Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:23-25; John 17:15, 17, 20-21 - The Heaven of Thy Intercession
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
[PRAYER] “Christ is All,” a puritan prayer…
O Lover to the uttermost;
May I read the meltings of Thy heart to me
in the manger of Thy birth,
in the garden of Thy agony,
in the cross of Thy suffering,
in the tomb of Thy resurrection,
in the heaven of Thy intercession.
And all God’s people said, “Amen.”
[OPENING] During the Christmas season you are offered two gifts.
One gift is wrapped nicely with Santa and reindeer wrapping paper, and attached to it is a tag that says, “From the World!”
You open it up to find emptiness, burden, disappointment, shallowness, and distraction.
Most people open this facade of a gift every Christmas.
The other gift is wrapped in swaddling cloths, and attached to Him is a tag that says, “From your Father!”
In Him we find real hope, real peace, real life, real joy, real rest, and a thousand other real blessings!
If we open ourselves to Him, we find an eternal gift—the gift God the Father has given us in His Son Jesus.
At Christmas we Christians celebrate Jesus as Savior.
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
At Christmas we celebrate Jesus as Emmanuel.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
We rightly celebrate who Jesus is, and this Christmas we want to celebrate what Jesus has done for us in…
…the manger of His birth (where He took on flesh and tabernacled among us)…
…the garden of His agony (where He obeyed His Father’s will in drinking the cup of wrath that we deserved)…
…the cross of His suffering and in the tomb of His resurrection (where Jesus died as the sacrifice for our sins and was raised to make us right with God).
That’s what Jesus has done for us, and even as we celebrate those things we want to also celebrate what Jesus is doing for us in…
…the heaven of His intercession (where Jesus is praying for us before God the Father).
Just think of this! The Son of God who was born in a manger, who agonized in the garden, who died on the cross, and who rose from the dead, He is praying for you and me!
I am convinced that if we feel this truth in our hearts as we should, we will have more hope, more peace, more life, more joy, and more rest not just during the Christmas season but during all seasons!
[TS] At Christmas time, we think about gifts, and one of the greatest gifts that God gives to us in Jesus is the gift of His intercession for us.
[INTER] To unwrap this gift this morning we want to answer a few QUESTIONS…
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
Question #1: Where does Jesus intercede for me?
Question #1: Where does Jesus intercede for me?
[CONTEXT] To answer this question we need to look in Romans 8.
Romans proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews and Gentiles. It diagnoses our problem: our rebellion against God, and the solution: God’s righteousness imputed to us in Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected.
This is good news that gives us every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ!
This is good news that makes us dead to sin and alive to God!
This is good news that sets us free from slavery to sin and makes us slaves to God!
This is good news that guarantees there is no condemnation for us if we are in Christ Jesus!
This is good news that promises that God is for us!
He did not spare His Son, but delivered Him over for us all!
No one can charge us because we belong to God and He has justified us in Christ!
No one can condemn us if we are in Christ because—and look at Romans 8:34…
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
[EXP] Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of God!
The right hand of God is the place of intimacy with God the Father. No one could be at the Father’s right hand without having the Father’s heart.
As Jesus intercedes for us at the Father’s right hand, He has His Father’s heart.
The right hand of God is the place of righteousness before God the Father. No one could be at the Father’s right hand without being perfectly righteous before Him.
James 5:16 says…
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Jesus is the perfectly righteous man! And His righteousness guarantees that He has His Father’s ear as He intercedes for us.
The right hand of God is the place of power and authority. Anyone who sits at the Father’s right hand has all power and authority. This is Jesus!
Ephesians 1:20-21 says…
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
First Peter 3:22 says that Jesus…
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Jesus is the One with all power and authority! And His power and authority guarantee that His requests on our behalf will be granted!
[ILLUS] I sometimes intercede for you in a yellow chair in my bedroom. Sometimes I intercede for you in a brown recliner in my living room. Sometimes it’s from ergonomic black office chair behind my desk. Sometimes it’s from the tattered diver’s seat of my old 4Runner.
I’m not sure what any of those places would communicate about my intercession for you, but none of them communicate anything close to the grandeur of Jesus interceding for us from the right hand of the Father!
When Jesus prays for us from His Father’s right hand, the heart of the Father says, “Yes!”
When Jesus prays for us from His Father’s right hand, the ear of the Father says, “I’m listening!”
When Jesus prays for us from the His Father’s right hand, the will of the Father says, “It shall be done!”
[TS] Jesus intercedes for us the Father’s right hand!
A second QUESTION…
Question #2: When does Jesus intercede for me?
Question #2: When does Jesus intercede for me?
[CONTEXT] To answer this question we need to look in Hebrews 7.
The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is better.
Jesus is a better revelation.
Jesus is better than the angels.
