The Intercession of Christ.

Since Christ is now on high, communion with Him is as to His things there. Communion of our souls in heavenly things is continually liable to disturbance and interruption while we are on earth. The intercession of Christ is God's gracious provision for its continuance, or, if lost, for its restoration. It is always going on as priesthood or as advocacy. It comes before us in John 13 under the figure the Lord uses of washing the disciples' feet. It is exercised either for actual sin, or for our infirmities. In the one case it is advocacy (1 John 2), in the other (Hebrews) it is priesthood.

When the Lord's intercession is for me in my infirmities (not sins) down here, the way it works in me is that I am kept unconscious of them, and thus able to enter into heavenly things. And the way in which intercession (advocacy for some actual sin committed) works in me is, that by the Spirit I am made conscious of it (the sin), and by the Spirit I am also led to judge and confess it. The next step is, I am made conscious that it is forgiven.

Intercession is the generic term, but it may be either advocacy, or priesthood. Its object in both cases is to make communion with the Lord as to heavenly things the abiding enjoyment of the soul. How great is this grace! H. C. Anstey.