Advocacy of Christ

As the rainbow in the sky reminds God of His covenant with Noah, so the advocate-Son at the Father's right hand is the embodiment of all the virtue of His cross — the perpetual reminder of the finished work.

is in Himself the embodiment of all the virtue of the work that He did upon the cross. And here you see the relationship between the earthly and the heavenly ministries, the once for all suffering and the perpetual work of the great High Priest. At God's right hand He is to the Father what the rainbow is with regard to that covenant made to all men. God says, when I see that sign in the sky, I'll remember my covenant.

28:52 - 29:23 Read in full sermon

A normal defense attorney pleads his client's innocence, lessens circumstances, or appeals to mercy. Christ does none of these — He confesses His client's guilt and aggravates it with privileges abused.

Well, he will perhaps seek to plead the innocency of his client. He will gather all the information and will seek to convince a jury and a judge that he was not really guilty of the crime for which he was indicted. Or he may say, yes, he's committed the crime, but the circumstances were such that the crime is not what you've said it is. Yes, he killed someone, but he did it in self-defense.

29:51 - 30:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I plead the forgiveness and the release of my client, not at the expense of justice, but on the grounds of justice.

Any earthly attorney who confessed his client's guilt, aggravated the evidence, and refused to compromise the court's justice wouldn't keep his shingle up for long — yet this is exactly how our High Priest pleads.

And thirdly, we've got a client who says, whatever I do for you, I will not do it at the expense of tarnishing one bit the full justice of the law of the court. an attorney who says, more than the good of my client, I'm determined to uphold the honor of the judge's laws. Now, who would like an advocate like that?

31:40 - 32:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I plead the forgiveness and the release of my client, not at the expense of justice, but on the grounds of justice.

Wesley's line — 'There for me my Savior stands, shows his wounds and spreads his hands' — pictures Christ's courtroom plea directing the Judge's gaze away from the client onto His own propitiatory wounds.

And what he does is not to plead something in the client that ought to move the court to be favorably disposed. He turns all of the attention of the court away from the client upon himself. And in the language of Wesley, There for me my Savior stands, shows his wounds, and spreads his hands. And the Lord Jesus calls upon the judge to turn away from the client.

32:37 - 33:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I plead the forgiveness and the release of my client, not at the expense of justice, but on the grounds of justice.

Amintas of ancient Greece, who had lost his right hand fighting for his country, entered the assembly that held his accused brother's life in their votes and simply raised the stump of his arm — and they released his brother out of regard for him. So Christ presents His wounds before the Father.

It is said that there was a certain man by the name of Amintas who appeared as an advocate for his brother, Eucullus. His brother was strongly accused and very likely to be condemned to die.

34:33 - 34:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not rationalize about the extent of your sin — come and say, 'Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,' and trust the Advocate's plea.

After cursing and denying his Lord, Peter was not broken by the terrors of the law but by a look from Jesus — and he went out and wept bitterly. So the Advocate's gaze can break the backslider.

And am I speaking this morning to someone who through the deception of the devil has actually for a time turned your back upon Christ and His Word and His truth, almost hoping you could put yourself outside the orbit of what one author called the hound of heaven. Oh, dear friend, it is not likely that the terrors of law will break you, but perhaps a look from your advocate will break you as it did Peter. He cursed and he swore and he said, I do not know the man. But the Scripture says Jesus looked upon him, and he wept bitterly.

46:07 - 46:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not rationalize about the extent of your sin — come and say, 'Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,' and trust the Advocate's plea.

After his sin with Bathsheba, David went nearly a year with no confession or repentance. During that time the devil's accusations rang loud, but Christ's advocacy prevailed, and the intercession secured Nathan's prophetic ministry to break his heart.

If any man sin, we have an advocate. Oh, dear child of God, held in the present grip of a spirit of backsliding and dullness and insensitivity, your Savior is not as you are. and as the accusations of the enemy come to the presence of God as no doubt they did during that period when David after his wickedness went a period of close to a year with no confession and no repentance can you imagine the din of the accusations of the devil before the face of God that's the man after your own heart that's the sacred singer of Israel that's the writer of the songs

47:13 - 47:59 Read in full sermon