When my son attended law school, he was obligated to take a course in mediation. He loved it. The objective, of course, is to bring two people together, sharing their side of the story, then helping them to see ways they could regulate the problem by mutual agreement. They wanted to avoid standing before the judge, or worse yet, before a jury. When I read Scriptures like the following I think of my son who was the one who laid his hand on both parties and brought them together. He told me he saw so many marriages restored and relationships regulated. 32 For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. 33 Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both (Job 9:32, 33). My son, I am quick to admit, is not fallible and didn’t win every case. But the citizens of heaven, and those are people who have received Jesus as Lord, have a perfect mediator: Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). The Son of God came to earth with the primary purpose to restore us to a good and solid relationship with our Heavenly Father. He withstood the trial before Caiaphus and Annas, then Herod, and finally Pontius Pilate. He wore the crown of thorns. He received the torture by the whips of the Romans that decimated His body. He carried His cross, His hands were nailed to the cross, His feet were nailed to the cross. He hung there for six hours. He tolerated their jeering, their abuse, their barbs, their insults, and why? FOR US. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9:24). We can no longer be condemned. Our Intercessor has brought us together, one hand on us and one hand on our Father in heaven. He suffered to pay the price for our sins, our sicknesses and our poverty. He earned the right to be our Intercessor! Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Jesus draws all men to Himself, and those who answer His call He is able to save to the uttermost. That means He is able to save us to the greatest and most thorough degree possible. No weapon formed against us will prosper. By His stripes, we are healed. He supplies everything we need according to the riches in heaven. The power of our Intercessor never ceases, never falls short, is more than enough to accomplish whatever desire we have in our hearts! Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25). But what if we fail? What if we blow it big time? What if we commit the raunchiest sin this world knows about? If John had stopped writing after saying “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” Then we would all be lost because all of us have sinned. Fortunately, John continued. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1). Our Intercessor will come through for us. Our mediator will take His stand between God and each of us, and bring us together in forgiveness, restoration and love, because He already paid for it. We are the righteousness of God through Christ. 1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Timothy 2:1, 2). We, too, have a part to play in this mediation. It’s great to have someone standing in the gap, someone who cheers for both teams, someone who will reconcile the two parties. But do we just stand there? I do not like inactivity. I don’t see that God likes it either. That’s why I generally walk when I pray, even if I’m in my room. But pray we must. Note how Timothy puts it: FIRST. First things always come first. And what’s our first? Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks are to be made for all men, and for kings and leaders. Kings and leaders have a tough job. I’m very grateful I was never elected President of the United States. I cannot imagine a harder job. If we don’t pray for them, who will? Well, Jesus does, of course, but He likes for us to join Him and intercede together. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is such a thrilling statement to me. I remember the day the Lord said to me, “We share a heartbeat.” I knew He was saying our hearts beat as one; we are so close together. We are one spirit with Jesus. That means we know what He knows. We feel what He feels. We desire what He desires. What greater place can there be than to be one with Him? For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30). Oh, my goodness! Not only do we have His spirit, we also have His body. Sometime, in the presence of God, meaning during your prayer time, imagine traveling with Jesus through His last supper, His sweat coming out as blood, His arrest, His trials, His beatings, His crowning with thorns, His crucifixion, His defeat of Satan, and then His resurrection. You will know the glorification of His body and you will know your body is one body with His. By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4). Take a look at the corruption you escaped. Give Him exceedingly, great, and precious praise and worship for all He has done for you! Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually (1 Corinthians 12:27). As members of the Body of Christ, we are individuals. As individuals, we are the Body of Christ. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). What a glorious thing to have the ministry of reconciliation. I don’t know of a finer experience than to lead someone to Jesus Christ and then to watch his or her face as they receive their New Birth, their new spirit-being, their new nature. It’s amazing! Intercession. Join Jesus and just do it!
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