It is (Re)-Written: Heavenly High Priest ep. 1/7
- Dec 13, 2023
- 8 min read
THE INTERCESSOR
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" [Hebrews 7:25]
By our sins, we have offended a holy God. “your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2) The Scriptures also teach that there is absolutely nothing we can do to right this wrong we are guilty of commiting against God, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). And so in Hebrews 7:25, Paul tells us that we have an intercessor between us and God, a mediator, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). An intercessor is a go-between, a dispute resolver between the offended and the offender. In this regard, the intercessor must have something valuable from the offender to present to the offended that the offended will accept.
The question that then arises is this; if we have nothing to offer and yet Jesus is our intercessor, how can He do His intercession? Well quite simply, He is able to do it because He Himself has something to offer to the offended. This is so because He (Jesus) identified Himself with the fallen race and became one of us. Therefore, not only is Jesus the sacrifice, but He also has gifts to offer to His Father.
(Hebrews 8:3 KJV) For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Paul proceeds to show that the place where “Jesus the mediator of the new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24) is offering these gifts cannot be on earth, but is in heaven:
(Hebrews 8:4 KJV) For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
According to the law, or Torah, only Levites in general and the sons of Aaron in particular could be priests in the tabernacle/temple. (Check Exodus 28:1 and Numbers 3:6) Jesus Christ however was from a different tribe “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:14) and therefore could not be a priest on earth. And so as Paul illustrates, there must be a heavenly tabernacle/temple/sanctuary wherein Christ as our High Priest/intercessor offers gifts unto God.
(Hebrews 8:1 KJV) Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
(Hebrews 8:2 KJV) A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
He intercedes for us in the real original sanctuary which God Himself built and not man, and from which the earthly was copied in construction “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” (Hebrews 9:25) This we shall explore in a different episode.
What then are the gifts that Jesus offers as our intercessor? The Bible reveals that His offering is His life. It is He Himself for “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11) and that is the only gift that God would accept.
If Jesus is therefore our intercessor from the moment of our conversion to our last breath, should we as Christians rest easy? Are we to be satisfied simply with our justification? The verse says “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him…” (Hebrews 7:25). This Scripture actually states that there is something that happens in the Christian life beyond the cross and justification. If I want to be eternally saved, should I look only at the cross? Certainly not according to that Scripture. Justification is by faith in the merits of Jesus alone. There is nothing we can do to earn it. But if Jesus is still interceding for us after our justification, we have to find out why.
Some Christians are taught to believe that they became perfect the day they accepted Christ into their lives. However, the Bible teaches that what took place when we accepted Christ was that we were made “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10). This means that in Him we have the completeness of the Godhead (divinity) available to us, that we lack nothing. Yet, straight away on the day of our conversion we noticed imperfections in us. It must have confused us. As faithful Christians, we are to “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” (Revelation 14:4) and where is our Lord today? He is not on the cross upon calvary suffering. He is our intercessor, our High Priest in heaven. He is wearing the “breastplate of judgment upon his heart,” (Exodus 28:29) on which is written our names. He is accomplishing something that will deal with sin, death and the devil for eternity. And so we read:
(Romans 5:8 KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:9 KJV) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
And again
(Romans 5:10 KJV) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Yes, the death of Christ is important, but there is no salvation without what the living Jesus accomplishes for us. And the fact that “…He ever liveth to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25) means that much more than what His death accomplishes, it is what His life accomplishes that will keep us safe all our life and alive for eternity. Jesus is saving you every day of your Christianity, every hour, every minute, He is your intercessor before God. Additionally, Paul says “we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9) What could this wrath be? It is the imputed guilt of Adam’s original sin which, according to Scripture, we are imputed with by nature:
(Romans 5:12 KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Ephesians 2:3 KJV) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
We were born with the sentence of death already on us because human nature was corrupted at Adam’s first sin. And we all by virtue of inheriting Adam's sinful nature at birth we inherit that corruption with it's guilt and death sentence. It is the blood offered by Christ in His intercession as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary that saves us from these foes that spring from our natural tendencies to sin . “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)
1. I am sure you believe that what Jesus did for you at the cross took care of your past life, but do you believe that by His present work of intercession, Jesus “…is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24) ?
