Jesus Christ Our Advocate

Here’s the idea. You stand before a judge and you are guilty. There is evidence to convict you. No more testimony is allowed. It is time for sentencing. But along comes your advocate and intercedes on your behalf! Though you cannot speak to the judge, He can. He explains that The punishment for your crime has already been given. The price has already been paid! There is no need for punishment.

That is our advocate.

The presence of an advocate means that confessed sin will never be counted against us.

Therefore, we no longer live as slaves to sin, but as followers of Christ.

These two verses teach us three valuable lessons about our advocate.

Lesson #1. Jesus Christ is…

1. A Necessary Advocate v. 1a

The first thing we need to note is that the people being addressed are believers. “My little children” is how John is addressing them.

John has just said, in the previous chapter, that a denial of personal sin makes you a liar. But confession of sin brings forgiveness.

Sin is present in the life of every single believer.

John’s goal in writing this letter is to encourage these believers not to sin. That’s the goal.

The goal is to walk in the light and have unbroken fellowship with God. That’s in ch. 1, verse 7.

However, because our sin nature is still present, we will sin.

John wants his readers to realize that the presence of sin and the ability to confess that sin doesn’t mean we have a license to sin.

Now he wants them to realize that the presence of sin and the ability to confess that sin doesn’t mean we have a license to sin. His purpose in writing to them is so that they won’t sin! But because sin is a reality we have an advocate with the Father.

Again, his purpose in writing to them is so that they won’t sin! But because sin is a reality we have an advocate with the Father.

This is the point I want to get to. After stating that he desires them not to sin, John immediately states, “if anyone sins.” We are going to sin.

But Just because we can sin and will sin does not mean that we give up and give in to sin!

Turn to (p. 1300).

(p. 1300)

Romans 7:18–25 NKJV

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

What Paul describes here is a battle. We fight against sin. In Paul explains that our victory over sin in daily life depends on whether or not we are yielding to the Holy Spirit.

The reality of sin demands the presence of an advocate.

We are sinners. We have been made saints. But we still sin. We have an accuser, a prosecuting attorney.

We need a defense attorney. We need someone to plead our case before God!

That is the role of Jesus Christ, and He is perfectly suited to that role. And so, when sin happens, run to Christ.

“I Run To Christ” (vv. 1, 3)

John reveals here a second lesson about our advocate. Jesus Christ is…

2. A Perfect Advocate v. 1b

Because sin is a reality we have an advocate with the Father.

Advocate is the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklētos) and it is only used by the Apostle John in the New Testament.

Advocate – παράκλητος (paraklētos)

An advocate is a helper; intercessor. A person who acts as a spokesperson or representative of someone else’s policy, purpose, or cause; especially before a judge in a court of law.

So An advocate is one who pleads another’s cause before a judge; an intercessor.

Here the word is used of Christ in His exaltation at God’s right hand pleading the pardon of our sins with God the Father.

Now you may wonder, “Why does Christ pleads with the Father when His death, burial and resurrection blotted out our sin?”

calls Satan the accuser of the brethren (S).

Revelation 12:9–11 NKJV

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

A clear picture of what this means is when Satan appears before God in the book of Job.

Satan comes before the throne of God and points out our sin. “See God; see what your children are doing!”

Then Jesus steps forward and says “See the nail prints, the thorn marks, see my pierced side? I paid the penalty for that sin.”

As our advocate Jesus Christ pleads our case before the Father!

His role as advocate is closely associated with His role as intercessor.

In Paul says (S).

Romans 8:34 NKJV

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

What an awesome truth! Our Judge, Who has the right and power to condemn us, is the One who died for us and is our intercessor and advocate!

He is the perfect person to advocate for us. John calls Him Jesus Christ the Righteous!

John calls Him Jesus Christ the Righteous!

“Righteous” is used of one whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no correction in heart or in life.

In this sense, Christ alone can be called Righteous.

Jesus Christ, as the only righteous one, is the only one qualified to plead our case!

He pleads on the basis of His sacrifice not on how good we are!

Turn to (p. 1378).

(p. 1378)

Hebrews 7:25–27 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Jesus Christ as the only holy, undefiled, righteous person that has ever walked this earth, sacrificed Himself on the Cross bearing our sin! And now He intercedes for us as our advocate before the Father!

Being perfectly righteous, Christ is a perfect advocate.

What an awesome God we serve! A God who pleads for us.

“Before The Throne Of God Above” (verse 1)

He is a necessary advocate because of our sin. He is the perfect advocate because of His righteousness.

