The Intercessor

I had trouble naming this painting. I have no doubt that those of who are reading this know exactly who and what this painting is about. There are so many cliche and obvious things I could say about Jesus. I don’t want this email to be THAT all over again. So, I had to really think about who He is to me. How He has played a factor in MY life personally. Peel away the ideals and scripture that have been presented to me about who I SHOULD believe Jesus is and think about the personal implications He has had on my life.

It is difficult, at times, to shake the dirt from my roots and decide for myself what I believe about Yeshua to be true. What I KNOW He has done for me verses what I’ve been told. Once again, although you didn’t ask, if you’ve made it this far in the blog, then I suppose you’re in it to the end. Here is my personal reflection of Jesus of Nazareth.

The dictionary defines “intercessor” as a person who intervenes on behalf of another. Some synonyms for this word are mediator, go-between, negotiator, middleman, and my personal favorite, peacemaker. An intercessor seeks to advocate for others or intervene in their favor. As I reflected on this painting, I began to think of all the prayers I’ve made “in Jesus name”. I realized, without meaning to, that I talk to The Father, Abba, and almost always end my conversations with Him by calling on Yeshua to vouch for me. Why? Why do I feel the need to have Jesus intervene at the end of my prayers? That question stumped me for a minute, I must say. I pray to God, the Father, and to Jesus the Son, sometimes both at the same time, sometimes separately. I finally came to this conclusion…. Jesus is my friend, who helps me find the words when I can’t think of them myself. When I’m too frazzled to communicate clearly. When I say one thing that isn’t at all what I meant and need someone to help me make sense of my nonsense.

Think of your very best friend. One who knows all your yucky secrets. Or a friend that you’ve made in your recent past, who you just connected with right off the bat and you find yourself airing your dirty laundry to them before you even realize what you’ve said. Think on them….would that person vouch for you, knowing what they know about you? Would they intervene for you in a trial of judgement about your character? Would they go to war for the sake of your integrity? Would they mediate a conflict for you in order to keep the peace in your life? If you miss the mark at honesty and virtue, as we all sometimes do, would they take the responsibility for it, so you wouldn’t have to endure the backlash? Would they keep coming back, again and again, despite the shortcomings you’ve presented as a friend to them? Would they? Surely, we can all think of at least one person in our life who would. Maybe even 2 or 3 if you’re lucky.

If I were to tell you all the times I’ve needed someone to be an intercessor on my behalf, it probably would not bless you. It might even make you think less of me. All the foul and nasty things I’ve done over the years that I would never dream of telling anyone. The things I’ve thought. The selfish decisions I’ve made as a teen, then young adult, and even as a grown woman.

What I can tell you about, is the first time, in my early 20s, that I really and truly looked at my wickedness and longed for forgiveness so that my soul would not be damned to hell. A selfish plea turned into a repentance so remorseful that I could not form any words to explain what I’d done. All alone in the dark of night, in my bedroom, I pleaded and begged and cried and snotted all over myself. I was down on my knees rocking back and forth with my face to the ground, when I felt a warm hand gently lay on my back. My head shot up and I looked around. There was no one there, yet the room was entirely full. I leaned back on my haunches and wiped the tears from my face. The Comforter had come to me. A peace that surpassed all of my worldly understanding entered into the depths of my heart. In those moments while I mourned my lost soul a transformation of celestial proportions had taken place. My offense was eradicated. In one swift movement, Yeshua stepped in, plead my case, vouched for me, and that was that. It was finished. I was forgiven.

I believe that it was God the Father who forgave me, but Yeshua who comforted me that night. It was the Spirt of them both who lifted my head that hung so heavy and gave me rest. The hardest thing to put into words is to describe how they were both there when my soul was redeemed. I believed I deserved the belt for what I’d done. Instead, I got grace. I got comfort. I got tranquility.

Jesus took the belt for me. He is my friend. My intercessor. My Prince of Peace. This is how I see Him. It wasn’t until after this submission of myself, that so much MORE of the scripture came to life for me personally. While I had been a believer all my life, the veil was lifted from my eyes that night.

 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

Trust the process, painter birds. We are all becoming. ✌🏻💖🎨🕊️🕊️🕊️