Sunday School | Jesus Intercedes for Us

Introduction

Remember this, you showed up for moving day. Like, right at the beginning, right at the very, very start. All right, we’re gonna continue this series we’ve been doing for 100 years, about 20% of the way through it. A crazy overview of all theology of everything Christianity. We’re walking through it. First, we had a whole bunch of time on the first person of the Trinity, theology proper, or maybe 80% of the way through our study of Christology, the second person of the Trinity, in the study of Christ.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm authentic books that over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good and then retires. He continually functions in the role of priests.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25, it continues:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. At this very second, right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you are so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that can condemn? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is functioning in ministry for you. He’s not an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sin. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing, and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing—he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you. I think I’ve got you.

So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, when we give up, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2. But that is the bullseye. But Jesus was so richly interested, not merely in people’s spiritual needs, but in their total needs. He didn’t just walk around for giving sin. He also walked around in the killing platforms. He also walked around for comforting the moment. And so, it would be hard to believe that he is so biopically focused merely on interceding for our values, and that he is not also seeking to break your order back into this.

And I think what we look at, or about looking at, is the largest portrait, the largest record of his intercession while on earth. And I think I’m going to draw something from that about the breadth of his kindness. So, that’s fine. Okay, so what is that? What’s the biggest passage, the biggest chunk we ever get to have of Christ’s interceding for us? Not post-death, in resurrection, but pre-death, in resurrection. The high priestly prayer. Where is that? John 17. So go to John 17. This thing, the high priestly prayer, this is it. And we’re not going to unpack all of it, but I think I’ll give you a sense of who you want to know. What does Jesus’ intercession look like today? I think John 17 is probably our most faithful guide to the intercession that he did, and not before death.

Go to John 17, verse 9.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them. — John 17:9-10

This is Jesus praying for his followers. He says, first, now I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those who have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm so much that it repeats it over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good, then retires. He continually functions in the role of priest.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. Right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you’re so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that condemns? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life. He says, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is a functional minister for you. He’s not merely an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for us right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sinning. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing—and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing, is he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you.

I think I’ve got you. So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2. But that is the bullseye. But Jesus was so richly interested, not merely in people’s spiritual needs, but in their total needs. He didn’t just walk around for giving sin. He also walked around in the killing platforms. He also walked around for comforting the moment. And so, it would be hard to believe that he is so biopically focused merely on interceding for our values, and that he is not also seeking to break your order back into this.

And I think what we look at, or about looking at, is the largest portrait, the largest record of his intercession while on earth. And I think I’m going to draw something from that about the breadth of his kindness. So, that’s fine. Okay, so what is that? What’s the biggest passage, the biggest chunk we ever get to have of Christ’s interceding for us? Not post-death, in resurrection, but pre-death, in resurrection. The high priestly prayer. Where is that? John 17. So go to John 17. This thing, the high priestly prayer, this is it. And we’re not going to unpack all of it, but I think I’ll give you a sense of who you want to know. What does Jesus’ intercession look like today? I think John 17 is probably our most faithful guide to the intercession that he did, and not before death.

Go to John 17, verse 9.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them. — John 17:9-10

This is Jesus praying for his followers. He says, first, now I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those who have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm so much that it repeats it over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good, then retires. He continually functions in the role of priest.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. Right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you’re so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that condemns? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life. He says, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is a functional minister for you. He’s not merely an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for us right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sinning. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing—and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing, is he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you.

I think I’ve got you. So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2. But that is the bullseye. But Jesus was so richly interested, not merely in people’s spiritual needs, but in their total needs. He didn’t just walk around for giving sin. He also walked around in the killing platforms. He also walked around for comforting the moment. And so, it would be hard to believe that he is so biopically focused merely on interceding for our values, and that he is not also seeking to break your order back into this.

And I think what we look at, or about looking at, is the largest portrait, the largest record of his intercession while on earth. And I think I’m going to draw something from that about the breadth of his kindness. So, that’s fine. Okay, so what is that? What’s the biggest passage, the biggest chunk we ever get to have of Christ’s interceding for us? Not post-death, in resurrection, but pre-death, in resurrection. The high priestly prayer. Where is that? John 17. So go to John 17. This thing, the high priestly prayer, this is it. And we’re not going to unpack all of it, but I think I’ll give you a sense of who you want to know. What does Jesus’ intercession look like today? I think John 17 is probably our most faithful guide to the intercession that he did, and not before death.

Go to John 17, verse 9.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them. — John 17:9-10

This is Jesus praying for his followers. He says, first, now I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those who have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm so much that it repeats it over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good, then retires. He continually functions in the role of priest.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. Right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you’re so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that condemns? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life. He says, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is a functional minister for you. He’s not merely an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for us right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sinning. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing—and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing, is he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you.