Finally, Jesus Christ is…

3. A Qualified Advocate v. 2

As if interceding for us and being our advocate wasn’t more than enough, John goes on to tell us that Christ is our propitiation.

For this reason He is able to be our advocate. He speaks for us and God listens because Jesus is also the propitiation for our sin.

Propitiation – ἱλασμός (hilasmos) the means of appeasing wrath and gaining the good will of an offended person.

Propitiation – ἱλασμός (hilasmos)

God has been offended by our sin. His wrath must be appeased.

The idea of propitiation is that Those who are out of favor are brought back into favor through the blood of Jesus Christ.

(S).

Hebrews 2:17 NKJV

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Christ reconciled us to God! He paid the debt of sin!

What does say (S)?

Romans 6:23 NKJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The wages of sin is death! If you have committed even one sin you are guilty and deserving of death!

People today like to think that they are pretty good. But that is a self-deception. We think we are good only through comparison with others. But what does it take to be bad?

If you have ever lied, you sinned. That includes any intentional falsehood regardless of the reason!

Jesus said if you break the least commandment you are guilty of the whole thing! One sin makes you guilty! And according to that means you deserve death!

So what is the answer? Turn to (p. 1223).

(p. 1223)

John 3:16–18 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We had a debt of sin that required death. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die in our place.

We had a huge ledger of sin and the Father takes the blood of Christ and stamps “PAID IN FULL” across our sins, blotting them out (S).

Jesus paid it all! And that is what it means when it says He is our propitiation.

That is what Christ did! He paid it all! And that is what it means when it says He is our propitiation.

Jesus Christ satisfied the wrath and judgment of God. He paid for our sin! And the sins of the whole world!

The reason His sacrifice is accepted is because He is Jesus Christ the Righteous! He is able to be the satisfaction of our sin because He is the only righteous one!

Jesus was the only sacrifice that could satisfy God’s wrath. Therefore, He is the only qualified advocate.

The perfectly righteous sacrifice is qualified to plead our case.

If you are here today and you have never believed in what Jesus Christ did for you, now is the time!

If you are here today and you can say with confidence that Jesus is your savior. What are you doing for Him?

Are telling others who He is and what He has done for you?

Maybe you are here and there is a burden of sin weighing you down, confess it! John said I am writing you these things so that you won’t sin! But when you do the blood of Jesus Christ has it covered.

Jesus Christ is our advocate! He is our propitiation. He stands in the presence of the Father and pleads for us.

“Before The Throne Of God Above” (verses 2-3)

Turn with me to . This is a time for believers to remember the price that was paid. To be reminded of the penalty of sin. Taking part of communion does not save you. This is simply a way for us to be reminded of what Christ has done. If you know the Lord as savior this morning, please join us in bread and juice as we remember Jesus Christ. These are only symbols, they represent the body and blood of our Savior. Examination – verses 26-32

OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION

The Bread (His Body) vv. 23-24 #210 “Jesus Paid It All” (chorus)

Jesus paid it all All to Him I owe Sin had left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow

The Cup (His Blood) v. 25 #189 “Calvary Covers It All” (chorus)

Calvary covers it all My past with its sin and stain My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there And Calvary covers it all

Conclusion

We have a sin nature. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.

Sinners by nature and by choice.

Because salvation does not remove our sin nature, we need an advocate.

When we sin, Jesus Christ pleads for us before the throne.

He is able to plead for us because He is righteous.

As the only righteous man that has ever existed, the sacrifice of Jesus was accepted.

This righteousness makes Christ the perfect advocate.

Our advocate pleads for us based on His sacrifice, not our performance.

His sacrifice appeased the wrath of God. He paid the penalty for all sin.

The satisfaction of God’s wrath enables us to have a relationship with God.

Because He sacrificed Himself for sin, Jesus is the only one qualified to be our advocate.

Being the sacrifice for sin guarantees that our advocate is always heard.

Satan stands before the throne and he accuses believers. He points to our sin and attempts to keep us separated from God.

Jesus stand before the throne and He advocates for believers. He points to His wounds and declares our fellowship with God.

May gratitude for our advocate lead to lifestyles of obedience.

May Satan have less to accuse and Christ less to defend.

As the beloved of God, the redeemed, those declared righteous, and set apart for His glory; walk worthy of Jesus Christ.

PRAY

Close - 513 “O, How He Loves You And Me”

1 John 2:1–6 NKJV

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

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