Our Advocate and Mediator…

Oddly, some people close to our granddaughter and involved in the legal profession have told her she needs an advocate to stand up for her and make sure she gets all that is her right to have. I understand their concern, yet also know that our prayers for her are received by a Mediator who stands for her far above any power or negative force in the universe. Our God is not only sovereign over the medical systems and government agencies here, He also rules the healing of her bones and the well-being of her attitude. To see her with casts or braces on all four limbs, unable to get out of bed, bruised and bleeding, and given morphine and other painkillers every few hours, yet joyful and laughing brings only one response: Only God!

This echos a tiny bit of what Jesus experienced in Gethsemane: 

And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:43–46)

The disciples didn’t realize the fullness of His angst, nor do I. But He had already yielded to His fate by saying, “Thy will be done” after asking if there was another way. Is that not the big key to comfort in great trials? They stop hurting me if I refuse to fight with them or with the God who allows them. I’m not aware of what is going on in her heart, but this grandchild of ours has peace on her face and acceptance in her words. I can almost see those strengthening angels who are ministering to her.

As for the attitudes, only Jesus can deal with the finger-pointing and anger that we so easily feel when life hands us a painful trial. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…” even as they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34)

This passage, plus some of what I see in her attitude, gives an example of what it means to have a mediator. No thoughts of punishment or retaliation or suing the medical people who messed up in their attempts to fix things. I looked it up. A mediator stands between two parties to reconcile their differences or to establish a relationship between them. In our world, this covers a broad array of roles. However, in the Bible, it is about relationships between deity and humanity. Scripture says mediation presupposes that we have been alienated from God by sin but that He desires to bridge the gulf separating us and restore harmonious relations (Isaiah 59:1–2). This is why Jesus came:

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus... (1 Timothy 2:5)

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

Mediation can be directed towards God, as in intercessory prayer, or towards humans, but Scripture primarily represents it as God’s initiative in reaching down to us through revelation and redemption. He sent His sinless Son — qualified because he is both fully human and fully divine — to fill three mediatorial offices of prophet, priest, and king. By his atoning death, in which he became both high priest and sacrifice, Jesus once and for all opened the way into God’s presence and now rules in believers’ hearts and is also seated at the Father’s right hand where He intercedes for us, as does the Holy Spirit. This is mainly about sin and forgiveness, but also covers all our needs.

PRAY: Every time a prayer is answered, I know that it was prayed in harmony with Your will and Your role to mediate our human needs, both for forgiveness and to supply those things we request that fit with Your will. If my prayer goes up with any kinks in it, it reaches the Father’s ears properly — for You are my Advocate, the One who makes sure I receive what the Father wants for me. My thoughts are hard to put into words. Given the events over the past little while, Your love and goodness is exceedingly overwhelming again, so I thank You, again and again. 

Better than a priest . . .

Every now and then it is important to talk to someone about matters of the heart, about my relationship with Jesus Christ, about my understanding of God, about deeper thoughts and ideas, and about what works and does not work in human relationships. I suppose this is the realm of a counselor, mentor, priest, or some other person who is wise and able to listen and communicate, to fill in the blanks in my thoughts.

I didn’t live as a Jew in the land of the Hebrews when they struggled to hear and obey God, nor was I there when Jesus came and upset everything they knew about God and their relationship with Him. Those who believed in Jesus suddenly found themselves in a new way of life. One aspect of the old life they had was having a priest to intercede for them, to make the necessary sacrifices and assure them of God’s forgiveness. This new life was a challenge and in those early days many of the Jewish converts may have missed their peers who served as priests.

The writer of Hebrews tells these believers that Jesus is better in every way than that former system of ritual and the priesthood that had been their practice. He describes two ways that Jesus excels over the priests and that priestly system.

Jesus lives forever . . .

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but (Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:23–25)

Every time I read this my heart feels joy. Jesus is here, always alive, always praying for me, always ready to meet my spiritual needs as well as every other need. He does not need to be replaced because He does not grow old and retire or pass on. He lives forever and He saves me forever.

Jesus has no imperfections . . .

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (Jesus) has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:26–28)

Jesus is sinless, holy, without flaws and without those blank places that require filling in by others who have more knowledge. He does not have to make a sacrifice for Himself because He is perfect, pleasing His Father in every way. He never misunderstands me, never makes assumptions about me, or writes me off as a total waste of His time. He will listen, understand, direct and pray — always, forever.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior for good reason. You can do it, all of it. For this reason I love and worship You!

Today’s thankful list . . .

- for all of the above, for Jesus.

- for another lovely fall day.

- for a long conversation with our far-away granddaughter.

- for Skype so we can see her face.

- for laughter.

- for the work of many Christians seeking to find justice for those who are used and abused.

- hot chocolate and naps.