FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Tuesday, June 27, 2006,5:56 p.m.
Intercession
I was thinking today about intercession - or rather intercessory prayer. Growing up in the church, the word 'intercession' has always meant prayer. It is the kind of prayer where you are stand between someone or some group and God, petitioning Him on their behalf. I feel that I have known this concept for a long time, and yet today, I was struck more than ever at the actual meaning of the word: intercession. It is literally a 'standing in between' - in between the wrath of God and the creation of God, often. I did a quick search for 'intercession' in Bible Gateway, and it immediately popped up Isaiah 53:12 (NIV) -
The passage is talking about Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross - he made intercession. He literally physically stepped in between us and the wrath of God, which we justly deserved. The NAS puts it this way:
Interceded. Like when we pray. But the NIV saying that He made intercession also really struck me. It's completed. It's done. I always think of intercession as this ongoing thing. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the power of prayer and the necessity of intercession. I know that when I pray, God hears me. But I have never been struck so much by the finality and completion of Jesus' intercession. For me. For us. For everyone. It's done. Completed. The intercession is made. He stepped in between and actually completed what I was absolutely unable to do. It is ..... glorious and humbling and awe-inspiring all at the same time.
It's good to have fresh revelation of salvation. Words that have been used our whole lives can get stale. Fresh revelation even of well-known facts, promises and concepts continue to spark worship from deeper and fresher places in our hearts. Hallelujah.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
The passage is talking about Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross - he made intercession. He literally physically stepped in between us and the wrath of God, which we justly deserved. The NAS puts it this way:
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
and interceded for the transgressors.
Interceded. Like when we pray. But the NIV saying that He made intercession also really struck me. It's completed. It's done. I always think of intercession as this ongoing thing. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the power of prayer and the necessity of intercession. I know that when I pray, God hears me. But I have never been struck so much by the finality and completion of Jesus' intercession. For me. For us. For everyone. It's done. Completed. The intercession is made. He stepped in between and actually completed what I was absolutely unable to do. It is ..... glorious and humbling and awe-inspiring all at the same time.
It's good to have fresh revelation of salvation. Words that have been used our whole lives can get stale. Fresh revelation even of well-known facts, promises and concepts continue to spark worship from deeper and fresher places in our hearts. Hallelujah.
