1 John 2:1-2 ESV
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

In a human court system, an advocate speaks for the rights of his or her client. We call them lawyers because they have studied the intricacies of the law and can navigate through those often complicated statutes with accuracy and precision.

That is the picture John paints when he refers to Jesus as our “Advocate with the Father.” God’s righteous law pronounces us guilty on all counts. We have violated God’s standards, and rejected His right to rule our lives, and we have continued to sin even after coming to a knowledge of the truth.

Jesus stands as the Advocate between our repentant hearts and the law. His blood has been applied to our lives through faith and confession of Him as Lord. He pleads our case with the Righteous Judge. Perhaps it would sound something like this;

Jesus (The Advocate) would say: “Yes, he is guilty as charged. However, You have said that my sacrifice is sufficient payment for the debt he owes. I have paid the price, so he can be pronounced not guilty.”

The good news is Jesus, Jesus is our Advocate forever.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus a compassionate Advocate has experienced life in this world, too. He has been tempted, rejected, provoked, overlooked, misunderstood, and abused. He does not represent us in theory; He represents us experientially.

He lived the life we live, yet He did so without sin. He successfully refused to give in to temptation and can be our High Priest because He perfectly fulfilled God’s law.

Prayer:
Father, thank you that Your Son, my Advocate, stands in my stead when I have sinned, when I have fallen, when I have not been who I am supposed to be, Your Son stands up for me and I am made righteous by His blood.