The Names of Christ
"NAMES OF CHRIST"© -is a book written by Dr. James Modlish
-reprinted here with the author's permission-

Lesson One

Advocate
(1 John 2:1)

Introduction: An advocate, according to the dictionary, is in its most general sense, "one that pleads the cause of another, esp. before a tribunal or judicial court." This is precisely the sense which the Word of God presents the Lord Jesus Christ in (1 Jn. 2:1). The picture that the Bible paints is that of a courtroom ... and all the major characters are there - the defendant is the sinner - [you and I]; the prosecuting attorney (or the "accuser" - Rev. 12:10; Job 1:9-11) is Satan, who brings the accusations of the sinner before the Judge, God the Father. And the Advocate's job is to defend the sinner in the "eternal courtroom."

What are some of the qualifications of a good advocate? And how well does Jesus Christ fit the description of an adept defense attorney? 

I. THE ADVOCATE MUST BE RIGHTEOUS

It is important to note that this passage, where the word "advocate" is used, is the only passage where Jesus Christ is called "the righteous." It is critical that the advocate be, in all ways, righteous (2 Cor. 5:2 1).

A. He must be righteous to actually discern the truth. Jesus Himself, in his illustration about correct judgment, says that unless a man is himself free from the deceitfulness of sin, he cannot see clearly to properly discern the sins of another, and be in a good position to help him. (Matt. 7:5)

B. He must be righteous to speak truthfully, and speaking truthfully is critical to the defense of the defendant. He must not flatter to sway the court; he must not succeed in this case by some cunning sleight of hand maneuver in the trial, but by exposing the facts truthfully; otherwise, the victory is not real at all. Jesus never had a word of guile in His mouth. (1 Pet. 2:22; Isa. 53:9).

C. He must be righteous and without sin to truly understand the power and ramifications of the sin of the defendant. (Heb. 4:15). It is often thought in this day that the only way to know the power of sin is to give in to it (Oscar Wilde said, which summarizes the philosophy of the day, "The only way to get rid of the temptation is to yield to it."), but the truth is just the opposite. You don't know the true power of the wind by lying down on the ground, you realize its true force by standing up to it. The way to truly know the force of an enemy's army is be fighting against it, not by surrendering. Jesus Christ, because He never sinned, because He followed every temptation all the way through until He was the Victor, is the only One Who can fully understand sin... and therefore the only One Who can fully defend the man charged with sin.

D. He must be righteous to let all the hearers know that He, in seeking the justice and righteousness of the case for righteousness! sake, is not a hypocrite. He must, in His righteousness, quiet all the hecklers and people who are accusing Him of being insincere. (Jn. 8:46) 

II. THE ADVOCATE MUST TRULY UNDERSTAND THE LAW UNDER WHICH BE FUNCTIONS

A. Jesus Christ grew up with, and under, the Law. (Gal. 4:4; Lk. 2:27)

B. His life was an adherence to, and a fulfillment of, the law. (Matt. 5.17)
C. He was known by all of His peers to have been familiar with it (even from His youth, Lk. 2:46-48), and He customarily read it to all. (Lk. 4:16) 

III. THE ADVOCATE MUST CARE FOR SAFETY OF HIS CLIENT

A. Jesus shows earnest concern for the client's life. (Jn. 10:10)

B. Jesus is very defensive about the protection of his clients. (Jn. 10:28,29)
C. Since He cares, and the defendant knows it, the defendant can freely tell Him all the problems and concerns that relate to the case. (1 Pet. 5:7) 

IV. THE ADVOCATE MUST KNOW ABOUT EVERY RELEVANT PERSON, AND EVERY RELEVANT CASE THAT SURROUND, AND CAN HELP HIM IN, HIS CASE

A. He knows Ms clients by name. (Jn. 10:3) (see also 2 Tim. 2:19; Acts 15:8,18)

B. The knowledge of His clients is one of trust and intimacy. (Jn. 10:14)
C. He has all of the facts at His disposal. (Prov. 15:3; Heb. 4:13)
D. He knows the details of every case, and can adroitly (skillfully) sift the positive facts from the negative ones.

Concerning all of the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus Christ proclaims, I know thy works," and goes on to analyze each one's works objectively in the light of God's word. (Rev. 2:2,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15) 

V. THE ADVOCATE MUST BE WISE TO THE TRICKS AND STRATEGIES OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

In the Bible, Satan is pictured as the prosecutor, or the "accuser" (Rev. 12:10). since Jesus knows the hearts of all, He knows every plan of attack that Satan is going to use, and, when defending us, utilizes this knowledge to His advantage at every turn. We are told to watch out for the wiles of the devil, and to be wary of his tricks and schemes (1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Cor. 2:11). Imagine how well our Advocate knows about them!
 

VI. THE ADVOCATE MUST KNOW THE GROUND ON WHICH TO REST HIS PLEA FOR SUCCESS

The "propitiation" is mentioned directly in context with Jesus Christ and His role as the Advocate. His propitiation is the faultless ground on which Christ rests His case for us. With this plea, He will never, and can never, lose a case.

"Propitiation" is the atoning sacrifice offered to appease the wrath of God. - Webster’s Dictionary

A. The propitiation is powerful in scope (1 Jn. 2:2) - it is powerful enough for any and all who will come to Christ.
B. The propitiation is powerful in love (1 Jn. 4:10,11). Christ's propitiation is one of the highest expressions of His love toward us.
C. The propitiation is powerful in its foundation ... There is nothing stronger than the blood of Christ. (Romans 3:25)

 

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