| Christ's
Heavenly Intercession 
Geoffrey Bingham Christ's
Heavenly intercession 
This is a subject of immense
dimensions and importance and we need to understand it. Of
course Christ was-and is-truly 'a high priest for ever after
the order of Melchizedek' and from his baptism-if not before-he
began his work of intercession. This was not an easy work.
When we come to investigate-so far as we are enabled and
privileged to do so-the ministry of Christ as great High
Priest and as Intercessor for us, we will realise that true
intercession is taking the burden and impact of sin before
the Holy Father to Whom the intercession is made. He alone
was ever the true Intercessor, and largely so in the wonderful
action of Gethsemane. He was the human race in himself when
he took the death-dealing judgment, was immolated in the
sin, evil and guilt of Man, and was not destroyed by it.
We are naive if we think this was not 'the hour and authority
of darkness', that Satan was not at him in the form of the
tempter, and that he was not tempted to draw back, but then
never did draw back, not even for a fleeting second. As we
will see, true intercession is getting under the load of
another's sin-or the sin of the whole world-and shouldering
what the bearer of that sin cannot otherwise fully shoulder
and cope with. We conclude, then, that what had to happen
did happen. It had to happen so that the suffering which
had to come to him for the world-even in the garden of Gethsemane-came
and was borne and endured. Intercession has a substantial
history in the Old Testament, where the word 'intercession'
can also mean 'intervention'. This understanding is based
on Isaiah chapter 59 which ought to be read fully alongside
this article. In order to give some understanding of the
word in Hebrew it will be good to look at the two quotes
given below from two scholars on Isaiah 53:12-'Therefore
I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his
soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet
he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors'-which
will help us to understand something of its nature: He acted as mediator and
made intercession . . . The base meaning is 'to cause to
reach' and hence 'cause someone's plea to reach someone's
ears' (to intercede) or to 'introduce someone into someone's
presence' (to mediate). The Servant is thus a go-between,
interposing between two parties, not as a barrier but as
a bridge. In verse 6 the Lord put his Servant in between,
using him as a means of disposing of that (our iniquity)
which alienated him from us. Here the Servant comes voluntarily
to stand with us so that when he had borne our sin he might
bring us to God. (Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, IVP,
Leicester, 1993, p. 443.) The hip'il of the verb pa-ga',
'to light upon someone', means 'to cause to light upon',
as in 53:6. Used absolutely it means 'to intervene', as in
Isa. 59:16. This elucidates the meaning here, 'he interceded
for the transgressors'. This does not mean, as some editors
imagine, that he made prayers of intercession for them, but
that with his life, his suffering and his death, he took
their place and underwent their punishment in their stead.
(Claus Westerman, Isaiah 40-66, SCM, London, 1969, p. 269.) Christ's intercession was
a taking up of the sins of the sinner-of the sinful world-and
bearing the excruciating weight of them to their full judgment
and exhaustion. This was begun in Gethsemane and completed
on the Cross. The intercession was voluntary and therefore
valid and so, effective. This is the basis now for his heavenly
Session-Intercession. Hebrews 4:14-16 encourages us to seek
intercession at Christ's throne of grace: Since then we have a great
high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have
not a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to
the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace
to help in time of need. Hebrews 7:23-25 is also encourages
to trust in his High Priesthood which is his ministry of
Session: The former priests were many
in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing
in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because
he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time
to save those who draw near to God through him, since he
always lives to make intercession for them. Undoubtedly part of his intercession
is to do with those who have not yet come to God by him,
but much of his intercession has to do with those who already
are his people, his flock, his church. This is shown by Romans
8:33-34: Who shall bring any charge
against God's elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn?
Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the
dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes
for us? We see, here, that those for
whom he intercedes are believers, no longer under condemnation.
What, then, is his intercession? It is for those who need
him to intervene against Satan, the world, the flesh and
all accusation. By such intercession believers can be victorious
in Christ. Intercession, Suffering, Human Intercession
by the Spirit This opens a wide subject.
Not only is Christ the Interceder but, being Christ's people,
each person is thus an interceder. When we come to Romans
8:18-30 we see the matter of glory is being expounded. The
whole creation is groaning, is in convulsions until the sons
of God be revealed in their final glory. Then creation will
be released from the bondage of corruption into the glory
of the liberty of the children of God. Believing persons
also groan even though they have the first fruits of the
Spirit. They know that on the way to glory they also feel
the convulsions, and they would intercede properly, as is
seen in Romans 8:26-27 where the Holy Spirit also intercedes
for the believers when they do not know 'how to pray as they
ought'. The text tells us 'because of our weakness' we are
unable to intercede. On the one hand we do not know what
the content of our prayer should be, but on the other we
do not have the true strength to intercede, since intercession-in
some sense or another-is intervening, is getting under the
load of the creation and Man and virtually becoming as the
one or the thing for which we intercede! Here are shades
of Gethsemane and the Cross. The amazing and thrilling
thing is that the Spirit within us virtually tells us, 'You
cannot do it, yet you truly yearn to do it. I become as you
in your intercession. I feel your groaning and I share that
groaning. I make that intercession for you "according to
the will of God"'. He takes my intercession for yours and
accepts it so that you have truly interceded. Intercession,
then, must cover all elements of the life of the believer
and the believing community. How encouraging! How fortifying! Summing up the matter of intercession
we may say that Christ's Session, our intercession and the
Spirit's intercession make a triple intercession. The intercession
of the High Priest is one with his people who are interceding
even beyond their own needs to that of the coming liberation
and glorification of all things. They are aided by the Spirit
so that, they too, intercede according to the will of God.
This 'triple intercession' is about the one thing-the ultimate
climax of God's great plan and intention. Thus the believer
can live in the intercession of his High-Priest Lord. He
can also intercede and know that the Holy Spirit so loves
him, and so loves the nations that he and Christ are bringing
to the Holy City, that he can assure them they are worthy
partakers in the triple intercession. Geoffrey Bingham, Adelaide 20th September
1999
|
