I tried to stay for the festivities but unfortunately wasn’t able to do so. Steups! I guess the Lord overruled me. He knew something that I didn’t know. But them’s the breaks! You win some and you lose some! And anyway the many good memories I made in Tobago will always remain in my heart, as well as the joy of Easter, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the grave, victorious against His evil foe, Satan!
Oh glory to God my people! What a blessed day that was, and will always be! Please never let the joy and assurance it provides to escape from our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Yes, it’s that important that we have to reiterate it again today…and every day, since it’s the very foundation on which our wonderful faith is based!
Without Jesus sacrificing His sinless life for us, there’d be no resurrection for us, or salvation or promise of eternal life! So we’ve got to keep the fire, the heightened passion of Easter burning in our hearts each and every day of our lives, not only at the particular time of year that we actually celebrate it! And just to show how important it all really was and is, here’s a li’l gem from a daily Bread Devotional: ‘The One who died as our substitute, now lives as our advocate!’
All praise and thanksgiving and glory to God my faithful brethren, for He’s made our Saviour our Advocate too, sitting at His right hand interceding on our behalf! As John says in his epistle: ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’
Glory to God my people! Oh how wonderful is our God! How can we not LOVE and worship and exalt Him eh, after He’s done so much for us, none of which we even come close to deserving?
And the scholars explain the Advocacy of Christ thus: ‘2:1. The term ‘advocate’ denotes a lawyer who represents his client before a court of law. When applied to the present ministry of Christ, it speaks of His work for sinning believers to restore them to fellowship. Christ’s work as an advocate is based on the sufficiency of His blood for all sin, past and present.
Illustration: In the Old Testament, when David confessed his sin, he was forgiven and restored to a place of service. Application: Although the Christian has an Advocate with the Father, his goal in life ought to be overcoming sin (1 John 5:4), rather than merely confessing it. (First Ref.1 John 2:1; Primary Ref. 1 John 2:1; cf. Heb.7:25).’
And the scholars make a very good point there; not because we have an advocate are we going to sin willy-nilly. No! But because of our aversion to sin and its detrimental consequences we try our best to sin as little as possible! And John follows up our Bit with this reassuring statement: ‘And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2)
Yes friends, Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD! What an amazing sacrifice and accomplishment! Only the SINLESS Son of God had the ability to pull off such an amazing feat!
Hear what the scholars say about that: ‘2:2. Propitiation is here an atoning sacrifice. Jesus bore in His body the punishment due us for our sin; in so doing He ‘propitiated’ God, satisfied God’s just demand that sin be punished. Thus Jesus is both the advocate for sinners (v.1) and the sacrifice for their sins.’
Mama Mia! There are no words to really describe the amazing scope of Christ’s work! And I guess that’s why some people don’t or can’t believe it? It’s just too much for our puny human minds to assimilate! That’s why we have to accept it be faith, and not by sight or understanding! And Christ is not only our Saviour and Advocate, but also our High Priest!
Listen to how the author of Hebrews puts it when talking about priests. ‘But this man (Jesus), because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he liveth for ever to make intercession for them.
For such a high priest became us (was fitting for us), who is holy, harmless (innocent), undefiled, separate from sinners, and made (has become) higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once when he offered up himself.’ (Heb.7:24-27)
Oh friends, what an amazing personality is our Jesus! Saviour, Advocate, High Priest, God! He is everything wrapped up in ONE! That means we have no need for anything or anybody else but HIM! Please, please, let’s remember that as we go about our daily lives, walking out walk of faith!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are! In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and do exactly that; share Christ’s amazing friendship and His awesome LOVE! Much LOVE!
…Christ’s intercession…is like unto…preventive medicine…
SCRIP-BITS 