Our prayers are one vehicle through which God has chosen to impact the world. John Wesley once said, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.” Intercession is a privilege that belongs exclusively to man. No angel can intercede on our behalf nor can the angels intervene in earthy affairs according to their own will. God has given man not only the authority but also the responsibility to influence events in the earth for His glory.
Intercession is such an important function, the Bible tells us that at this present time it is the role of Jesus Himself – He is continually making intercession for us. The office of the intercessor can only be filled by man, and Jesus is not an exception to the rule. Remember that He is now and will forever be not only fully God, but also fully man. It is awe-inspiring to think that throughout all of the ageless eons of eternity, Jesus was a divine, non-physical being, who was a part of the uncreated, eternal Godhead. Then the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and impregnated her with the seed of Christ. From that moment throughout the rest of eternity, He became, remains, and will forever be a God/Man.
In Luke 22:69 Jesus said, “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.” Jesus is now glorified. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is a part of the Godhead – yet He is still a man. In fact, He still chooses to identify Himself explicitly as “the Son of Man.”
The Scriptures are very clear that His body is a glorified, human body that still bears the scars of His human experience and it always will. He wears the scars on His hands, feet, and side like a wedding ring that will forever remind us of His love. I’m sure that He could have the scars removed to have a perfect, unblemished body, but to Him they are His most flattering features and He wears them proudly. When Jesus stepped down, it was an eternal transition. He will never again be the same as He was before His condescension.
A song by Joan Osborne came out when I was a teenager. The chorus says, “What if God was one of us … just a stranger on the bus trying to make His way home?” What Joan didn’t understand is that God was like one of us. He experienced all of the same difficulties and temptations and discomforts that we have, plus much more than we will ever understand. He was like us. But what is more is that He is like us. He has chosen to relate to us on this most intimate of levels for all eternity, and His manhood is the credential that qualifies Him to be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.
If intercession is so important that Jesus Christ Himself has made it His primary role, the significance of this calling seems quite obvious. Intercession is not only the privilege of man, but it is also our sacred duty, and Jesus, as the “firstborn among many brethren” leads us by example.
We hope you enjoyed this Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda. Be on the lookout for the next teaching EXPLOSIVE PRAYER in one week.
