Jesus is My Attorney

"Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend."
Job 16:19-21

Do you ever watch shows like "Law and Order?" I don't watch alot of TV but I watch "Law and Order: SVU" from time to time. The defense attorneys on the show drive me nuts but I have to admire their tenacity. I don't know that they always believe their client is innocent but they fight for them nonetheless.

When I first read (and paid attention to) this Scripture, that's sort of the picture that came to mind. I'm the defendant in God's court and Jesus is my attorney. Having Jesus acting on my behalf is very important to me. Sometimes it feels like I don't have anyone to fight for me so it means alot of have Jesus acting in my defense. 1 John 2:1 says that Jesus, the Righteous One, speaks to the Father in our defense. Hebrews 7:25 says that he lives to intercede for us.

I like how Job uses the word "friend" twice in this passage. It was important to him to have a friend who has God's ear. It's important for us to have a friend who pleads with God on our behalf. This friend loves us, cares for our well-being, and wants us to be in communion with God. God radically changed our relationship with him when he came as Jesus to make a path for us to have direct communication with him. What a great act of mercy, huh?

We can rest secure in the knowledge that Jesus is on our side (if we are on his) and is listened to by the Father. Through Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we have a place in heaven. Praise the Lord!