The Living Intercessor
Why Jesus' Current Work Matters As Much As His Past Work
Most of us have no problem believing that Christ died for us. But here's a question that might challenge your thinking: What is Jesus doing right now?
The cross is central to our faith, the focal point of Christian art and music. We sing about Calvary, we wear crosses around our necks, we talk about what Jesus did two thousand years ago.
If your mental picture of Jesus ends at the resurrection—or worse, at the crucifixion—you’re missing half the gospel. Christ is not a dead Savior who accomplished something wonderful in the past and is now resting from His labors. He is a risen, living Savior actively engaged in ongoing ministry on your behalf this very moment.
Scripture tells us that though He was dead, He has risen again and ever lives to make intercession for us. Ever lives. Present tense. Continuous action. Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is living and actively working for you. He’s not spectating from heaven, watching to see if you’ll succeed or fail. He’s engaged in an ongoing ministry that’s essential to your salvation.
Think about what this means practically. When you stumble today—and let’s be honest, you probably will—Jesus doesn’t sit back in disappointment. He intercedes. When you’re tempted and struggling, He doesn’t check out. He intercedes. When the accuser brings up your past, Jesus doesn’t nod in agreement. He intercedes.
But what exactly does “intercede” mean? The word carries the idea of meeting together, of mediation, of intervention on behalf of another. Jesus stands between you and the condemning power of sin. He presents His righteousness in place of your failures. He applies His blood to cover your transgressions. This isn’t happening occasionally when you remember to ask—it’s happening continuously because He ever lives for this purpose.
Here’s where many believers get confused. They think of Jesus’ intercession as Him constantly begging the Father to be merciful to worthless sinners. They imagine Jesus having to talk God into forgiving us one more time, as if the Father is reluctant and needs convincing. But that’s not the biblical picture at all.
Jesus isn’t trying to change the Father’s mind about you. The Father sent the Son precisely because He loved you. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The Father’s heart toward you is the same as the Son’s heart toward you. They’re not in disagreement about your salvation. The entire Godhead is unified in the plan of redemption.
So what is Jesus doing in His intercessory work? He’s applying His finished work to your ongoing need. When you sin, you don’t need Christ to die again—His sacrifice was once for all, complete and sufficient. But you do need His blood applied to your case again. That’s what intercession accomplishes. It’s the continuous application of His completed atonement to your daily struggles and failures.
We are to believe with the heart unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confession unto salvation. Notice the progression—heart belief produces righteousness, mouth confession produces salvation. And undergirding both is Christ’s living intercession. Without His current ministry, His past ministry wouldn’t help you today.
Think about it this way: Yes, He died for sins two thousand years ago. But those sins weren’t just the ones committed before the cross—they included all sins, including the ones you committed this morning and will commit this afternoon. His historical work covers your present failures because of His current work of intercession. He continuously applies what He accomplished then to what you need now.
The Book of Hebrews explains it clearly: He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. To the uttermost. Completely. Fully. Not partially saved, not barely saved, but saved to the absolute maximum—because He ever lives to intercede.
This should transform how you view your daily walk with God. You’re not on your own, hoping you can hold out until the end. You have a living Advocate who is constantly working on your behalf. You’re not trying to maintain your salvation by your own strength. Christ is maintaining it through His intercession.
Does this mean you can sin carelessly? Of course not. The same Christ who intercedes for you also transforms you. The same grace that forgives your sin also empowers you to overcome it. But your standing before God doesn’t depend on your success rate in overcoming—it depends on Christ’s faithfulness in interceding.
Think about Peter. Jesus told him that Satan had asked permission to sift him like wheat, but Jesus had prayed for him that his faith would not fail. Did Peter stumble? Absolutely. Did he deny Christ three times? Yes. But did his faith ultimately fail? No—because Jesus interceded for him. Peter’s restoration wasn’t based on Peter’s strength but on Christ’s prayer.
The same is true for you. Satan desires to sift you. Temptations will come. Failures will happen. But your faith won’t ultimately fail, because Jesus is praying for you. Right now. At this moment. He ever lives to make intercession.
So when you feel weak, remember—you have a strong Intercessor. When you feel alone, remember—you have an Advocate who never sleeps. When you feel condemned, remember—you have a Representative who stands before the Father on your behalf, continuously applying His blood to your case.
Christ is not a dead Savior who did something wonderful in the past. He is a living Savior who is doing something wonderful right now. He died for you then. He lives for you now. And that makes all the difference.
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, seeing He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
Want to dig deeper into these truths? Explore how Christ is the Center of all Scripture, discover why The Sanctuary is the Map for understanding God's Word, and learn how Scripture is the Authority that interprets itself. Join us at The Word Miner Ministries as we equip Truth Prospectors for more profound biblical discovery.