I think I’ve got you. So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2. But that is the bullseye. But Jesus was so richly interested, not merely in people’s spiritual needs, but in their total needs. He didn’t just walk around for giving sin. He also walked around in the killing platforms. He also walked around for comforting the moment. And so, it would be hard to believe that he is so biopically focused merely on interceding for our values, and that he is not also seeking to break your order back into this.

And I think what we look at, or about looking at, is the largest portrait, the largest record of his intercession while on earth. And I think I’m going to draw something from that about the breadth of his kindness. So, that’s fine. Okay, so what is that? What’s the biggest passage, the biggest chunk we ever get to have of Christ’s interceding for us? Not post-death, in resurrection, but pre-death, in resurrection. The high priestly prayer. Where is that? John 17. So go to John 17. This thing, the high priestly prayer, this is it. And we’re not going to unpack all of it, but I think I’ll give you a sense of who you want to know. What does Jesus’ intercession look like today? I think John 17 is probably our most faithful guide to the intercession that he did, and not before death.

Go to John 17, verse 9.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them. — John 17:9-10

This is Jesus praying for his followers. He says, first, now I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those who have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm so much that it repeats it over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good, then retires. He continually functions in the role of priest.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. Right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you’re so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that condemns? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life. He says, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is a functional minister for you. He’s not merely an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for us right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sinning. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing—and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing, is he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you.

I think I’ve got you. So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2. But that is the bullseye. But Jesus was so richly interested, not merely in people’s spiritual needs, but in their total needs. He didn’t just walk around for giving sin. He also walked around in the killing platforms. He also walked around for comforting the moment. And so, it would be hard to believe that he is so biopically focused merely on interceding for our values, and that he is not also seeking to break your order back into this.

And I think what we look at, or about looking at, is the largest portrait, the largest record of his intercession while on earth. And I think I’m going to draw something from that about the breadth of his kindness. So, that’s fine. Okay, so what is that? What’s the biggest passage, the biggest chunk we ever get to have of Christ’s interceding for us? Not post-death, in resurrection, but pre-death, in resurrection. The high priestly prayer. Where is that? John 17. So go to John 17. This thing, the high priestly prayer, this is it. And we’re not going to unpack all of it, but I think I’ll give you a sense of who you want to know. What does Jesus’ intercession look like today? I think John 17 is probably our most faithful guide to the intercession that he did, and not before death.

Go to John 17, verse 9.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them. — John 17:9-10

This is Jesus praying for his followers. He says, first, now I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for those who have given me, for they are yours. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine. The glory has come to me through them.

And I’ve left you under a false impression last week that we’d be talking about in the Spirit of life. It’s true, but we’re not going to. The reason is, we are in, I don’t know, maybe a month, but we’re gonna do a whole section on the third person. And I think that’s a whole lot of places that kind of insert the study of the Holy Spirit into the rational study of the Spirit.

We kind of raised the topic last week because one of the things that Jesus did, maybe that I’ve lost count—seven, eight things. What’s the eighth thing? We’ve seen the life of Christ as it gave us the Spirit. Right? So, if you recall, we’re looking at the life of Christ and the ministry of Christ through this kind of 10-point outline of Eve. He was incarnated, he lived, this is one of the lives—his teaching, his miracles, that he died.

It was crazy that the middle thing that he does is die for us, and that’s the end of the story. But after he dies, he raises from the dead, he ascends as king, he gives the Spirit. First of what we were, you started to talk about last week. And what we still need to hit under this heading of the great lessons and benefits that Christ has painted to us. Because in Eve, we’ve got more snacks after giving the Spirit, in memory, than what we said in this list a few times—his incarnation, teachings, miracles, holy lives, death, his resurrection, his ascension, his kingship, his giving of the Spirit, intercession—who said it? Somebody said it in her voice—intercession, killing, his intercession for us at all times. Okay.

Let me show you two really clear statements about this in the New Testament, and then we’ll try to unpack together what it means, okay? That hadn’t been—probably Hebrews 7 and Romans 8, probably Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7 says,

Now, there have been many of those priests since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. — Hebrews 7:23-24

Do you remember talking about the permanence of his priesthood on the basis of Psalm 110? You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The Book of Hebrews loves Psalm so much that it repeats it over and over again. And the idea that Jesus has a permanent priesthood, he was not merely your priest when he, at a moment in time, offered himself to sacrifice for sins. He’s not just a priest who kills one sheep and you’re good, then retires. He continually functions in the role of priest.

So, back in Hebrews 7, but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. In verse 25:

Therefore, he’s able to save completely as we come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

He didn’t barely die for you at a moment in time, check it off, be done. Right now, the present tense, he is interceding for you—you’re so cool. It’s a second statement of that, very similar. In Romans 8:34, all these actions working out on the Seraphim sounds from Isaiah, but in the broader argument, he says:

Who is he that condemns? — Romans 8:34

Meaning, this is kind of in the context of, look at where you’re charging against us. Who’s going to say anything against you if you have been pardoned by the king? If he is dying in place, what time are we going to see you?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. — Romans 8:34

These are the things we’ve seen him do, right? He did die, he was raised to life. He says, he gave the Spirit. But look at what he’s doing right now. He is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. The present tense, right now, Hebrews 7, Romans 8. Jesus is a functional minister for you. He’s not merely an intercession. So, the question is, what does that mean? What are Paul and the authors of Hebrews talking about when they say that what he does for us right now is interceding for us?

