Good morning, everybody.
Could you please open to Hebrews chapter 7.
! Hebrews chapter 7, and we're going to read from verse 23.
So if you're using the church Bible there, it's on page 1205.
Hebrews chapter 7, and verse 23.
Actually, turn over to page 1206.
Oh, thank you, Kevin.
Good man.
Before we read, let's pray and ask for God to help us as we open up his word.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords,
maker of the whole universe,
sustaining it right now by the power of your word,
we've sung already how great you are.
And yet we feel so small
and weak
and fragile.
We have many things burdening us
as we look out into the coming year.
We pray that
by your Holy Spirit, the words that we're just about to read
will be more than just words.
That they be life to us.
Strength, comfort,
encouragement to us.
Speak to us now.
Amen.
Evelyn's going to read it for us.
Thanks, Evelyn.
Hebrews chapter 7, verse 23.
Now, there have been many of those priests
since death,
prevented them from continuing in office.
But because Jesus lives forever,
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.
Such a high priest truly meets our need.
One who is holy,
blameless,
pure,
set apart from sinners,
exalted above the heavens.
Unlike the other high priests,
he does not need to offer sacrifices
day after day,
first for his own sins
and then for the sins of the people.
He sacrificed for their sins
once for all
when he offered himself.
For the law appoints as high priests
men in all their weaknesses.
But the oath,
which came after the law,
appointed the Son,
who has been made perfect forever.
Now, the main point of what we are saying is this.
We do have such a high priest
who sat down at the right hand
of the throne of the majesty in heaven
and who serves in the sanctuary,
the true tabernacle set up by the Lord,
not by a mere human being.
Do you ever wonder,
in the middle of your sin and failures,
am I really forgiven?
When you've messed up
for what seems like the hundredth time,
do you ever ask yourself,
where is Jesus now?
See, for most of us here,
in the back of our minds,
we know, right,
that 2,000 years ago,
Jesus died for our sin.
And he rose again
so that we could be forgiven.
That's the central truth of our faith, right?
But when I've failed,
again and again,
that same sin that I've struggled with for years,
I can't help but feel a vast gulf
between Jesus dying on the cross for me
2,000 years ago
and my on-the-ground reality of sin today.
And I ask,
is Jesus really here with me in this?
I wonder if anyone can relate
to that feeling
and those questions.
You feel the disconnect
between what Jesus did for you back then
and your day-to-day reality of sin,
sadness,
suffering.
But our text today,
it just cuts through all of us
and it drives at the heart
of who Jesus is for you and for me today.
Not just what he did for us way back when,
but what he is doing for us right now in heaven.
Read verse 24 and 25 again with me.
Because Jesus lives forever,
he is 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.
If you are a believer in Christ,
Jesus is interceding for you
right now in heaven.
He is not distant from your situation.
He is all over it.
He is interceding round the clock
for everyone who comes to God
through him.
We are going to explore
Jesus' intercession for us
by answering three questions.
Firstly,
who is it for?
Secondly,
what does it mean?
And third,
why does it matter
for us today?
So first one,
it's brief.
Who is it for?
We just read in verse 25,
Jesus is able to save completely
those who come to God
through him.
Now,
there are lots of ways
that people can
try to come to God,
right?
We can try to come to God
through presenting to him
the good things
that we have done in our lives.
But the Bible is clear
that we can never do
enough good things
in our lives
to meet God's holy standard.
We could try to come to God
through religious practices
like saying your prayers
every day
or attending church
or giving generously to church.
And as good as all that is,
the Bible tells us
that none of these things
are ever enough.
verse 25 tells us
that Jesus
only intercedes
for those who come to God
through him.
Those are the only people
he is able to save
completely
because they trust
not in something
that they've done,
but in Jesus'
perfect work
for them.
He lived
a life of perfect obedience
to God
they couldn't live.
He took the punishment
they deserved
for their sin.
Jesus
only intercedes
for those
who come
to the Father
through faith
in him.
