Intercession

Downtown, across the street from where I work is the Mexican Consulate. One day, I realized I'm not really familiar with what a consulate does. So I researched it a bit and found that a consulate basically represents people from one country while they are in another country. So, the Mexican consulate represents Mexicans while they are in the US. The consulate might provide Visa and Passport information, Mexican immigration, and trade information, including Powers of Attorney or legalization of documents to be used in Mexico. There are many Mexican consulates in the US so that Mexicans can have easier access to a consulate nearby if they should need it.

From the internet:

"A consulate is like a junior embassy. It's generally located in a busy tourist city, and takes care of minor diplomatic tasks such as issuing visas. The word consulate literally means office of the consul, who is a diplomat appointed to foster trade and take care of expatriates.

Embassies are much bigger deals. Ambassadors are high-ranking diplomatic representatives who serve as spokespersons for their national governments. If one country recognizes the sovereignty of another, they generally establish an embassy there. Embassies take care of the same administrative duties as consulates, but they also represent their governments abroad.

This can be tricky business. For instance, the United States doesn't maintain an embassy in Taiwan (in order to maintain diplomatic relations with China), but it does operates a consulate there to take care of its overseas citizens.

In 1975, American citizens fled the American embassy in Saigon. The building was just an apartment complex across the street, but the message was clear: once the embassy leaves, the country symbolically leaves."

So, that's all very nice, but what's the point?

Well, a consulate or embassy intercedes on behalf of a foreigner visiting a country and that's what I'd like to talk about is intercession.

We see many cases in the old testament where a prophet would intercede on behalf of the people around him

Abraham pleads on behalf of Sodom...

Genesis 18

20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

And sadly, in the end, Abraham couldn't even find ten righteous people in Sodom. But he tried to intercede on behalf of those in Sodom and perhaps they never even realized what he tried to do for them. In the end God decided there was nothing worthwhile to save there and the people there were altogether evil.

We read about how the people complained about God's treatment of them even though he'd freed them from slavery in Egypt. This angered God

Numbers 21

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Here, the people grumbled against God and you just don't do that. But they had failed to learn this just like they failed to listen to him many times before and after. And God could have wiped out all of them. I don't know what would have happened if Moses hadn't been there, but in this case, Moses prayed to God for them and God gave those remaining a way out.

Later in the old testament, there are prophecies of one who would come later to die for the sins of all men.

Prophecy about Jesus and how he would intercede

Isaiah 53

10 ¶ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

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.

As Christians, we need someone to intercede between God and ourselves...to represent us before God and plead our case. We read about how in the old testament, God setup the Levites as priests to make sacrifices for the sins of the people. The sins of the people required blood and the blood of animals served the purpose...but it only rolled the sins of the people forward to the time of Jesus Christ...sort of like borrowing money to be paid back at a later time.

And, in fact, we read of how Jesus replaces the high priests in intercession.

Heb 7

11 ¶ If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

We see how Jesus replaces the high priests described in the old testament and his blood replaces that of the animals that used to be sacrificed on altars. We no longer need a man on the earth to intercede for us. We don't need an earthly priest to forgive our sins or make a sacrifice for them because Jesus Christ serves that purpose.

We read more about his intercession in

Romans 8

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

...

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christ makes intercession for our sins on our behalf no matter what we have done. Without him, we are lost and all is hopeless. He represents us before the throne of God. When we turn to Christ as we repent of our sins and confess our guilt before God, Jesus defends us even if we were definitely guilty. It would be as though I had robbed a bank and stolen a million dollars and got I a defense attorney so good that not only did I avoid going to jail but that I got a apology from the bank because my jacket got ripped during the robbery.

So, even though we have been guilty of sins beyond a doubt, God forgives us because of his son Christ.

Romans 5

6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

From the internet again:

"The Mexican consulate in Albuquerque was successful in having a United States judge declare as inadmissible the confession of the Mexican citizen, Rogelio Vargas, who was arrested by local authorities without having been notified of his right to consular representation as required by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular

Relations."

When authorities arrest a foreigner in their country, they have to tell the person that they can speak with a consulate. If they fail to do this then they didn't follow the proper procedure and the person may be let go on a technicality. It's just like if a police arrests someone and doesn't tell them their Miranda rights are...the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and so on.

So, just like a defense lawyer who must defend a criminal, even if they're guilty, Jesus defends us. Not that I want to justify many of the things lawyers do because they are not always truthful. And there is a difference in that Jesus does not claim that we have not sinned or that we are perfect, but through him we are forgiven and shown mercy because he's already taken the punishment for us. It would be more like being on trial in court, being found guilty, being sentenced to life in prison and then having your lawyer go to prison in your place.

When we have a life in Christ, we have the holy spirit which also intercedes for us when we pray.

Romans 8

26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When we pray, we may feel pain and sorry that we can't convey in words. Or, we may feel such joy and hope in God that we can't express it with words. God knows what we mean nonetheless so we don't have to worry that we didn't know exactly the right words.

Conclusion:

Jesus said in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life and that no man comes to the Father except through him.

If we do not have Christ in our lives to intercede between us and God, then we are in a fearful position indeed. What would you do if you were convicted of a crime in a poor country with a corrupt government and there were no embassy for your country there? Imagine how scared you'd be. You might be put to death with no one really coming to your defense.

Likewise, Jesus Christ is the only way to forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. We must follow him in faith and works and he will intercede for us.