Christ as Intercessor
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Key Verse: “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Selected Scripture: |
WE ARE GIVEN AN assurance that our Lord Jesus is fully able, not only to deliver all from sin, but from the curse of death. He is able to save mankind from the tomb, and from all of the weaknesses of heredity, and from all of the instruments of sin that rest upon our race. This will be an everlasting release from sin, Divine disfavor, and death. “Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:21,22
The original sinner was Adam, and his children have shared his penalty. We read that there was “None righteous, no, not one,” and “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him.” (Rom. 3:10; Isa. 59:16) It would take Christ Jesus, who would willingly come to pay the price of redemption and serve as ‘intercessor.’ An intercessor is one who pleads for, or makes a request in behalf of another, or others, for the purpose of producing agreement, or to mediate.
Our Lord made a sacrifice for us that he presented to the Father to make atonement for the church class. (Heb. 9:24) Jesus has been placed in the position throughout the Gospel Age of being the great High Priest and Advocate for his people. It makes it possible for them to be no longer strangers from God, but “accepted in the beloved,” by the Father. (Eph. 1:6) They now have a standing before God, and, as members of the body of Christ, may ask for help and guidance. (Rom. 5:1,2) We realize that we have no standing before God on our own—“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) We are first accepted, and then daily show our devotion to righteousness by making an effort towards holiness. It is because we recognize Jesus as our Advocate that we may come to the throne of grace. Our Lord continues to supply and apply his sacrifice until we, made perfect, have no further need of it. That sacrifice and merit will never be forgotten.
Since only that which is perfect could be acceptable of God, our acceptance with him then is under the covering of Christ’s robe of righteousness, his perfection imputed to us. He saves us from the sins that are past. During our earthly course, he also covers those blemishes that result from the imperfections of our human body. (Isa. 61:10) By this robe of justification, we can approach God through our Saviour’s righteousness, and have the privilege of knowing him and calling him Father. Christ will save us in the fullest sense in the “first resurrection.” “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.” (Rev. 20:6) The saving of the world will begin after the completion of the church class—the 144,000 whose names are written in heaven.—Rev. 14:1; Heb. 12:23
The key to it all, and the hope for all, lies in the redeeming work of our Lord Jesus. “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Phil. 2:9-11