Jesus Lives Forever

I love why the writer of Hebrews says, “Jesus lives forever.” The simple idea is that like Melchizedek He is a priest forever (in contrast to a come and go priesthood made up of those who live and die). Such never changing permanence introduced a better hope and promised intimacy with God through a covenant relationship with the divine secured in Jesus forever nature. The writer of Hebrews wraps this up in the most magnificent phrase, “He always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).” Wow, Jesus omnipresence, that is, His I am that I am, alpha and omega, sameness today, yesterday and forever nature is eternally designed to assure us of His advocacy and efficacy in salvation. In a world that seems to be beaten, battered and baffled it’s nice to know that Jesus “always lives to intercede” for those who “come to God through Him.” Now, as great as that eternal truth sounds… what does it mean for my every day walk of life?

It reminds us that we are in a partnership with the divine. If we are seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realms and have been made partakers of the divine nature because God has called us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord… then, we are conscious of living holy lives not because we think we’re all that and a bag of potato chips BUT because we refuse to take grace for granted or redemption as anything less than ultimate sacrifice! We are the redeemed who love because He first loved us. We are soldiers of Christ because we are freedom fighters who war not with flesh and blood but “against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).” We are more than conquerors! Jesus lives forever is a spiritual adrenaline rush that rallies believers to shout His name from the mountain top!

Okay, so we live out our faith and we are challenged to live bold and brave because Jesus is our mentor and our inspiration! But why do I let my passion for His presence go cold? On the nosey! That is exactly why He lives to intercede for us. Jesus knew that our flesh was weak even though our spirits were willing (Mark 14:38). He knew we would need a constant reminder of His presence… “Do this in remembrance of me.” He knew that sin could only be conquered by grace! So, He lives forever so He may always intercede in our behalf! Now that is good news… that’s the gospel that finds us ever returning on bended knees to worship and to repent as we reach out to be lifted up in His protective care. So we sing with ardent hearts, “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today …He lives within my heart.” (P.S. A Jewish student asked Alfred H. Ackley who wrote the hymn “He Lives,” “Why should I worship a dead Jew?” Ackley quickly affirmed, “He lives!”) -DAN