GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 6 ~ ~ Hebrews 9:11 ~ ~ “Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come.”

From the book, “Incomparable” by Nancy DeMoss Wohlgemuth ~ ~

Do you ever feel stuck and stagnant in your spiritual life?  No doubt, because we all experience this at times.  And one of the reasons it happens, I believe, is that we lose sight of what Jesus is doing for us – right now, today – from His exalted seat in heaven.

HE IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR US.  We don’t know exactly what this place will be like, but if Jesus is the One getting it ready for us (as He promises in John 14:2), it must be wonderful beyond description!

HE IS ENJOYING CLOSE AND LOVING FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS FATHER.  We believers, whom the Bible says are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), are mystically included with Him in this eternal circle of relationship!

HE IS LEADING HIS CHURCH.  As the reigning “head of the body” (Colossians 1:18), He is walking “among the lampstands” (Revelation 1:13) in full power and authority, protecting and purifying His people as we represent and serve Him here on earth.

It’s important to remember that Jesus is not a distant ruler periodically glancing down on us from heaven with no real connection to what we’re experiencing here on earth.  He is active and engaged – observing, guiding, supplying, providing.  And in His high priestly role, which He perfectly and permanently carried out by His sacrifice for our sins, He continues to serve us every day and to meet the deepest needs of our hearts.

How does He do that?  For starters, Jesus is our MEDIATOR with the Father.  A mediator is someone who intervenes between two disputing parties.  AND make no mistake about it, we entered this life in the middle of an irreconcilable dispute with God.  As sinners, in fact, we were His ENEMIES. (Romans 5:10).

But there is a hope – and only ONE HOPE.  “One mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).  Jesus alone can resolve the dispute that exists between us and the Father.  He who “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (verse 6), is uniquely qualified, as both God and man, to be the Mediator we so desperately need.

But He not only mediated for us by bridging this impossible divide between us and the Father.  He CONTINUES mediating for us today, when, even as believers, we choose distance from God rather than peace with God.  Jesus remains our righteousness, our one and only Mediator, the source of our salvation, and the only way for us to be restored to unbroken fellowship with God.

Jesus is also our ADVOCATE with the Father.  Our shame and guilt can be relentless accusers, goaded on by Satan himself, as Revelation 12:10 tells us:

“the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night.”

If we had no sin, of course, if there was nothing that either he or we could hold up as evidence to substantiate such accusations, we could shrug them off as having no merit.  BUT we HAVE sinned, and we DO sin, despite being shown the way in Scripture and daily empowered by the Spirit to keep from sin.  Yet, God’s Word assures us that “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous one.” (1 John 2:1), who continually serves as our defense attorney, arguing our case before the Father.  His appeal is not for clemency, asking God to withhold rightful punishment against sins deserving of judgment.  NO.  Christ’s advocacy for us is an appeal for justice based on the fact that  “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (Verse 2).  Yes, we OUGHT to die for our sins – but Jesus has already died for our sins.  Our penalty is paid.  Our record is clear.  And our Advocate will never stop winning this case for us.

Beyond all of this, Jesus MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US to the Father.  I think of Him mediating; I think of Him advocating.  And how very much we need Him for these things!!  Yet what could be more precious and personal to you and me than thinking of Jesus in heaven praying for us, pleading for us, interceding for us!!!

“Who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:34) – In fact, “LIVES to intercede” for us (Hebrews 7:25). 

When we fail, when we struggle, when we doubt, when we’re in need, our High Priest Himself, who offered His life for our sins, is ALWAYS praying for us!  And because He lives to intercede for us, we will never encounter a day that we cannot endure!! 

Let’s say that again:  And because He lives to intercede for us, we will never encounter a day that we cannot endure!! 

As Oswald Sanders wrote:

“There is no personal problem for which He has no solution, no enemy from whom He cannot rescue, no sin from which He cannot deliver – because He ever lives to make intercession for us,.”

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