Last time, we talked about Jesus being our perfect high priest. He became qualified for this role through the suffering He endured, so that now He can help those of us who are also suffering and tempted as He was. He understands—more than anyone else on earth—how hard the struggle to be pure can be. (As C.S. Lewis put it, “After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in.”) Jesus understands because, unlike the rest of us, He never gave in.
He is not only sympathetic to our weakness, but provides grace and mercy to us in our time of need. Today, I’d like to conclude this discussion with another aspect in which Jesus acts on our behalf, as our perfect high priest.
My mum passed away last summer. I'm still discovering all of the losses that this entails. Her hugs and kisses. Her sense of humour. Her child-like joy at the small wonders of nature. The way that she saw beauty in things that most people pass by and don’t even notice.
She used to pray for Peter and me all the time. In the missionary life, having people pray for you constantly is so vital. My mother's prayers were precious to me. This is one loss that I feel especially keenly.
Recently, though, I found significant comfort in the book of Hebrews.
Therefore [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
(Hebrews 7:25, NIV)
In his book Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortland comments, "One of the more neglected doctrines in the church today is the heavenly intercession of Christ. When we talk about Christ's intercession, we are talking about what Jesus is doing now. There has been a remarkable recovery of the glory of what Christ did back then, in his life, death, and resurrection, to save me. But what about what he is doing now? For many of us, our functional Jesus isn't really doing anything now; everything we need to be saved, we tend to think, is already accomplished. But that is not how the New Testament presents the work of Christ." [1]
And here is the thought that has left me feeling the most comforted I've felt since my mum died:
"One way to think of Christ's intercession, then, is simply this: Jesus is praying for you right now." [2]
I do still have someone praying for me at all times, when I'm awake and when I'm asleep. When all’s right with the world, and when everything seems to be going wrong.
We are not alone. Jesus doesn't only save us once. He keeps saving us. He intercedes for us, He prays for us. And He imparts His victory to us.
As He said to His disciples, ”In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
How glad I am that He truly is the perfect high priest.
NOTES
[1] Dane Ortland, Gentle & Lowly (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020), 66 of 205 in ebook.
[2] Ibid, 71 of 205 in ebook.
