has publicly recounted that when serving as a guest preacher, he has been approached by an energetic young person announcing, “I’m the worship leader at this church.” Dr. Ferguson says he has had to bite his tongue in those instances but has thought privately: “You may be the bass player or the choir director, but you’re not the worship leader. That job belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In that thought, Dr. Ferguson is recalling Hebrews 8:

We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. (Heb. 8:1–2)

By “such a high priest” seated at God’s right hand, the author of Hebrews is harking back to his earlier teaching that Christ’s preeminent priesthood is divinely confirmed (7:21), everlasting (v. 24), savingly effective (v. 25), and rooted in His once-for-all work on the cross (v. 27). But he adds that Christ is also “a minister [the Greek is leitourgos] in the holy places.” That is, as High Priest, Christ is exalted as our Liturgist, if you will, conducting and presenting our worship in God’s glorious presence in His heavenly temple.

One could hardly find a more uplifting description of what Christ’s resurrection and ascension mean for Christians today. By presenting Himself in glory above, Jesus has thrown open to the world the call to climactic fellowship with God in heaven through faith. But Jesus does more. He leads His believing people in the worship of this God. Not only has Christ made it possible for sinners to worship God, but He actually worships with us. Christ not only enables our worship, He sustains it. As the exalted God-man in heaven, He is both the object of our worship and our worship leader. If this is hard to imagine, hear Christ’s words to His Father, as recorded elsewhere in Hebrews: “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise” (2:12, quoting Ps. 22:22).

This means that when we gather for worship with fellow believers, Christ is with us here, on earth, by His Holy Spirit. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). But He is also there, in heaven, confessing His Father’s name and pouring on our heads the blessings of the Father’s love.

This coming Sunday, if the pew creaks or the preacher’s voice cracks, if those around you sing off key, if you are tempted to let your chin (or your heart!) droop because of a thousand cares, let this reality strengthen your soul and voice: Christ still leads His saints in heavenly worship. As you hope in Him, He covers all your sins, grows all His people, and guarantees that the Father will smile at all the worship offered through His Son.