I made it to church this morning. First time this month! And Sunday School, too. In Sunday School they are going through 1 John. When we got to the verses above, it was mentioned that an “advocate” is like a lawyer and a little bit was said about lawyers.
DISCLAIMER: This is in no way intended as a comment on or correction of anything that was said by anyone in Sunday School! But, in Sunday School, in the worship service, and for the rest of the day, I’ve been thinking about “advocate.” And isn’t that the best kind of Bible study, one that causes you to meditate further on the passage?
Anyway, I began to think on this word "advocate” and why it is such a better translation than “lawyer.” While there are many kinds of lawyers, I suppose most of us think of court-room lawyers. There are two kinds of court-room lawyers: Prosecutor and Defense.
The prosecutor comes to the judge, points to you and cries, “He did it. He’s guilty. He broke the law and he must pay.”
The defense attempts to either demonstrate that you did not do it or seeks to find a loophole in the law, a technicality, that will get you off.
Jesus is not the prosecution, charging you, accusing you before the Father. No, it is the devil who is the accuser of our brethren…which accused them before our God day and night. And the truth is, the devil is correct – I did do it, I am guilty, and I should pay.
But neither is He the defense lawyer, attempting to prove that I did not do it, or that there is not enough evidence to convict me of it. Cause I did and there is!
Jesus is not our lawyer in heaven, He is our advocate. He is our high priest. As our priest and advocate He intercedes for us; He pleads for us. And what is His plea? A defense attorney will often plead the character of the accused: “He is not like this. This is not the kind of thing he does. He’s a good person.” He produces “character witnesses” who testify to this. And if you are actually guilty, your good character is adduced as reason for mercy and leniency this one time. I got to tell you, if Jesus pleads my character, I’m in trouble! Yes, I can say that by the grace of God I have walked in the ways of God much of my life as a believer. But I cannot say, “God, I stand or fall by my righteousness.”
No, Jesus does not plead me.
So what is His plea? The context helps us a lot: we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins. Amen! Amen! Amen! He pleads His blood, His work, His righteousness. My hope is not me. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I stumble, I sin, and the devil accuses me before God, “There! You saw it. Jeff sinned. He did it. He sinned and he deserves to die. Away with Jeff!” And what can I say? He’s right.
But Jesus, my high priest, my advocate, arises and pleads for me: “My blood was shed for him, my righteousness was imputed to him. He has taken refuge in me. He is mine. Forgive him for my sake.”
Words fail me as my heart rises in praise to God for such an advocate! Charles Wesley expressed it better than I ever could:
Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.
He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly speak for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”
The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.
I now am reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.
That’s what I thought about when I meditated on this verse, And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. O what a great salvation God has provided for us! A Savior and an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous one!!
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