123. Intercessioin
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
By bearing our sin upon Himself, the Servant Messiah was able to make intercession for sinners. We are the transgressors, and Jesus interceded for the transgressors. In other words, Jesus died for me. Intercede means: “come between.” Jesus, the Son of God, came between God and sinners, two hostile parties at war with each other with no possibility of mediation. Sin, which inheres in every human being, separates from a holy God. It cannot be tolerated; reconciliation is impossible. Where there was no way, the Lord made a way: He gave His only Son, the second person of the Trinity, to come to earth as a human and as God to intercede for, come between, God and sinner. His “intercession” reconciled the two sides, brought them together, and united them as one.. He interceded by taking on our sin and suffering death, the just penalty for sin, in our place. Thus we become pleasing to God, He can love us completely, and give us His very eternal life for free. This is what intercession does for us.
The promise of intercession also includes intercessory prayer on our behalf. Hebrews 7:28: “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Christ has not only brought us together with God and granted access to the Throne Room, but also Jesus Christ Himself is pleading for us and bringing our prayers and requests before the Father. Jesus is praying for us. But Jesus also says in John 16:26, 27: “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you.” Jesus does ask the Father, but He actually asks through our hearts and mouths. We have such intimate access to God the Father because of the intercession of Christ. So Jesus tells us: “Ask the Father in my name,” that is, pray in the faith that I have brought you clean and holy before God Almighty. Because of Jesus we are with God to ask ourselves. Jesus does not intercede by talking to God for us. You can do the asking, but now the Holy Spirit helps us do the asking because He promises: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Jesus interceded and made prayer possible; the Holy Spirit articulates the issues for which we can only groan. God promises prayer along with the desire and ability to do it. God promises intercession.