The Great Eight - Pt 35

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 ESV).

Today we come the fourth and final thing Jesus has done for us. He has become the intercessor between us and God the Father. Verse 34 ends, ". . . who also intercedes for us." He was and is now and ever will be our go-between (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5); he is our advocate (cf. 1 John 2:1). We might ask, Why do we need an intercessor if the death and resurrection of Jesus provide the full ground of our forgiveness and righteousness? The answer is that today in heaven Jesus does nothing to add to the ground and purchase of our forgiveness and righteousness. That is precisely what he finished once for all. What he does is represent that finished work for us in heaven. He stands as a lamb slain and triumphant; and, provides a living evidence and witness for the ground of our salvation. We experience this intercession every time we pray “in Jesus’ name.” We should remember that we have no rights with the Father apart from what he did for us on the cross and what he is for us in heaven. So know him as your intercessor every time you pray. Be thankful to him that he loved you and died for you and bought all your salvation and every answered prayer at the cost of his life. You may have noticed my repetitious emphasis of the importance of knowing Jesus and not merely knowing his work. We should know him who did – and is doing – for us these great things. Know him as your freedom from condemnation, and your fearlessness, and your massive security in merciful service through many sufferings. And since I have emphasized this personal dimension of knowing him, it would fitting to end with an insight from John Murray on this final point of Christ our intercessor. He catches a dimension that could be easily missed. He wrote: Nothing serves to verify the intimacy and constancy of the Redeemer’s preoccupation with the security of his people, nothing assures us of his unchanging love more than the tenderness which his heavenly priesthood bespeaks and particularly as it comes to expression in intercession for us. (Murray, Romans, Vol. 1. p. 330).