“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus made an unequivocal statement in John 14:6: “”I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” This represents an important message for those who seek to approach God on their own merit or though the intercessory efforts of others.
Many are undoubtedly familiar with the role of a mediator as someone who arbitrates and reconciles the differences between two groups or opponents. However, Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus’ intercessory work is superior to that of any other prospective mediator. You see, Jesus’ ministry of intercession did not end with His physical death. Instead, it continues to this very moment as He intercedes for those who come to God through faith in Him.
This passage thus offers a practical benefit for anyone who is attempting to reach God. Rather than seeking guidance or favor with God through other reputed intercessors, we should instead approach Him through Christ, the mediator He has established. This approach is further reinforced by a verse from the New Testament book of 1 Timothy: “…there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 CSB).
Jesus thus serves as humanity’s mediator because He paid the penalty for human wrongdoing through His sacrificial death. In sacrificing His life on our behalf, Jesus opened the way in which we might approach God and enter a relationship with Him. As Jesus Himself said, “…those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them” (John 6:37 NLT).
So Jesus continues His intercessory efforts on our behalf today. For example, the Biblical book of Romans tells us, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). The epistle of 1 John adds, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
Because of this, we can “…come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).