Jesus stands up for me!

ADVOCATE in the legal sense is a person who acts as a spokesperson or representative of someone else’s policy, purpose, or cause; especially before a judge in a court of law.

This is like the lawyer who defends an accused person, or even like the star witness who gives an alibi or sound defense on behalf of another. In fiction and in fact, people who are on trial are told that it is not wise to try and defend yourself. This is especially true in the spiritual matter of guilt regarding sin. Sin is the breaking of the Laws of God and no one has a hope of being declared righteous on their own merit in that high court!

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10–12)

The idea of an advocate is not as plain in the Old Testament as the NT. Job’s ‘friends’ thought that this man’s troubles were caused by his sin but Job defended himself and said, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.” (Job 16:19) He had it right.

This truth is further explained in the NT. The first mention of a person who defends us is when Christ told His followers that He was sending them a “helper” who would be with them forever, teach them all things, and be ‘Jesus’ to them because He would not be with them in a physical sense. (See John 14-16) John reaffirmed the idea of an advocate by declaring that Jesus is fulfilling that role as He defends us before the Father in heaven.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:1–3)

Imagine the scene: I sin and am guilty of breaking God’s Law. I have no excuse. However, in the high court of heaven, my Advocate comes before the judge and declares that even though I am guilty of that sin, He has paid the full penalty for it. I cannot be tried and punished twice. With that, the Judge declares that I am free to go!

I may not have the legalese right, but the truth of what Jesus does for me is deeply impressed in my heart and mind. Sin is never defensible, nor can it be excused, whitewashed, or considered trivial. At the same time, neither can the work of Christ be set aside or considered  as nothing or not important. He died for each sin of each person in the entire world for all time — and that alone is my defense.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. This is too much for my puny thinking and so very emotional. Perhaps I can grasp His dying for one person, but for all? And then using that pain-filled sacrifice as a defense for what I do? For what everyone does? The obvious response is that people need to know and believe this wonder. For me, the next obvious response is that I look at sinners with the same attitude as our Advocate does; He died for their sin and even if they do not know it or believe it, I do. And that changes my tendency to be judgmental into a deep sense of awe at the God who defends, not because we deserve it but because He bore our shame and keeps on bearing it. Our part is simply believing it with great joy!