(1 Jn 2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
The words attorney or lawyer are derived from the word advocate. A defense attorney pleads the cause of his client so that his client can be vindicated. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines it well:
AD’VOCATE, n. [L. advocatus, from advoco, to call for, to plead for; of ad and voco, to call. See Vocal.]1. Advocate, in its primary sense, signifies, one who pleads the cause of another in a court of civil law. Hence,2. One who pleads the cause of another before any tribunal or judicial court, as a barrister in the English courts. We say, a man is a learned lawyer and an able advocate.3. One who defends, vindicates, or espouses a cause, by argument; one who is friendly to; as, an advocate for peace, or for the oppressed.
In scripture, Christ is called an advocate for his people.
We have an advocate with the father. 1 John 2.
AD’VOCATE, v.t. To plead in favor of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal; to support or vindicate.
Can you see it now? Ole slew foot is standing before God and accusing the brethren. I see him as the Prosecuting Attorney trying to convince God that we are guilty and we must be punished! But our Defense Attorney, our Advocate, is there as well, pleading our cause, defending the Christian!
There is a big difference between the lawyers of the world and our Great Advocate! Our Advocate is Jesus Christ, the righteous One! Although we are guilty before a Holy God, our Advocate paid our penalty! Our Advocate paid the debt and we are no longer found guilty. Jesus Christ stands before His Father and fights for us against Satan.
I can hear Jesus pleading my case before the Father, “Father, don’t listen to the father of lies, Satan! Kate believes that I paid her sin debt with my very own blood on the cross. Kate has accepted me as her Saviour and my blood now covers her, Father!”
The Father now sees the blood of His Precious Son, Jesus Christ, and Jesus’ blood covers me and the Father’s judgment of burning eternally in the Lake of Fire passes over me! Amen and amen! Praise the Lord!
As a Christian, it is so important for us to understand the different Names of Jesus. God put those different names in His Word to describe Himself to us. The believer who studies the Bible will glean so much and rejoice because he has a better understanding of the God he serves! Defining the various Names of Jesus helps us to see His character and allows us to love Him even more!
