Lesson 83: Christ the Intercessor, part 2
Hebrews 7:25 - …He always lives to make intercession…
To understand intercession, think first of His intercession: He ever lives to make intercession. The work of Christ on earth as Priest was but a beginning. It was as Aaron that He shed His blood; it is as Melchizedek that He now lives within the veil to continue His work, after the power of the eternal life. As Melchizedek is more glorious than Aaron, so it is in the work of intercession that the atonement has its true power and glory. “It is Christ who died: yes, more, who is even at the right hand of God making intercession for us.” That intercession is an intense reality, a work that is absolutely necessary, and without which the continued application of redemption cannot take place. In the human birth and resurrection of Jesus the wondrous reconciliation took place, by which man became partaker of the Divine life and blessedness. But the real personal appropriation of this reconciliation in each of His members here below cannot take place without the unceasing exercise of His Divine power as the head in heaven. In all conversion and sanctification, in every victory over sin and the world, there is a real putting-forth of the power of Him who is mighty to save. And this exercise of His power only takes place through His prayer: He asks of the Father, and receives from the Father. “He is able to save to the uttermost, because He ever lives to make intercession.” There is not a need of His people, but for which He receives in intercession what the Godhead has to give: His mediation on the throne is as real and necessary as on the cross. Nothing takes place without His intercession: it engages all His time and powers, and is His unceasing occupation at the right hand of the Father.
And we participate not only in the benefits of this His work, but in the work itself. This is because we are His body. Body and members are one: “The head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you.” We share with Jesus in all He is and has: “The glory which You gave Me, I have given them.” We are partakers of His life, His righteousness, and His work: we share with Him in His intercession too; it is not a work He does without us.
We do this because we are partakers of His life: “Christ is our life;” “No longer I, but Christ lives in me.” The life in Him and in us is identical, one and the same. His life in us is an ever-praying life. When it descends and takes possession of us, it does not lose its character; in us too it is the every-praying life—a life that without ceasing asks and receives from God. And this not as if there were two separate currents of prayer rising upwards, one from Him, and one from His people. No, but the substantial life-union is also prayer-union: what He prays passes through us, what we pray passes through Him. He is the angel with the golden censer: “UNTO HIM there was given much incense,” the secret of acceptable prayer, “that He should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar.” We live, we abide in Him, the Interceding One.
Prayer: Blessed Lord! You have invited Your people to be Your fellow-workers in a life of prayer. You have united Yourself with Your people, and make them, as Your body - to share with You in that ministry of intercession through which alone the world can be filled with the fruit of Your redemption and the glory of the Father. With more liberty than ever I come to You, my Lord, and beseech You: Teach me to pray. Your life is prayer; Your life is mine. Lord, teach me to pray, in You, like You.