Audrey, a podcast listener, writes in to ask this.

Pastor John, if our sins are already atoned for by the death of Christ, why is it necessary

now for Jesus to currently make intercession for us in heaven as our advocate before the

Father?

I like that question.

I like it because we know that both of those are presented in the New Testament and there's

an effort on her part to try to bring them into some deeper harmony and so every time

I try to do that, I see more of Christ, I love more of Christ and so I think the answer

to that question is that Jesus Christ receives more glory because God does it this way since

that's the reason God does everything He does so that Christ gets more glory.

In the long run, the glory of Christ will shine more fully, more brightly, more durably

for having made a complete atonement once for all at the cross and for interceding for

us.

Let's see if we can see in the New Testament how they're related.

There are three key passages on the intercession of Christ.

First one is first John 2, 1.

I am writing these things to you so that you may not see in.

If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Right now with the Father in heaven, we have an advocate, paracleton, Jesus Christ the

righteous.

The fact that He's called the righteous, our advocate is Jesus Christ the righteous

suggests that what Jesus achieved here on earth in His perfect obedience, His perfect

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