Jesus, our advocate - by James Newton

I've been encouraged by a sermon I listened to recently that contained a description of what it looks like to have Jesus as our advocate.

In Acts Chapter 1, we read an account of the resurrected Jesus ascending into to heaven. You might have heard about Jesus being seated at the right hand of the throne of God where He intercedes on our behalf.

What does that look like? It might be helpful to think of the throne room as a court room - and Jesus as our lawyer. In the courtroom of God, before the Divine Bar of Justice, if there’s any charge against us, Jesus is our representative.

Let’s think about what it doesn’t look like for a moment...

I sin. So Jesus says to the Father “You know James. He’s always saying how he’s not going to do this or he’s going to do that… well, yesterday he did do this, and on top of this he failed to do that. But, please forgive him one more time. Give him a break. Give him one more chance.” Then the Father says “Well alright”. But that's not very comforting because I would then think “How long can even Jesus keep that up? Surely He can’t keep getting me off the hook forever.”

BUT, praise God, what it actually looks like is this...

A good lawyer will always make you look good. You might not be eloquent or confident or strategic or knowledgable. But if your lawyer is eloquent and confident and strategic and knowledgable, then to the judge you also will be eloquent, confident, strategic and knowledgable. You are IN your lawyer, so to speak, and to the judge, you look like whatever your lawyer looks like.

A good lawyer also doesn’t just get up an ask “please just cut my client a break”. A good lawyer has a case.

What is our lawyer’s (Jesus') case? Hebrews 7 says "(24) but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. (25) Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them... (27) He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself."

You see, it was mercy on God’s part to send Jesus to die for our sins. So now that Jesus has died on the cross to pay the debt for our sin, what is He doing? He’s pleading for justice.

So what’s actually going on in that court room is something more like this...

I sin. Jesus says to the Father “Yes, James has done it again. But I’m not asking for mercy. I have already paid the debt for this sin on the cross – here’s my broken body and here’s my blood. It would be unjust for you to take two payments for the same debt. Therefore I’m asking for aquittal for James. I’m not asking for mercy, I’m asking for justice."

And that is an infallible case. And so it is by grace we have been saved. Not by works so that no one can boast. Because we are IN Christ, we are beautiful and successful and righteous in the eyes of the only One who matters. Our Heavenly Father.