So for those
who are outside
of Christ,
Jesus is not
speaking words
of intercession
on their behalf.
rather,
as the coming judge,
he is speaking words
of condemnation
over them.
Over those
who have
rejected
him.
So,
here's the first question.
It's not
easy to ask
or to think about.
But which words
is Christ speaking
over your life?
Are they words
of intercession?
Or are they words
of condemnation?
We need to be real
about that.
Jesus
only intercedes
for those
who come to God
through faith
in him.
But what does it
mean
that Jesus
intercedes
for believers?
Well,
the word
intercedes
in verse 25,
it means to make
an appeal
for someone.
means advocating
for them,
representing them,
speaking
on their behalf.
Now,
I wonder,
did any of you
ever get in trouble
with a teacher
in school?
Alex is shaking
his head,
and I 100%
don't believe him.
You know,
I think we all
figured out
that teacher
in school
that nobody
wanted
to cross.
You can picture
that teacher
in your mind
right now?
Asaph is pointing
at me.
Well,
I was in my
first year
of secondary school,
and I had figured
out who that
teacher was.
Now,
our school
had a rule,
it was a funny
rule.
No one was
allowed upstairs
at lunchtime.
What did I do?
I followed
my friends
upstairs at
lunchtime.
And who
appeared at
the end
of the corridor?
The teacher
that no one
wanted to cross.
She shouted
from the very
end of this
really long
corridor,
she shouted,
freeze!
And I wish
that had been
my response.
But instead
it was flight.
I panicked.
And I
started power
walking back
to the stairs.
For I knew
that I was
halfway down
the stairs,
and she was
hot on my
heels,
and at this
point,
I knew,
and all my
friends upstairs
knew,
I was well
and truly
goosed.
She was
red with
fury,
probably from
running down
the corridor,
door.
And I
was
guilty.
I got
both
barrels.
I wasn't
spared.
And as I
went home
that evening,
I was sick
with worry,
because I
didn't know
how I could
ever work
with that
teacher again,
or even be
in the same
room as
her.
And here
I was
in first
year.
But my
mum,
she heard
about this,
and she
arranged a
meeting with
this teacher.
And she
interceded for
me.
She appealed
to the
teacher to
show me a
mercy and
forgiveness
that I
did not
deserve.
And here's
what happened.
After serving
the detention,
the teacher
never once
held it
against me
again.
In fact,
we went on
in later
years to
work really
closely
together.
She was
the one
who first
trained me
in public
speaking.
And she
actually became
one of my
favourite teachers
in school.
Now, I
know that
none of
that could
have happened
if my
mum had
not interceded
for me
in that
moment.
And in
an ultimate
sense,
Jesus
intercedes
for guilty
sinners
like you
and me.
God
will
be
not
to
some
irrelevant
figure
like
a
teacher
or a
boss.
No,
he
appeals
to
God
the
Father
before
whom
we
all
stand
condemned.
So,
how does
he
intercede
for us?
How does
he seal
our
pardon?
Well,
to understand
how,
the writer
of this
text in
Hebrews,
he wants
to bring
us back
to the
role of
the priest
in the
Old
Testament
and what
they did
in the
temple.
Now,
the role
of priest
back then
in the
Old
Testament
law
and all
the
practices
that went
with it,
they were
fulfilled
by Jesus.
So,
these
practices,
they no
longer
apply to
us today,
but Jesus
has fulfilled
them and
in verse 24
we read,
he has now
become our
true high
priest
forever.
Okay,
so that's
what he's
doing for
us in
heaven.
So,
we're going
to look
at this
former role
of priest
in the
Old
Testament
to learn
how Jesus,
our true
high priest,
intercedes
for us
now.
Now,
the priest
had two
main roles.
number
one,
they made
sacrifices.
Number
two,
they interceded
for God's
people.
So,
have a look
at verse
26 and
what it
says of
Jesus.
It says,
such a
high priest
truly meets
our need,
one who
is holy,
blameless,
pure,
set apart
from sinners,
exalted
above the
heavens.
Okay,
so that's
setting Jesus
apart from
all the
Old
Testament
priests
who are
sinful
people.
