Basic HTML Version
386
completed sacrifice of Christ before God contains in itself an element of intercession as a
constant reminder of the perfect atonement of Jesus Christ. It is something like the blood of the
passover, of which the Lord said: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses
where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Ex. 12:13.
2. There is also a judicial element in the intercession, just as there is in the atonement. Through
the atonement Christ met all the just demands of the law, so that no legal charges can justly be
brought against those for whom He paid the price. However, Satan the accuser is ever bent on
bringing charges against the elect; but Christ meets them all by pointing to His completed work.
He is the Paraklete, the Advocate, for His people, answering all the charges that are brought
against them. We are reminded of this not only by the name “Paraklete,” but also by the words
of Paul in Rom. 8:33,34: “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Jesus Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised
from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Here the
judicial element is clearly present. Cf. also Zech. 3:1,2.
3. Not only does the intercessory work of Christ bear on our judicial state; it also relates to our
moral condition, our gradual sanctification. When we address the Father in His name, He
sanctifies our prayers. They need this, because they are often so imperfect, trivial, superficial,
and even insincere, while they are addressed to One who is perfect in holiness and majesty.
And besides rendering our prayers acceptable, He also sanctifies our services in the Kingdom of
God. This is also necessary, because we are often conscious of the fact that they do not spring
from the purest motives; and that even when they do, they are far from that perfection that
would make them, in themselves, acceptable to a holy God. The blight of sin rests upon them
all. Therefore Peter says: “Unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with
God elect, precious, ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Christ’s
ministry of intercession is also a ministry of loving care for His people. He helps them in their
difficulties, their trials, and their temptations. “For we have not a high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as
we are, yet without sin: for in that He himself hath suffered, being tempted, He is able to succor
them that are tempted.” Heb. 4:15; Heb. 2:18.
4. And in and through it all there is, finally, also the element of prayer for the people of God. If
the intercession is of a piece with the atoning work of Christ, it follows that the prayer of
intercession must have reference to the things pertaining to God (Heb. 5:1), to the completion
of the work of redemption. That this element is included, is quite evident from the intercessory
prayer in John 17, where Christ explicitly says that He prays for the apostles and for those who