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Dear come and reason what does the bible mean by Christ is our advocate and what does it mean by he is our mediator? CC
Thanks for your question. I checked several versions of the Bible and the only reference to Jesus as our advocate was found in 1John 2:1 in the KJV.
So I am going to assume this is the text to which you are referring:
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1John 2:1
How one reads this text depends on the biases with which one comes to the text. If we have already concluded that the problem with sin is a legal problem with God, and God, as the universal Sovereign, must enforce penalties for breeches in His law, then we read the text as having Jesus advocating for us before His Father to defend us against the Father’s wrath.
But the text doesn’t actually say any of that. All concepts of Jesus pleading to His Father for us have to be read into the text and are actually falsehoods introduced from pagan god constructs over the last two millennia. This distortion in thinking is so deeply rooted in mainstream Christian thought that most Christian “authorities” present Christ’s advocacy as one of pleading the merits of His blood to His Father in our behalf.
But the Greek word translated “advocate” in this passage is παράκλητος [parakletos /par·ak·lay·tos/] and is the exact same word used by Jesus is reference to the Holy Spirit as our comforter or counselor in John 14:15-17, 26, 15:26. Does the Holy Spirit advocate for us or intercede for us? In what way? How? Does the Holy Spirit plead His blood to the Father in order to soften up the Father to be merciful? Does Jesus? All such allegations are part of Satan’s grand misrepresentation of God. What does the Scripture say?
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is alsointerceding for us. Romans 8:31-34
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2Cor 5:19 NASB95
Anyone who has seen me [Jesus] has seen the Father. John 14:9
Notice that God is for us and has chosen us and has justified us! But if that isn’t good enough, don’t worry, Jesus is also there, right next to the Father, and is also (in addition to the Father) interceding for us! Do you see the Father is interceding for you and me!
1John 2:1 is another way of saying the same thing. We have someone along with the Father, right next to the Father, in addition to the Father, who is advocating or interceding for us. Interceding to do what?
God intercedes in three places.
- He opposes the principalities and powers of darkness and holds evil forces in check. He sends his angels to restrain the four winds of strife (Revelation 7:1). He puts a hedge of protection around His people deterring Satanic agencies (Job 1:10, 2Kings 6:17, Psalms 91:11).
- God also intercedes in our hearts and minds. He sends His Spirit to work in our brains to convict, to draw, to woo, to place a desire for good, a longing for love into our hearts (Genesis 3:15, John 16:8). Ever since the fall of mankind, Love has been warring with evil, obstructing evil while simultaneously fighting to eradicate the infection of fear and selfishness from the human heart!
- Jesus interceded in the course of sinfulness itself. Jesus became sin for us (2Corinthians 5:21). He took upon Himself our terminal condition in order to conquer, overcome and cure. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,” (Isaiah 53:4).
Thus we have Jesus as the means through which the Father accomplishes His purpose of overcoming sin and redeeming mankind! Jesus mediates the covenant of grace originating in the heart of God to all creation fulfilling the purposes of God toward His creation! Thus Jesus is fulfilling the Father’s purpose as our Advocate and Mediator opposing all that would destroy us. And all that would destroy us originates from Satan. Therefore, Jesus stands in the breech caused by Satan and sin advocating and mediating for our healing and redemption all in harmony with His Father’s heart and will!
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