Jesus
was
blameless,
and therefore,
verse 27,
unlike the
other high
priests,
he does
not need
to offer
sacrifices
day after
day,
first for
his own
sins,
and then
for the
sins of
the people.
Why?
He
sacrificed
for their
sins once
for all
when he
offered
himself.
people.
You see,
the priests
made
animal
sacrifices
for their
own sin
and for
the sin
of the
people,
and this
was meant
to point
them forward
to a
once-for-all
sacrifice
someday.
But Jesus,
because he
never sinned,
he could
sacrifice
himself.
He poured
out his
innocent
blood
for our
sin as a
once-for-all
sacrifice.
No more
sacrifices
needed.
So that's
the first
part.
Jesus,
our true
high priest,
made a
once-and-for-all
sacrifice.
Now here's
the second
part,
because the
second part
of the
priest's role
was to
intercede
for the
people.
So,
once a
year,
the high
priest would
go into
the inner
room of
the temple
called the
Holy of
Holies.
That's where
God's
presence
dwelt.
And there,
the high
priest would
sprinkle the
blood of
the sacrificed
animal,
thereby pleading
to God
to forgive
the people
on the
basis of
the innocent
blood that
was shed.
Now how
does that
point us
to Jesus?
Read with
me chapter
8,
verse 1
and 2.
We do
have such
a high
priest,
Jesus,
who sat
down at
the right
hand of
the throne
of the
majesty in
heaven and
who serves
in the
sanctuary,
the true
tabernacle set
up by the
Lord,
not by a
mere human
being.
So Jesus,
after making
his sacrifice
on the
cross,
he entered
into the
presence of
God,
the Father
in heaven.
God's
name.
And there
he serves
in the
sanctuary,
day after
day.
And just
as like in
the Old
Testament,
the priest
served in
an earthly
temple by
presenting the
blood,
so Jesus
now,
in this
heavenly
temple in
heaven,
is presenting
his blood
to the
Father,
showing his
nail-pierced
hands and
feet,
appealing to
the Father
moment by
moment for
the forgiveness
of his
people.
And this
is ongoing
today.
He is
pleading with
the Father,
on the basis
of my blood
shed on the
cross,
forgive their
sin.
that is
what Jesus
is doing
for you
and I
right now
in heaven.
His work
continues.
And it's
not just a
one-time
event.
Maybe the
first day
that you
put your
trust in
Christ.
No,
it's
happening
every single
day since
then,
moment by
moment.
He ever
lives to
intercede
for us.
There's
another
really
helpful
verse on
the screen.
It's from
1 John 2
verse 1.
It says,
My dear
children,
I write
this to
you so
that you
will not
sin.
But if
anybody
does sin,
we have
an advocate
with the
Father,
Jesus
Christ,
the
righteous
one.
Right
now in
heaven,
moment by
moment,
Jesus is
appealing to
the Father
for our
forgiveness
on the
basis of
his blood
shed.
And his
request is
granted every
single time
because the
sacrifice he
made is
totally
sufficient for
every sin
of his
people.
That is
amazing news
for you
and for me
if we are
in Christ.
His one
sacrifice
purchased our
forgiveness.
His daily
intercession
applies that
forgiveness to
us.
Let me say
that again.
His one
sacrifice
purchased our
forgiveness.
His daily
intercession
applies that
forgiveness
to us.
I want you
to imagine
a courtroom.
it's not a
perfect analogy
but it may
tell us
something.
Imagine
God the
Father is
the judge
and we
are on
the dock
guilty
of sin
and rebellion
against
God the
Father.
And imagine
that Satan
is the
prosecutor.
Justice
must be
done,
he shouts.
The penalty
for their
rebellion
is separation
from God
forever.
Eternal
death.
And we
are guilty.
And we
could try
to list
off some
things we
did in
our lives
but they
could never
make up
for our
rebellion.
Now I
want you to
imagine Jesus
as a defense
lawyer throwing
open the
doors of
the court.
and he
walks up
the aisle
to God
the Father
and he
shows him
his wounded
hands and
feet saying
they trusted
in me.
