Many a good and righteous cause on earth has been lost by the death of its advocate. But our Advocate, as He is without beginning of days, is without end of years. As the tinkling bells of the High Priest’s vestments were heard by the crowd in the outer court, while he himself was ministering within the veil – the sound conveying to them the assurance that he was still engaged in the solemn act of intercession – so the ear of faith can still catch up the music of these sacred chimes – these silver bells in heaven – “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!”
Clefts on the Rock – The Believer’s Ground of Confidence in Christ, 1874.
Christ has entered alone into the holy place, having Himself obtained eternal redemption for us. The solitary Surety on earth, He is the solitary Intercessor above. No other voice pleads with the Father; no other priest or minister, saint or angel, can be of any avail in coming between the sinner and God.
Clefts on the Rock – The Believer’s Ground of Confidence in Christ, 1874.
We dare not, indeed, presume to speculate or dogmatize on the manner of this intercession. It is a silent inarticulate speech and pleading. The voice of Abel’s blood is represented, by a bold figure, as crying from the ground. That blood, it need not be remarked, was in reality mute. So doubtless is it with our Divine Intercessor. There may be no articulate accents, no audible utterances. He sprinkles no material blood. But this we know, that He has carried with Him to His intercessory throne a glorified body, still bearing the visible marks of earthly humiliation and suffering – the perpetual memorials of His atoning sacrifice – so that that blood may still be said to have a voice before the throne – “The blood of sprinkling which speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Clefts on the Rock – The Believer’s Ground of Confidence in Christ, 1874.
Some theological writers have ingeniously drawn an analogy between creation and providence, atonement and intercession; that just as Providence is the sustaining of the creative work – so that if Christ’s continual upholding arm were withdrawn, the outer material world would soon lapse into disorganization – so, the intercession of Jesus is the carrying out, and carrying on, of His propitiatory and mediatorial work – the complement of the great salvation consummated on Calvary.
Clefts on the Rock – The Believer’s Ground of Confidence in Christ, 1874.
If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.