Jesus is a better Mediator.
Jesus is a better covenant.
Jesus is a better tabernacle.
Jesus is a better Sabbath rest.
Jesus is a better King.
Jesus is a better hope.
Jesus is a better sacrifice.
Jesus is a better promised land.
And Jesus is a better High Priest.
Notice one aspect of His better priesthood in Hebrews 7:23-25…
23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
[EXP] Because Jesus has defeated death and always lives, He always lives to make intercession for me and you if we are in Christ Jesus!
Knowing that Jesus is always praying for us ought to give us great encouragement! In his Systematic Theology, Louis Berkhof writes…
“It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers; and that He prays for our protection against the dangers of which we are not even conscious, and against the enemies which threaten us, though we do not notice it.”
Charles Spurgeon said, “We little know what we owe to our Savior’s prayers.”
[APP] Brothers and sisters, do we understand how wonderful it is that Jesus is always praying for us!?
When we feel like we can’t pray, Jesus is always praying for us!
Even when we are sinful, Jesus is always praying for us!
When we think we are too busy, Jesus is always praying for us!
When we are asleep, Jesus is always praying for us!
This is good news because sometimes we don’t know what to pray.
This is good news because sometimes our prayers are imperfect.
The babe in the manger who grew to agonize in the garden, die on the cross, and rise from the dead—He is always praying for us!
[TS] But the question of when Jesus intercedes for us is directly related to how Jesus intercedes for us.
So that’s our third QUESTION…
Question #3: How does Jesus intercede for me?
Question #3: How does Jesus intercede for me?
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
[EXP] Ian Hamilton is a faithful preacher of God’s Word. About six years ago he preached at sermon on the intercession of Jesus at a Ligonier Ministries conference.
In that sermon he asked this question, “Are we to picture our Lord Jesus pleading before His Father asking Him to blessing His people?”
Ian Hamilton then said, “I think it is unthinkable that we should understand our Lord Jesus seeking to persuade His Father to bless us. Isn’t Jesus Himself the gift of the Father’s love to us? He had not need to persuade the Father to bless us or to do anything good for us. Remember Jesus own words to His disciples… ‘The Father Himself loves you.’”
“It seems to me,” he says, “that we best understand the nature of our Lord Jesus’ intercession like this: His intercession is His presence at the right hand of the His Father. His intercession is His presence at the right hand of His Father. His intercession is not vocal at all. His risen, sin-atoning, sin-vanquishing, Satan-conquering presence at His Father’s right hand contains every conceivable blessing that His people could ever ask for or ever need. In Christ… the Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. In other words, our Savior’s nail-pierced hands and feet are His intercession.
This Jesus who was born in a manger, who agonized in the garden, who was pierced on a cross, has risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He always lives!
And in His always living is His intercession for me and for you if we are in Him!
The nail-scars on His resurrection body at the Father’s right hand always intercede for us.
[ILLUS] The day before Thanksgiving, Madelyn was watering her Mama’s flowers. She was doing a great job going back and forth to get the water, making sure that each flower got what it needed.
But as she was running back to get more water, she slipped on the concrete and busted her chin open.
To doctor we went. Madelyn was so tough. She didn’t cry, didn’t even flinch when they cleaned the wound, deaden it, and then stitched it up.
A week later the stitches were out, but you can still tell where she busted her chin. Every time I see the little place under her chin, it pleads with me, “Please tell Madelyn to slow down!”
Her little scar can’t talk, but it pleads nonetheless.
[APP] The scars of Jesus likewise plead for us.
But one day Madelyn’s scar may not be noticeable, or one day, even if it is noticeable, I won’t notice it anymore.
When that happens, Madelyn’s scar will no longer plead with me.
But the scars that Jesus won in saving us from sin and death will always be noticeable, and His Father will never fail to notice them.
For all eternity, the nail-scars of Jesus will plead with the Father on our behalf if we are in Christ.
Do the nail-scars of Jesus plead for you?
[TS] Next QUESTION…
Question #4: What does Jesus intercede for me?
Question #4: What does Jesus intercede for me?
[CONTEXT] We’ve looked at the where, when, and how of Jesus interceding for us. Now we look at what His nail-scared, resurrected presence asks for at the right hand of the Father. To see this we must go to John 17 and look at the prayer Jesus prayed for us before He was crucified.
In John 17, Jesus begins by praying for His glory and the glory of the Father through Him.
Then He prays for the Apostles; that they will be kept from the evil one and sanctified in the truth.
15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
Then He prays for the church through the ages that we all would be one.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
[EXP] These three things are what Jesus asks for from the Father by His very presence at the Father’s right hand.
Jesus pleads for our protection (John 17:15).
Jesus pleads for our protection (John 17:15).
