See also: Intercession of Christ
Definition · Webster 1828 · Scriptures · Corruption · Roots · Usage · Related
📖 Biblical Definition
The intercession of Christ is His continual pleading on behalf of His people before the throne of God—the heavenly, present-tense exercise of His priestly office, by which He applies the benefits of His finished sacrifice and secures the salvation of all who come to God through Him. Having offered Himself once for all upon the cross (the oblation), He has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, and He ever liveth to make intercession for them, so that He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him. He is our Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who pleads not by renewed suffering but by the perpetual virtue and presentation of His one sacrifice, His very presence at God’s right hand a continual intercession on our behalf. His intercession is grounded wholly in His finished work: He does not beg an unwilling God but presents a satisfied justice, claiming for His people the salvation His blood has purchased. It is particular and effectual—He prays for those whom the Father has given Him, and His prayer is always heard, for the Father heareth Him always; what He intercedes for, He infallibly obtains. By this intercession the believer is preserved, his daily sins are forgiven, his faith is upheld (as He prayed for Peter that his faith fail not), his imperfect prayers and services are made acceptable, and his final salvation is secured against every accusation: who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect, since it is Christ who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us? The intercession is therefore a doctrine of immense comfort and the ground of the saints’ perseverance: their standing rests not on the strength of their own grip on Christ, but on the unceasing prayer of their great High Priest, who lives forever to keep them.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Webster 1828 defines INTERCESSION as the act of interceding; mediation; prayer or solicitation in favor of another; and notes the intercession of Christ for His people.
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INTERCESSION, n. — 1. The act of interceding; mediation; interposition between parties at variance, with a view to reconciliation; prayer or solicitation to one party in favor of another. Christ makes intercession for his people.
INTERCESSOR, n. — One who interposes between parties to reconcile them; a mediator; one who pleads in behalf of another.
📖 Key Scripture
Hebrews 7:25 — "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
Romans 8:34 — "...It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
1 John 2:1 — "...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Luke 22:32 — "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Christ’s intercession is corrupted by the cult of other intercessors—Mary and the saints invoked as mediators—and by the notion that He pleads by renewed suffering, denying the once-for-all sufficiency of His finished sacrifice.
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The intercession of Christ is corrupted first by the multiplication of intercessors that obscures His sole mediation. Rome and the Eastern churches invoke the Virgin Mary and the departed saints as intercessors, bidding the faithful seek their prayers and patronage, so that the one Advocate is crowded by a host of others and the believer is taught to approach God through Mary, the saints, and the priests rather than through Christ alone. But Scripture knows one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and one Advocate with the Father; to set up rival intercessors is to dishonor His unique priesthood and to divert the trust that belongs to Him alone. The believer needs no other patron, for he has a great High Priest who ever lives to intercede.
A second corruption misconceives the manner of His intercession, as though He pleads by renewing His suffering or by begging concessions from a reluctant Father. But Christ does not suffer again; His one sacrifice is finished, and His intercession is the presentation of its perpetual virtue—His very presence at God’s right hand, bearing the marks of His finished work, a continual and effectual plea. He does not persuade an unwilling God but claims for His people what His blood has bought, and His prayer is always heard. Rightly understood, the intercession is the believer’s deep security and the ground of his perseverance: his salvation rests not on the trembling strength of his own faith but on the unceasing prayer of his enthroned Priest. Because Christ ever lives to intercede, He is able to save to the uttermost; because He prayed that Peter’s faith should not fail, it did not finally fail; and because He maketh intercession at God’s right hand, no charge against the elect can stand.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
The doctrine rests on Christ who ever lives to intercede (entunchanō) and is our Advocate (paraklētos), pleading by His finished sacrifice, not renewed suffering.
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['Greek', 'G1793', 'entunchanō', 'to intercede, plead (ever liveth to make intercession)']
['Greek', 'G3875', 'paraklētos', 'Advocate (an advocate with the Father)']
['Greek', 'G1519 G3838', 'eis to pantelēs', 'to the uttermost (able to save to the uttermost)']
['Greek', 'G3316', 'mesitēs', 'mediator (one mediator between God and men)']
Usage
"Christ’s intercession is His continual pleading at God’s right hand, applying the benefits of His finished sacrifice."
"He intercedes not by renewed suffering but by presenting His one sacrifice—and the Father hears Him always."
"Invoking Mary and the saints as intercessors dishonors the one Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous."