Jesus Christ Our Advocate 1 John 2 1

Jesus Christ Our Advocate 1 John 2: 1, 2

An advocate • advocate - parakletos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid; one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate; one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor, of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins • DNTT - helper, intercessor, advocate: legal assistant, advocate in court, the pleading of another’s case • TDNT - the advocate who represents the sinning believer in the Father’s court

An advocate - Intercedes • intercedes - entugchanō - to go to or meet a person, esp. for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication; to pray, entreat; make intercession for any one

Old Testament Advocates

Job interceded For His 3 friends • Job 42: 7, 8 And it came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. " • Job became their mediator & advocate. • He offered pray for their acceptance. • A type of Christ. • Lost everything & suffered though innocent & became an intercessor for others sins.

Abraham interceded • For Sodom & Gomorrah Gen. 18: 22 -32 • For Abimelech king of Gerar Gen. 20: 17

Moses interceded • Ex. 32: 11 -14 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever. ’” So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. • The Lord would not go with them - send angel • Repentance - intercession - would go for Moses’ sake

Moses interceded • Num. 11: 1 -3 Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died out. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

Moses interceded Num. 21: 4 -9 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food. ” And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us. " And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live. "And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

We Have An Advocate 1 John 2: 1, 2

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • My little children - Tender advice: - Dearly loved by John - affection and authority of a father • these things - all sin & have sin - need to confess • that you may not sin - Goal of instruction - God's desire - dishonor - harm - death - Purpose of Christ's coming - destroy sin - Paid the highest price to remove it - Love of Christ would discourage it - Love of God should provoke love in return and hatred of sin

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • if anyone sins - Remedy - We must confess & plead - but we need more - We are not in heaven - sin would bar us - We lack knowledge of our true state & case - We need a perfect advocate

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • Perfect advocate - a helper in court who speaks for the accused - Argues for ones cause; a supporter or defender - One that pleads in another's behalf; an intercessor - another advocate - always an advocate - helper

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • Perfect advocate - Pleaded for apostles & the church Jn. 17: 11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. ” 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. ” 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. ” 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ”

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • Perfect advocate - pleaded for Peter, Lk. 22: 31 "Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. ” - Faith not fail - Pray you will turn again - Prayer heard

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • With the Father - ascension - at His right hand - Heb. 9: 24, 25 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own.

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • Jesus Christ - Jesus - Savior - Able to save - Christ - anointed - King & Priest - God/Man - Perfect mediator 1 Tim. 2: 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, - Knows God & His interests - God's holiness, righteousness - Knows man & his weaknesses - true sympathy

1 John 2: 1, 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. • the righteous - standing before the court • He Himself is the propitiation for our sins Rom. 3: 24 -26 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. • - blood - faith - priest Our sins & for those of the whole world - unlimited atonement

An Advocate - Hope for the Faithful

Gives All things - Intercedes • Rom. 8: 32 -34 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. • If God gave us the greatest possible gift to save us, wouldn’t He cause all the lesser things to work together for our good • Working for our forgiveness: died for our sins, rose again for our justification • At God’s right hand - rulers for us, won the right to be our judge • Makes intercession for us - our advocate to plead our case. • His past and present attitude argues positively for our future

Advocate - High Priest

Always Lives to make Intercession • Heb. 7: 25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. • He is also able to save for all time. His priesthood will not end. • He lives forever on behalf of men. • He intercedes for His own in the heavenly state. • He live for others as priest and stands at the mid-point between God and man, representing weak believers at the throne. • Christ is the sole mediator & intercessor. • To rely upon angels or saints or any other finite being for intercession is futile & shows a lack of confidence in the adequacy of Christ as our intercessor.

Separated from Sinners • Heb. 7: 26 -28 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. • Perfectly fit & suitable High priest - advocate • Had every right to appear before God & intercede for men. • One in whom we can put every trust. • Proved himself holy toward God, without sin or wickedness & observed every command both moral & religious perfectly. • The Levitical priests had outward purity, but Christ’s has moral & ethical perfection

Advocates For Those who confess Him • Matt. 10: 32 -33 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. • Must acknowledge Him as Lord of your life before men • First make the good confession before baptism, Rom. 10: 10; 1 Tim. 6: 12, 13 • Continue to acknowledge Him: espouse His cause & face opposition & reproach for Him • Hear it speaks of the apostle & already Christians • Jesus confesses us by pleading our cause & owning us before His Father • Works as our Mediator

Cooperate with His Advocacy

Repent & Pray & Obey • Simon - repent & pray Acts 8: 21 -24 "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. " But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me. " • Ephesian church Rev. 2: 5 'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.

Repent & Pray & Obey • Laodiceans Rev. 3: 19, 20 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. • Obey 1 Jn. 2: 3 -6 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him, " and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Actions that destroy intercession

Impenitence • Not repenting 1 Jn. 5: 14 -17 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. • Jeremiah & Ezekiel could not intercede for the unrepentant Jer 7: 16 "As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.

Sinning Willfully • Continue to sin willfully Heb. 10: 26, 27 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. • Jesus want to save Jerusalem Luke 13: 34 O Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

Invitation • The Lord is searching for the lost sheep • The Lord is searching for the lost coin • The Father is waiting for the lost son to come home. • We must arise & go to the Father & Christ can do the rest. • If we have not obeyed - • Believe - Repent - Confess - Baptized • Those who have turned back • Return with confession - repentance & prayer - the Lord's intercession with do the rest.