Amos: Seek The Lord and Live预览

We considered yesterday that we should plead for God to have mercy on others. This is true. Yet it’s impossible to read of this incident without thinking of the One who pleads for us:

… because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Heb. 7:24–25, my emphasis).

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Rom. 8:34, my emphasis).

Jesus may well plead, ‘Lord forgive my people. They are so small and pathetic.’ Yet, His pleading is not merely hopeful, like Amos’. It is confident and certain. It is pleading on the basis of His perfect life of obedience and a death that has paid for all of our sin. Jesus does not simply plead for mercy; He can also plead for justice – we cannot be punished as punishment has already fallen upon Him. Nor can God’s patience with us in our ongoing struggles with sin ever run out because Jesus lives and pleads forever on the basis of His perfect life and substitutionary death. 

For more than 150 years Christians have delighted to sing of this truth: 

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea:

A great High Priest, whose name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is written on his hands,

My name is hidden in his heart;

I know that while in heaven he stands

No power can force me to depart,

No power can force me to depart.

(Charitie Lees Bancroft, 'Before the throng of God above').

Reflection 

No matter what we’ve done this day, or this week, we have utter confidence of the Lord’s love for us because Jesus is pleading on our behalf. Look up and give thanks for your interceding High Priest.