What Is the Doctrine of Heavenly Intercession?
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“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Can you imagine how Peter must have felt? At the last supper, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus had just finished offering the bread and the wine – His body and His blood. The disciples began an argument about who was the greatest, when Jesus spoke up:
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32a).
Here Peter – Simon – had been with Jesus for all three years of His ministry. They traveled together, ate together, spent virtually all day every day together for all that time. Peter was a personal witness to the miracles and the healing. He had heard the teachings – not just once or twice, but likely repeated over and over. Jesus had even saved Peter from drowning. When Jesus asked, “Who do people say I am?” and followed that with “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” it was ever-bold Peter who spoke up: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Then, as the end approached, Jesus told Peter that He had prayed for him. The Messiah had prayed for Peter. And make no mistake, by His words we can tell that Jesus knew His prayer would be answered.
“And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32b).
“And when you have turned back.” Not if you turn back, but when, then strengthen your brothers. And Peter did.
Jesus Prays for All of Us
Personally, I can’t even imagine Jesus praying for me. And yet we are told multiple times in Scripture that He does. This isn’t talked about or preached about a great deal anymore, but Jesus intercedes for every one of us.
We then need only turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 17 – known as the Priestly Prayer – where Jesus prays to the Father for the disciples present, and then proceeds to pray for believers today:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…” (John 17:20).
The doctrine of heavenly intercession has deep roots in Christian theology. Yet in recent generations, it seems to have become a bit neglected in the church. We certainly talk about what Jesus did for us then – his life, death and resurrection – to save us. And this is as it should be! This is truth. Jesus’ work to secure the salvation of the elect was completed on the cross; His work of redemption was fulfilled with His cry, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). And yes, His sacrifice for our redemption was indeed finished.
The justification that took place on the cross some 2,000 years ago is critically important to who and whose we are. And, of course, we look on that moment as the source of our salvation. But we so often fail to see what Jesus has been doing for us since then, and what He is doing for us right now. Whose we are is critically important. You see, Jesus’ love for his redeemed children will never be finished. Jesus remains active on our behalf, sitting at the right hand of the Father.
Jesus’ love for us was exemplified through His sacrifice, and He is most certainly not going to rest now. What would make us think that when Jesus ascended to heaven that He would just leave us behind? Instead, He became our advocate, interceding on our behalf before a righteous God.
Jesus Our Advocate
“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” (1 John 2:1).
When Jesus ascended to heaven, he was seated at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1. He returned to the glory He had before He came to save us. He carries on His role as King of kings and Lord of lords, which is His eternal role as the second person of the Trinity, the triune God.
Our sinful nature is always with us and is something we always battle. It’s sort of like when we test positive for COVID-19, even if we aren’t displaying symptoms; it’s there inside of us. And the truth is, we’ll all display those symptoms at some point. We all make mistakes and do things we shouldn’t, or we regret and then confess. In other words, despite our eternal salvation, here on earth we are imperfect and flawed and continue to fall short of God’s standards.
Jesus stands as our defender against the accusations of the evil one. Just as he did with Job (Job 1:6-12), Satan is actively accusing us – pointing out our sins and weaknesses before God. Yet, thanks to Jesus’ work on the cross, those accusations fall on deaf ears as Jesus stands in our defense. Even so, Jesus is always pleading our case before the Father, like a defense lawyer on our behalf.
He prays for us to the Father, just as He did for Peter and for us at the Last Supper. And He knows His prayers will be answered.
“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” (Romans 8:34).
The Assurance of His Intercession
“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (Mark 4:39).
As believers, there is something calming and reassuring when others pray for us. I can only imagine how those feelings would be magnified if Jesus was the one offering those prayers on our behalf. Yet, we don’t have to imagine; He is doing precisely that.
It is so easy for us to forget that when we are going through the storm – which will happen. After all, Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples with three simple words: “Quiet! Be still” (Mark 4:39). And then, He asked the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Wow.
It is easy to forget the power that lies in the very name of Jesus – in whose name we pray. And those are not just words to end our prayer, they are words that we ought to hold valuable. To treasure in our hearts as we pray. His name carries with it strength and authority. And when we call upon Him, we are tapping into that strength and that authority as He in turn prays for us.
Jesus calls upon us to have faith in Him, and through that faith – and through knowing that our prayers are being sustained by Jesus Himself – we can face our challenges with renewed courage.
When we do face doubts or fears, it is vital to remember that Jesus intercedes on our behalf. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, reminding us that we are His precious children. When we feel weak, we can take comfort knowing that is when He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9) and knowing that Jesus never fails to pray for us. It is none other than Jesus Christ, our Savior, advocating for our spiritual well-being. Having confidence in His intercession should instill confidence and hope in His promise that can help us press forward in faith.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26).
He Won’t Let Us out of His Grip
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).
It can be a bit overwhelming to truly consider Jesus’ intercession on our behalf. When we consider what He has already done, when we reflect on the incredible nature of His mercy and love. To realize that He continues to live it out for us. Jesus understands our sinfulness completely, yet He continues to intercede for us.
The doctrine of atonement, or justification, assures us about what Christ did for us on the cross. But we can rest assured that Jesus is still at work for us, praying for us and interceding for us. And He doesn’t wait for us to ask. As He did with Peter, He knows what’s coming and intercedes for us even when we are unaware.
His heart is filled with compassion – eager to forgive and restore. During His time here, He was attracted to sinners and those suffering. And now, even today after such a great sacrifice, He continues to help us approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing He is there advocating for us.
So often we hear people ask the question – can you lose your salvation? That answer is clear: one who is truly saved can never lose their salvation.
Why do I believe that? Because Jesus promised it on more than one occasion. In fact, Jesus told us in John 6:37 that this was, in fact, the Father’s will, “…that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up on the last day.” Jesus knew then that He would be standing in the Father’s presence interceding for us. Even as I type this it feels a bit hard to grasp. This gives us confidence in the promises that He will never let us go.
Let us always remember in every trial, every difficult circumstance, every storm, that we are in the prayers of a Savior who loves us unconditionally and who keeps His promises to never let us out of his mighty grip.
“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:37).
The Power of Prayer
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Knowing that Jesus intercedes for us should perhaps encourage us to a life of prayer. We can remember that our conversations with the Lord are not simple rituals or routines or ceremonies, but rather heartfelt exchanges. Jesus is our perfect example, both while on earth finding time and solitude to connect with the Father, and even now as He continues to pray for us.
Knowing that as He prays for us, we can sense His desire to draw us closer to Him. We can take this connection to heart to strengthen our faith and fill our hearts with joy.
The doctrine of intercession is vital for us as disciples of Christ. Take it in for just a moment. Is it not amazing that our Savior not only died for our sins but continues to stand before God on our behalf? We can rest in the assurance that this incredible act of love means we are never alone in our struggles. Jesus constantly advocates for us.
Confidence in the love Jesus has for us, in what He has done for us and continues to do, in His intercession for us, brings us to confidence that His promises will be fulfilled. We can hold tightly to the hope we have in Jesus because of His unwavering faithfulness to us. Knowing that Jesus is constantly watching over us and constantly advocating for us – for our needs – ought to give us strength for whatever lies ahead.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17b-19).
Photo credit: Unsplash/Milada Vigerova
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.