Jesus our advocate

1 John 2:1 (NLT)
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

The apostle John writes to encourage us against sin, yet if we do sin we have an advocate who pleads for us. Matthew Henry in his commentary writes, “We have an Advocate. The original name is sometimes given to the Holy Ghost, and then it is rendered, the Comforter. He acts within us; he puts pleas and arguments into our hearts and mouths; and so is our advocate, by teaching us to intercede for ourselves. But here is an advocate without us, in heaven and with the Father. The proper office and business of an advocate is with the judge; with him he pleads the client’s cause. The Judge with whom our advocate pleads is the Father, his Father and ours. He who was our Judge in the legal court (the court of the violated law) is our Father in the gospel court, the court of heaven and of grace. His throne or tribunal is the mercy-seat. And he that is our Father is also our Judge, the supreme arbitrator of our state and circumstances, either for life or death, for time or eternity.

 

Yesterday I sat in traffic court along with many other people to face a traffic ticket I had been issued. Most people were representing themselves, but I was blessed to be represented by an attorney.  As the judge called each name every individual had to stand and proclaim their innocence or guilt. If the judge asked questions they had to respond. Some were taken off guard as the judge questioned their innocence and they had a difficult time answering.  When my name was called the attorney, my advocate, stood up for me. The attorney explained the circumstances and made the appropriate legal pleas to the judge.

In heaven Jesus Christ is our advocate. When Satan hurls charges against us towards God—Jesus stands up to defend us. Jesus speaks on our behalf to God the Father and pleads our defense. If judgment demands a price to be paid Jesus steps forward and says, “I have already paid the price for their sin.” Case ended, nothing else need be said. Jesus is our savior, our redeemer, our hope, our advocate, and the defender of our soul. Give praise to Jesus for all He has done in your life.