I've taken
their sin
and the
sentence
that they
deserved
on the
cross.
Forgive
them for
the sake
of my
blood.
And the
judge
looks at
Christ
and looks
at us
and declares
us pardoned
of all our
sin.
And given
every benefit
that Christ
deserved
freed
and adopted
as children
of the
Father
forever
Satan
dismayed
slinks
away.
But he'll
be back
to accuse
again
no doubt.
And when
he does
Jesus
will be
there
because he
never stops
being our
advocate
before
the judge.
He stays
at the
Father's
side
ever living
to intercede
for us.
His one
sacrifice
purchased
our forgiveness.
His daily
intercession
applies
that
forgiveness
to us
again
and again
and again.
Now why
does all
this matter?
I've got
a couple
suggestions
and four
different ways
that I feel
like this
matters
deeply
in our
lives.
Here's the
first one
that I
propose.
Your
forgiven
status is
no formal
technicality.
It's a
living,
breathing,
reality.
Now I
wonder,
does anyone
here have
a random
qualification
or award
given to
you years
ago?
Maybe back
in the day
you did
like a
night class
in photography
or something
or tea
blending.
Or maybe
you even
spent 13
years learning
Irish.
Maybe.
But if I
were to
ask you
cod is
anam dit,
you'd probably
look at me
like I had
two heads.
you see
technically
you studied
Irish for
13 years
but it's
so far
removed from
your present
reality.
I mean
it's
technically
true
but not
real today.
And
sometimes we
can think
about our
forgiveness
before God
like that,
right?
Technically I'm
forgiven.
It's written
down somewhere
I don't know
in a filing
cabinet in
heaven,
but it
doesn't
feel real
in my
day-to-day
reality of
failing
time and
time again.
We say
yes I know
Jesus died
for my sin
but am I
really
forgiven for
that?
I've
messed up
time and
time again.
Now we
realize from
reading this
passage that
Jesus'
forgiveness is
a living
breathing
reality.
Because
right in
the moment
of our
sin we
have an
advocate in
heaven who
is pleading
to the
father for
us.
There is
nothing distant
or technical
or removed
about that.
That is real
and true and
you can build
your life
upon that.
You are not
just forgiven
in the past.
You are being
forgiven right
now because
Jesus always
lives to
intercede for
you.
Do you
believe it?
Live in
it.
here is
the second
thing.
You are
never
condemned.
We read
this passage
already earlier.
Romans 8
34 says
this.
Paul,
speaking of
those whose
faith is in
Jesus,
he says,
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.
You see,
the devil
spitfires
condemnation
at us
throughout
the day.
You're
finished.
You're
disgusting.
You've
gone too
far.
You'll
never
come back
from this.
Do you
have those
thoughts?
I do.
They
especially
happen when
we failed
again and
again in
that area
of sin
we've
struggled
with for
years.
But can
you see
Jesus
right now
sitting at
God's
right hand
refuting
every
single
condemnation
the devil
levels at
you?
Satan
screams
condemned.
The
son
declares
forgiven.
And whose
word do
you think
holds the
weight
before God?
if you
belong to
him and
Jesus
presents his
nail
pierced
hands and
feet to
the father
again in
our darkest
moments of
sin and
says I
was condemned
for them.
They are
free.
Remember
you are
never
condemned
because
Christ
ever
lives
to
intercede
for you.
And that
leads to
our next
implication.
You are
completely
saved.
It's in
our struggle
with sin
that we
often wonder
am I
really
saved?
We
naturally
assume that
our salvation
is based on
how well we're
doing in the
Christian life.
But what if
I'm still
struggling with
the same
sin for
decades?
What if
I'm plagued
with doubts
about God,
if he's even
good?
What if
I neglect
scripture and
prayer?
What if
I allow
idols to
become more
important than
God in my
life and I
don't love
Christ like I
once did?
We can
naturally begin
to wonder am
I still in
Christ?
