Christ, Our Advocate

“… we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” – 1 John 2:1b

The job of an advocate is to defend his client from any accusation impended upon him by the opposite party. Yet, in order for the advocate to effectively defend the case, the client has to completely unmask and reveal all about himself so that the advocate would know him and his situation better. Then on the basis of what he knows about the client and the situation, the advocate then has to gather the evidence to prove the innocence of his client and save his life from perishing. 

In our case, we are the guilty one. We have undoubtedly committed the crime of breaking the law of God, in living a life of disobedience because of which we deserve penalty. Legally that would mean us being sentenced to life imprisonment or death but instead, the advocate offers us a bargain that can rescue us from this penalty of our sinful acts, something we don’t deserve.

In the courtroom of God where our punishment is already declared, Christ our advocate, knocks at our door offering us hope. If we open the door and confess the true state of our hearts, the sins we have committed against God, the wickedness we tolerate in and around us, then based on our repentant response to His call, Christ establishes the evidences required to prove our innocence. The evidences are His nail pierced hands, the whips on His back, the blood spilled on the ground, his crown pierced brow, the cross where the penalty for our sins is already been paid for. 

After presenting the evidence just like any other advocate, He pleads our innocence to God, the righteous judge, to set us free and the judge declares, ‘Not Guilty!’

Brothers and sisters, all we can offer to our loving and gracious advocate in return for His bountiful, undeserving grace and forgiveness is to pledge our whole lives in humble surrender, growing in faith and love in His service, who promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us even when we fail and falter in our Christian walk. 

Lord, help us to understand the value of the price you paid with your own life to save a wicked, guilty and sinful person like me.