Through Jesus
by Maria Rudolph
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He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Read Hebrews 7:23–28
In the comedy movie Bruce Almighty, actor Jim Carrey portrays a man named Bruce who receives God’s almighty powers and the responsibility for creation for a brief time, which quickly leads to chaos in the world.
For example, Bruce has a computer on which every person’s prayer arrives as an email. The inbox keeps filling up with millions of petitions every minute, and Bruce’s head is spinning as he tries to keep on top of responding to them all. We quickly realise how impossible God’s work would be for us, that God is God, and we are not.
Jesus is constantly interceding for us. Do you ever wonder why we finish prayers with ‘in Jesus’ name, Amen’, or why in church we pray ‘through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns … one God, now and forever, Amen’? We know that we have free access to God through Jesus. No other intercessor is needed between God and us. We do not need to hope for particular saints or have people ‘put in a good word for us’ with God. We can go directly to Jesus, our Saviour. His intercession for us before God the Father is not limited only to prayer, either.
As people who belong to Jesus in baptism, we are covered from head to toe in Christ. When God looks at us, God doesn’t see us. He sees Christ, in complete purity and with garments ‘washed white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:14). God himself, through Jesus, provides those garments for us so we can enter the heavenly wedding feast (Matthew 22:11,12).
The Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, is also constantly interceding for you, with groans beyond words (Romans 8:26). Be reassured today: you are not alone. Your God is with you.
Loving God, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you. You alone are my strength and shield, to you alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on the song by Martin Nystrom, 1984, from Psalm 42.)
Pastor Maria serves at St John’s Lutheran Church in Perth, Western Australia. She is blessed with her pastor husband, Michael, who serves at Concordia Lutheran Church, Duncraig. With God’s help, they navigate ministry across two parishes and life at home with two beautiful high schoolers and one amazing boy in primary school. Pastor Maria also serves the Lutheran Church on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
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