Has my
sin and
foolishness
taken me
away from
him?
Remember
verse 25
Jesus is
able to
save
completely
those who
come to
God through
him because
he always
lives to
intercede for
them.
Jesus doesn't
save half
the way and
you've got to
make the rest
of the way.
He saves
completely.
His one
sacrifice,
purchase our
forgiveness,
his daily
intercession
applies it
to us.
right now
in the middle
of your sin,
your doubts,
idolatry,
wondering,
Jesus is
pleading for
you and
me,
Father,
for the
sake of
my blood,
forgive them
for their
neglectfulness
and their
wandering.
Christ's
intercession
reminds us we
are completely
saved.
No matter
how we may
feel,
and our
feelings go
up and
down,
right?
no matter
how we
feel or
how we
failed,
Jesus ever
lives to
intercede for
us and
therefore we
are completely
saved.
Praise God
for that.
And here's
the last
implication.
You have
Jesus praying
for you in
temptation.
I think we
focus our
whole attention
on how Jesus
pleads to
the Father
for us in
our sin.
Is that
the only
time Jesus
intercedes for
us?
No.
We can
actually find
in Scripture
other examples
of Jesus
interceding for
his people.
Now here's
one in
Luke 22.
This is
interesting.
And Jesus
is speaking
to Simon
Peter before
his death.
And Jesus
says this,
Simon,
Satan has
asked to
sift all
of you as
wheat.
But I
have prayed
for you,
Simon,
that your
faith may
not fail.
And when
you have
turned back,
strengthen
your brothers.
You see
that Jesus
was praying
for Simon
Peter here
before his
sin of
betrayal.
And he
intercedes
for us
in our
everyday
weaknesses
and temptations,
praying like he
does.
In John
17,
11,
he says,
this is
Jesus'
words in
his prayer.
He says,
Holy Father,
protect them
by the
power of
your name.
See,
I don't
know what
it is
you're
suffering or
struggling
with in
your life.
It could
be mental
health.
It could
be overwhelming
pressure at
work.
It could
be relationships.
It could
be finance.
And the
temptation is
to despair.
Just give
up.
Curse God.
Walk
away.
Jesus is
praying for
you in
your
temptation.
So you
have the
strength to
withstand.
And even
when we do
fall,
Peter
definitely
did,
it's not
game over,
is it?
Because Jesus
is praying
protection over
you and me
in temptation
and in
failure.
God
is
to
finish.
Let's
return to
the question
we asked
at the
start.
Where is
Jesus now?
In the
middle of
my sin
and suffering.
Is he
doing
anything?
Am I
really
forgiven?
I pray
that we
can all
answer those
questions now
with assurance.
Jesus is at
the right
hand of
the Father.
He sees
everything I
am going
through.
He is
passionately
interceding
for me with
all his
heart,
applying his
forgiveness
in every
moment of
sin.
I am
completely
saved
because his
one sacrifice
purchased my
forgiveness.
His daily
intercession
keeps on
applying it
to me.
He is
boldly
praying
strength
for me
in temptation.
I am
never
condemned
but
completely
safe
in him.
Let's pray.
I wonder
which one
of those
applications
stands out
to you
most.
Maybe
you could
take a
moment,
we could
all take
a moment
to
thank
God
for what
Jesus
is doing
for us
right now
and that
impact
it has
on our
day-to-day
life.
Amen.
Our Lord
Jesus Christ,
sorry for
thinking that
you're
distant
and removed.
Sorry
for so
often
forgetting
what you're
doing for
us right
now in
heaven.
Amen.
Help us
to remember
we are
never
condemned
if we
are in
Christ.
Help us
to remember
we are
completely
saved
and safe.
Help us
to remember
that you're
praying for
us in
temptation,
in weakness,
in failure.
Comfort us
and strengthen
us with this
knowledge as we
go out into
the week,
into the year
ahead,
that when
those questions
arise in
our mind
again,
we can
remember
and we
can see
you there
in our
mind's eye
at the
right hand
of the
Father,
passionately
interceding
for us.
Amen.