For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isa. 53:12)
Jesus’ life was a life of intercession. Like many of you, I grew up in a church that valued intercessory prayer, going to the Father on behalf of another. As a boy, I sometimes wondered why we should even pray—after all, God already knew of these concerns before I told him about them, even before I knew about them. So what was the point?
There are many answers to that question, and even more great questions that grow out of those answers. Prayer is mysterious and beautiful. But one thing I discovered is that intercessory prayer knit my heart to the one for whom I was praying. As I called my friend or even a total stranger to mind before the Lord, I became aware that the person and I now had a connection, something I may not have seen before. When I pray for a student or colleague at the college now, my heart is bent toward them in a way that was not there before I prayed. I care for them in a way I did not when their needs were hidden to me.
This care is a shadow of the love the Christ has for each of us. Though we have nothing he needs, he loves us, carrying our pain as his own. He goes before us to the Father, ensuring we have a home with him.
Consider whether your intercession for others looks like Christ’s.
Michael Jordan is the dean of the chapel at Houghton College (New York), where he also serves as chair of the department of biblical studies, theology, and philosophy.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