What does he do? We’re looking for readings of that. Yeah, Kathryn.

Did, as Michael said, the train will come back around. So you let us know. In the loose train of thought, it just comes back around. What does it mean that Jesus is interceding? Susan? [INAUDIBLE]

Okay, very good. Even though we have Christ, we’re still going to mess up on what we mean by that. I think we’ve got to say, we are sinners who continue sinning. And so, what is he doing about that?

Excellent. So, as Susan was pointing out, one of the things that Jesus is doing—and in her phrasing, this is technical language from the Greek—is, no, he’s good. She’s good, right? And that’s basically accurate, right? That’s exactly what one of the things he’s doing, is he’s representing us in the court of thought. I’m going to show you some scripture on that in a minute, right? I got you.

I think I’ve got you. So, that is actually—let’s go to this. You both have double tap. Let’s go to 1 John 2, verse 1. This is—don’t underestimate this. This is so good, okay? So, 1 John—why don’t you know what I’ve actually done? Because I have a, you guys are— we’re going to go there in a minute. I mean, let me get honest with you there—in order. I want to try to build a case that might help you kind of grab other—we’re going to go there. It’s probably one of these—behind Hebrews 7 and Romans 8—I think 1 John 2 is probably the most important verse on this topic. But I want to put it in a little bit of a flow of things.

How about more broadly than Jesus? What does it mean if someone intercedes for someone else? What does that—what does the word intercession even mean? Standing in the gap, going between, right? So, basically, like, if I’m already in your house and I cook you dinner, I’m not interceding for you—I’m just cooking you dinner, right? But if I know Doug is mad at you because of some misunderstanding that’s been, and I go in here and I’m like, Doug, I can’t understand what’s going on with Bob. What I’m doing now, I’m interceding for you. I’m going to—there’s some kind of a problem here. And if I’m going to intercede for Bob, with—I’m going to be cleaning Bob’s face and helping you understand. I’m going to be trying to bring you back together. I’m doing something to benefit you regarding something else, not just giving you $100. Do you feel that? Speaking for someone else—very good. Excellent.

Like an attorney, you’re advocating. Very good. And by the front end of this, proxy’s trademark. Yes, right? So, I’m going to go—I’m going to be a representative. I’m going to go before someone else in your place to stay and view the sales. Very Jesus, he doesn’t.

Beyond that one. [INAUDIBLE]

Yes, so beyond these things, the very fact of intercession suggests, in some regard, that Jesus has standing. If you’re accused before some court, and I just amble into the courtroom and start flapping on about it, it’s not going to work. It’s going to pop. If I’m not your attorney, if I’m not a witness, your attorney’s probably have no place to be there. But Jesus playing this role suggests he has to be authority to play that role because he considers us to be his.

Huge. Now, forget everything you said, and just do not a little bit. If you didn’t hear anything we said this morning, and you were just in a Christian environment, what does the word intercession mean? We use it as a synonym for something else all the time. Right. Okay, that’s the one that we haven’t sent yet. So, in the same way that you’re saying intercession is speaking on behalf of, prayer is intercession. Prayer is speaking on behalf of. When you pray for somebody, you’re interceding, for we use intercession, at least in some kind of Christian self-cultures, as a synonym for that. Right, because it’s a synonym for prayer. So, if you want to get a little bit more insight into what Jesus is doing when he intercedes for us, he’s interceding at all times. This is his present tense, full-time job. Right now, Jesus is an intercessor. He’s quite literally praying to, speaking to, the Father on your behalf. This is what we mean. The story does. If you want to understand, read it on the first John.

I said, do you like the sign? — you know the sign? Right. It’s a beautiful— [INAUDIBLE] — precessor. It’s big, no big, exactly what we’re going to say. This is exactly—if we want to understand, what is Jesus doing? We don’t have a record. Our use is intercession in heaven. We don’t get to see that happening. But he started it earlier. And we have a record of that, right? And we can see in the passage of Luke, where it’s a strange moment where Jesus says,

Peter, Peter, Simon, has demanded to sift you as wheat. — Luke 22:31

But here, meaning you’re going to deny me, talking to Simon, and he says, “But I pray for you, I’m going to bring you back in our story.” That was a snapshot example of it. And there is a bigger, longer, more developed example as well. Tell us what you want to say.

Yes, man. [INAUDIBLE]

That’s a great question. And I would say, really, on the basis of 1 John 2, we’re going to get to it in a few minutes. We’re going to see—I think—the centerpiece of the work of Christ is covering our sin, being our entombment, reconciling us to the Father, speaking to the Father in our offenses, 1 John 2