15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
First Peter 5:8 says…
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Jesus knew this. He knew that we would be under attack. He knew the devil would prowl, stalk, and pounce like a hungry lion in a search of an easy meal.
Sometimes we feel this and we say things, “Whew! The devil sure was after me today!”
But while we are called to be on the alert, we need not be anxious.
The devil may prowl.
But our Savior is praying.
And we will be kept!
Jesus prays for our sanctification (John 17:17).
Jesus prays for our sanctification (John 17:17).
17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
To be sanctified is to be made clean or holy or set apart to God.
The truth of God is required to sanctify us, and we find that truth only in the Word of God.
In order to be sanctified, we need regular washings in the truth of God’s Word!
Go without a shower or a bath for a few days in a row and you’ll begin to smell like the world; you’ll begin to wear the filth of the world; you’ll begin to look like the rottenness of the world.
God without the truth of God’s Word and you’ll begin to think like the unbelieving world, talk like the unbelieving world, and behave like the unbelieving world.
But if we are in Christ we will be in His Word because He is praying for us, and we will be sanctified.
Jesus prays for our unity (John 17:20-21).
Jesus prays for our unity (John 17:20-21).
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Jesus prays that our unity would be like the unity between Him and His Father.
But He doesn’t plead for this just so that we would experience peaceful business meetings!
He pleads for this so that the world would believe that Father God sent Jesus His Son!
In other words, our unity is an argument for the truth of who Jesus is as the Son of God!
When we are not unified, the world thinks in its heart, “Jesus is not the Son of God.”
When we are unified, the world thinks, “Maybe there’s something to this ‘Jesus as the Son of God’ thing.”
[ILLUS] Before we entered the Christmas season, we were studying Acts on Sunday mornings. We left off at the end of Acts 2 where we read this in vv. 44-47…
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Now, in that paragraph pay attention to the words or phrases signifying unity…
those who had believed were together,
they had all things in common,
they were sharing with all,
they were continuing with one mind,
they were taking their meals together.
And then pay attention to the result—it’s the very thing Jesus prayed for in John 17:21 and the very thing He still prays for today—Acts 2:47…
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Because the church was increasingly unified, people increasingly believed that Jesus was sent by God.
Are we unified?
Are the unbelieving becoming the believing because of unity?
We will be unified…
and people will believe…
because Jesus is praying.
He is praying for our protection, our sanctification, and our unity.
[ILLUS] I had a high school friend who received a full-size, gray and maroon, GMC 4x4 for Christmas one year. I happened to be at his house when they gave it to him.
It was a few days before Christmas and they had no way to hide the truck from him, so they put a bow on the front of it, walked him outside, and said, “Merry Christmas!”
To which he responded, “That’s not the truck I wanted!”
[APP] How would you have characterized my friend? Ungrateful? Spoiled?
But perhaps we see what Jesus is praying for us and we say, “That’s not the prayers I wanted!”
“I wanted prayers for more money!”
“I wanted prayers for better health!”
“I wanted prayers for a bigger house and a nicer car!”
But Jesus pleads for what is best for us.
Nothing is more important than…
our protection from the evil one,
our sanctification in the truth of God’s Word,
our unity as the people of God so the world will know that Jesus is God’s Son.
[TS] Our last QUESTION…
Question #5: Who does Jesus intercede for?
Question #5: Who does Jesus intercede for?
Think back to Hebrews 7:25…
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
[EXP] Jesus intercedes for those who draw near to God through Him.
He saves them forever from the wrath of God.
He always lives to make intercession for them so that they will be blessed with every spiritual blessing.
Jesus does not save those who refuse to draw near to God through Him.
Those who refuse to draw near to God through Jesus are still condemned, dead in their sins, still under the wrath of God, still headed for eternal punish in the lake of fire.
Jesus does not intercede for those who refuse to draw near to God through Him.
[APP] Everything I have said in this sermon I have said to those who have drawn near to God through Jesus Christ.
Have I been talking to you this morning?
Or do you refuse?
Draw near to God through Jesus and God will draw near to you!
You will find salvation forever!
And you will always have Jesus interceding for you!
[TS] What a gift it is that Jesus is interceding for us!
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER] O LOVER TO THE UTTERMOST,
May I read the meltings of thy heart to me
in the manger of thy birth
in the garden of thy agony,
in the cross of thy suffering,
in the tomb of thy resurrection,
in the heaven of thy intercession.
…
I think of thy glory and my vileness,
thy majesty and my meanness,
thy beauty and my deformity,
thy purity and my filth,
thy righteousness and my iniquity.
Thou hast loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love thee as I am loved;
Thou hast given thyself for me,
may I give myself to thee;
Thou hast died for me,
may I live to thee,
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.”
…
This we pray in the Name of Jesus who prays for us, Amen.