18 NOVEMBER (1877)

Jesus interceding for transgressors

‘And made intercession for the transgressors.’ Isaiah 53:12
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Timothy 2:1–8

If Christ appears in heaven for us, let us be glad to appear on earth for him. He owns us before God and the holy angels; let us not be ashamed to confess him before men and devils. If Christ pleads with God for men, let us not be backward to plead with men for God. If he by his intercession saves us to the uttermost, let us hasten to serve him to the uttermost. If he spends eternity in intercession for us, let us spend our time in intercession for his cause. If he thinks of us, we ought also to think of his people and especially supplicate for his afflicted. If he watches our cases and adapts his prayers to our necessities, let us observe the needs of his people and plead for them with understanding.

Alas, how soon do men weary of pleading for the Lord. If a whole day is set apart for prayer and the meeting is not carefully managed, it readily becomes a weariness of the flesh. Prayer-meetings very easily lose their flame and burn low. Shame on these laggard spirits and this heavy flesh of ours, which needs to be pampered with liveliness and brevity, or we go to sleep at our devotions. Forever is not too long for him to plead, and yet an hour tries us here. On and on and on through all the ages, still his intercession rises to the throne, and yet we flag and our prayers are half dead in a short season.

See, Moses lets his hands hang down, and Amalek is defeating Joshua in the plain! Can we endure to be thus losing victories and causing the enemy to triumph? If your ministers are unsuccessful, if your labourers for Christ in foreign lands make little headway, and if the work of Christ drags, is it not because in the secret place of intercession we have but little strength? The restraining of prayer is the weakening of the church.

FOR MEDITATION: Although we are unable to match the everlasting nature of Christ’s intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25), our intercessions on behalf of others are supposed to be wide-ranging (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Giving up is not an option, because the Holy Spirit is ever-present to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26–27).


C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 4), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2007), 333.
18 NOVEMBER (1877) Jesus interceding for transgressors ‘And made intercession for the transgressors.’ Isaiah 53:12 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Timothy 2:1–8 If Christ appears in heaven for us, let us be glad to appear on earth for him. He owns us before God and the holy angels; let us not be ashamed to confess him before men and devils. If Christ pleads with God for men, let us not be backward to plead with men for God. If he by his intercession saves us to the uttermost, let us hasten to serve him to the uttermost. If he spends eternity in intercession for us, let us spend our time in intercession for his cause. If he thinks of us, we ought also to think of his people and especially supplicate for his afflicted. If he watches our cases and adapts his prayers to our necessities, let us observe the needs of his people and plead for them with understanding. Alas, how soon do men weary of pleading for the Lord. If a whole day is set apart for prayer and the meeting is not carefully managed, it readily becomes a weariness of the flesh. Prayer-meetings very easily lose their flame and burn low. Shame on these laggard spirits and this heavy flesh of ours, which needs to be pampered with liveliness and brevity, or we go to sleep at our devotions. Forever is not too long for him to plead, and yet an hour tries us here. On and on and on through all the ages, still his intercession rises to the throne, and yet we flag and our prayers are half dead in a short season. See, Moses lets his hands hang down, and Amalek is defeating Joshua in the plain! Can we endure to be thus losing victories and causing the enemy to triumph? If your ministers are unsuccessful, if your labourers for Christ in foreign lands make little headway, and if the work of Christ drags, is it not because in the secret place of intercession we have but little strength? The restraining of prayer is the weakening of the church. FOR MEDITATION: Although we are unable to match the everlasting nature of Christ’s intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25), our intercessions on behalf of others are supposed to be wide-ranging (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Giving up is not an option, because the Holy Spirit is ever-present to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26–27). C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 4), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2007), 333.
0 Comments 0 Shares 70 Views