Jesus’ Intercession for Us

January 18, 2015 Background Scripture: Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 Lesson Passage: Hebrews 4:14 – 16; 5:1 – 10 Last week’s lesson examined Jesus’ prayer for his disciples prior to his suffering and death on the cross. That lesson should have caused us to feel a new closeness with our Lord. We saw in that lesson that he loved us before he died for us. Today’s lesson answers the question that the critic might ask: what has he done for me lately? The answer we find in the text is: plenty. Jesus is not just sitting on a throne in Heaven waiting for time to end so he can come back and get the church. Today, Jesus is ministering in the office of High Priest in Heaven. This is his eternal purpose with God. Even as the high priest of Israel went behind the veil to minister before God on behalf of Israel, Jesus has passed behind the veil into Heaven to minister in God’s presence on behalf of the church. Once a year, Israel’s high priest would go behind the veil into the Most Holy Place to offer animal sacrifices before God and seek forgiveness for the people. After Jesus died and was resurrected, he entered once into the presence of God in Heaven to offer himself as a sacrifice to God on behalf of all believers. This was not an annual offering but Jesus was offered once for all times as a sacrifice to secure forgiveness of sin for all who believe and call upon his name. Jesus offered himself once but he intercedes for us continuously before the Father. We are saved once but we are constantly in need of forgiveness because we live in the flesh. Jesus was born in the flesh that he might be tempted and suffer in the flesh. He did not sin but he knows and empathizes with the struggles we have and often succumb to. Jesus humbly accepted to be born in the flesh, to suffer in the flesh, to become sin for us, and to die as a perfect sacrifice to be offered on our behalf. Every high priest is called of God to minister in that office. This is not a responsibility that one can volunteer for or choose as a vocation out of personal desire. God establishes high priests according to His own will. After God raised Jesus from the dead, He exalted him above every creature and called him to be a high priest according to the Priestly order of Melchisedec. All of the high priests of Israel descended through the family line of Moses’ brother Aaron. All of the Aaronic priests had finite lives and served until death and afterwards were replaced by another descendent. Melchisedec has an eternal priesthood. Jesus’ priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec because it is also eternal. As believers, we have been justified by Jesus’ death and sanctified to walk in a newness of life. However, the presence of sin in our flesh makes life an ongoing struggle if one desires to live holy. Because of the eternal priesthood of Jesus, we can have assurance and boldness in the faith. Jesus will forever intercede for us until we are glorified and no longer have the presence of sin. Because of Jesus’ intercession for us, we can come boldly before the throne of God that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Robert C. Hudson December 24, 2014