2. Consider the following quotations and deduce points relevant to this lesson
“Christ then by His death saves us as we are sinners, enemies and in a state of condemnation by sin, and Christ by His life saves us as considered justified and reconciled to God by His blood so then we have salvation from that condemnation that sin had brought us into, and salvation from those ruins that all enemies of our soul would yet bring us into, but cannot for the intercession of Christ prevents.” - [John Bunyan, Christ A Complete Savior (as quoted from ‘The Works of that Eminent Servant of Christ, Mr. John Bunyan’) pg 373]
“When Christ saw that there was no human being able to be humanity’s intercessor, He Himself entered the fierce conflict and battled with Satan. The First Begotten of God was the only one who could liberate those who by Adam’s sin had been brought in subjection to Satan” - [Ellen White, Upward Look, pg 357]
“The human race was under sentence of death, but the Son of God clothed His divinity with humanity, and came to this world to live and die in our behalf” - [Ellen White, Review and Herald, June 1, 1905]
“As related to the first Adam, men receive from him nothing but guilt and the sentence of death” - [Ellen White, Bible Commentary vol 6, pg 1074, par. 7]
“"Who also maketh intercession for us." Then our cause is safe in his hands; for, the intercessor has in his hands all power in heaven and earth. What an intercessor - what a mediator - what a Saviour! O, that men could see the bliss - the joy - the honor - the inexpressible value of an entire, constant, and eternal consecration to Jesus, God's exalted Son.” - [Uriah Smith, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 5, 1859 par. 10]
“As man's Intercessor and Advocate, Jesus will lead all who are willing to be led, saying, 'Follow me upward, step by step, where the clear light of the Sun of Righteousness shines.' But not all are following the light. Some are moving away from the safe path, which at every step is a path of humility” - [A T Jones, Sermon to General Conference, GC Daily Bulletin 1893, pg 183, par. 8]
“Christ died to save us, not in our sins, but from our sins…And if, by Divine grace, they were thus brought to repent, and to believe in Christ, and thus were justified by the price of his bloodshedding, and by faith in that atonement, much more through Him who died for them and rose again, would they be kept from falling under the power of sin and Satan, or departing finally from him. The living Lord of all, will complete the purpose of his dying love, by saving all true believers to the uttermost.” - [Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on Romans 5:6-11]
“It is Christ, in his exaltation, that by his word and Spirit effectually calls, and changes, and reconciles us to God, is our Advocate with the Father, and so completes and consummates our salvation. Compare Rom_4:25 and Rom_8:34. Christ dying was the testator, who bequeathed us the legacy; but Christ living is the executor, who pays it. Now the arguing is very strong. He that puts himself to the charge of purchasing our salvation will not decline the trouble of applying it… By him [Adam] sin entered. When God pronounced all very good (Gen_1:31) there was no sin in the world; it was when Adam ate forbidden fruit that sin made its entry. Sin had before entered into the world of angels, when many of them revolted from their allegiance and left their first estate; but it never entered into the world of mankind till Adam sinned. Then it entered as an enemy, to kill and destroy, as a thief, to rob and despoil; and a dismal entry it was. Then entered the guilt of Adam's sin imputed to posterity, and a general corruption and depravedness of nature. Eph' hō - for that (so we read it), rather in whom, all have sinned. Sin entered into the world by Adam, for in him we all sinned. As, 1Co_15:22, in Adam all die; so here, in him all have sinned; for it is agreeable to the law of all nations that the acts of a public person be accounted theirs whom they represent; and what a whole body does every member of the same body may be said to do…Adam therefore sinning and falling, the nature became guilty and corrupt, and is so derived. Thus in him all have sinned.” - [Matthew Henry, Comprehensive Commentary on Romans 5:6-11]
NEXT: THE OFFENDED GOD
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