Chapel Service
Tucson Speedway
May 2, 2015
“Need a Lawyer?”
www.BeyondCheckeredFlags.com
Bob Butcher
Continuing our 5 minute Chapel following Driver & Crew Chief Meeting:
Question: “What is the purpose of Jesus interceding for us in Heaven?”
Answer: Speaking of Jesus, the writer to the Hebrews says, “ Earlier there were a lot of priests, but they died and had to be constantly replaced. But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through Him, because He is always on the job to speak up for them as He intercedes at the right hand of the Father.” Hebrews 7:25 (GBB Bible)
This verse (and others like it *1) tells us that although Christ’s work was to secure the salvation of the elect (*2) was completed on the cross, as evidenced by His cry “It is finished!” (John 19:30), His care for His redeemed children will never be finished.
Jesus did not go to heaven after His earthly ministry and “go on break or change roles” from His role as eternal Pastor (or Shepherd) to His people.
“For if, while we were enemies of God we were still reconciled to God through the death of His Son; then how much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” Romans 5:10 (GBB Bible)
“If when Jesus was humble, despised, dying, and dead, He still had the power to accomplish so great a work as reconciling us to God, how much more we can expect that He is able to keep us now that He is a living, exalted, and triumphant Redeemer, raised to life and interceding on our behalf before the throne. Clearly, Jesus is still very active on our behalf before the Father in heaven.” (Romans 8:34 GBB Bible)
After Jesus ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 1:9; Colossians 3:1), He returned to the glory He had before His incarnation (John 17:5) to carry on His role of King of kings and Lord of lords—His eternal role as the second Person of the triune God. While this old earth continues to be “won” for Christ, Jesus is the Advocate for Christians, meaning He is our great Defender. This is the intercessory role He currently fulfills for those who are His (1 John 2:1). Jesus is always pleading our case before the Father, like a defense lawyer on our behalf.
Okay, here is my point to all this today: Have you ever personally needed a big, powerful, high profile Lawyer? Hopefully, not! However, if you need one then you wish you were a billionaire so you had the best, or …you could lose everything. Seriously, think about that! Even if you just had to go before a judge you wish you had one of these lawyers to defend you. I know the last time I got a parking ticket in downtown Salem; I proved it was impossible that I was where they said I was at the time of the ticket. Yes, I was in that space later, but not then. Although I had a Marion County officially computer stamped receipt from the Planning Division proving where I was instead, the judge ignored it, I lost and had to pay their fifteen bucks fine. Yes, all too often life goes like that; unjust for no reason.
In all reality that high profile, powerful lawyer is exactly who Jesus is for us. But, the deal is that He appears on our behalf before the Creator of this entire world and universe …the one who sets the standards, rules, the law that is impossible to break or change because it’s His …and only His; and He shares His glory with no one, …PERIOD! It’s His way or the highway in blunt terms. And, fortunately Jesus will never lose a case on your behalf or mine …like that high priced, powerful, high profile lawyer might.
Jesus is interceding for us while satan (whose name means “accuser”) is accusing us constantly, pointing out our sins and frailties before God, just as he did with Job. (Job 1:6-12). But satan’s accusations fall upon deaf ears in heaven, because Jesus’ work on the cross paid our sin debt in full. Therefore, God always sees in His children the perfect righteousness of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, His righteousness (or perfect holiness) was designated to be accredited to us, while our sin was charged to Him at His death. This is the great exchange Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (*3) that forever took away, washed clean, our sinful state before God, so God can accept us as blameless before Him. That was God’s plan all along.
As human beings we tend to have the mindset that we are good people,… honest, kind, and certainly God has to be happy with us. Unfortunately, God is absolutely perfect and has the full expectation that we will also be perfect. He is not naive however because God spoke through His Apostle Paul in Romans 3:23 “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That alone says it all. We are in need of that lawyer for sure… a high profile, powerful, perfect lawyer to plead our case for us before our Judge …God Himself.
Finally, it is important to understand that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. No one else—not Mary, not any previous Christian saints, nor anyone today, and not angels either—has the power to intercede for us before the throne of the Almighty, Creator, God. Jesus Christ alone mediates and intercedes between God and man. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
In closing, take a few moments to think here…
If Jesus intercedes before God on our behalf, then what should our response be to both Him …and our communication with Him? I can only assume that both trust and worship is due Him. However, so is our one on one communication about any and every trouble that enters our heart or mind.
*1 – 1 Corinthians 1:21, Hebrews 9:24
*2 – Titus 1:1 “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect (or those chosen) and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness” (GBB Bible)
*3 – 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Jesus who had no sin , knew no sin, nor ever sinned while here in a human body like ours, to become sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (GBB Bible)