The Intercession of Christ
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
Christ's ongoing work as our heavenly High Priest who advocates for believers before the throne.
In the architecture of Reformed Christology, the work of Jesus Christ is traditionally understood through the "Threefold Office" (munus triplex) of Prophet, Priest, and King. While much of contemporary evangelical focus rests upon the "finished work" of Christ on the cross—the once-for-all sacrificial death that satisfied divine justice—the Reformed tradition has historically maintained a robust and equally essential emphasis on the "unfinished" or ongoing work of Christ in His state of exaltation. Central to this ongoing work is the doctrine of the Intercession of Christ. If the atonement was the purchase of our redemption, intercession is the application and preservation of that redemption.
By the end of this lesson
- **Define** the Intercession of Christ as the second, ongoing part of His priestly office, distinguishing it from His finished sacrificial work.
- **Articulate** the relationship between the "Covenant of Redemption" (*pactum salutis*) and the efficacy of Christ’s prayers for His people.
- **Explain** how Christ’s intercession provides the theological foundation for the Reformed doctrine of the "Perseverance of the Saints."
- **Distinguish** the Reformed view of Christ’s exclusive advocacy from the Roman Catholic doctrine of the intercession of saints and the Arminian view of general, non-effectual intercession.
- **Trace** the Old Testament typology of the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies and its fulfillment in Christ’s heavenly session.
- **Describe** the "affective" nature of Christ’s intercession, using the insights of Thomas Goodwin regarding Christ’s continued human sympathy in glory.
- **Apply** the comfort of Christ’s advocacy to the problem of "post-conversion sin" and the believer’s struggle with guilt and assurance.
- **Defend** the judicial nature of Christ’s intercession as a "representation of merit" rather than a mere emotional plea or a "begging" of the Father.
Scripture
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