What Is Jesus Doing Now?

We often reflect on Jesus' time on earth and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection, but have you ever thought about what Jesus is doing right now? In a major sense, it's a loaded question with infinite answers since Jesus is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. However, the Bible is clear and emphasizes that right now, Jesus is interceding for His people as our great High Priest. In other words, Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father, praying for His people, those sealed with His Spirit.

We see His intercession in Hebrews 7:25, which says, "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." This is also made clear to us in Romans 8:34, which says, "Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." I want to encourage you with three truths concerning the ongoing intercession of Christ that will deepen your assurance of faith.

First, Jesus is always interceding for us. We must certainly praise God for what Christ has done in the past, but we should also praise and rejoice for what He is doing in the present. Specifically, consider, contemplate, and worship Christ as our intercessor. Jesus intercedes and prays for us not on the basis of our religious resume, but on the basis of His righteous life, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and vindicating ascension. Not a moment passes by that we are not being prayed for by Jesus Christ Himself. Even through the most heartbreaking sins, the worst relational strife, temptations, trials, doubt, or despair, He always intercedes for us. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith. The intercessor, mediator, and advocate who will ensure we finish the race and keep the faith. Peter failed greatly on the night of Jesus' arrest by denying Him not once, but three times. In Luke 22:31-33, we see Jesus assure Peter that even though Peter would fail, Peter's faith would not fail because Jesus had prayed for him. The same is true for you.

Second, Jesus is altogether for us. While interceding, Jesus does not reluctantly intercede for us. Rather, Christ intercedes with the same immutable, inseparable love He had upon the cross, as Romans 8 teaches us. Furthermore, the truth of the ongoing intercession of Christ should in no way cause suspicion towards God the Father. Carl Trueman summarized this well when he said, "Christ asks the Father only for what the Father desires to give Him. When Christ prays to the Father for us, the Father will grant Him what He asks for. It is only what He Himself desires anyway." Romans 8:26 emphasizes that the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The triune God is for you. John Calvin said, "Jesus turns the Father's eyes to His own righteousness to avert His gaze from our sins. He so reconciles the Father's heart to us that by His intercession He prepares a way, an access, for us to the Father's throne."

Third, the fact Jesus is interceding for you should give you comfort, confidence, and courage. Robert Murray M'Cheyne once said, "If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a thousand enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me." The intercession of Christ means you are always cared for and can have confidence that Jesus will never leave or forsake you. We have a Savior who loved us then, loves us now, and will love us forever.