“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.”— 1 John 2:1
Many people need a good lawyer at some point in their lives. Early in our church ministry, we experienced situations of conflict that surprised us. In our naiveté, we assumed that church work would be peaceful and pastoral like James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small—complete with rolling Scottish countryside, humorous encounters with quirky neighbors, and every tension resolved by the end of the one-hour show. We soon found out differently.
Twice in those early years, we were pursued to the point of needing an advocate. Not only did the incidents take us by surprise, but the identity of the attackers did as well. These former friends were bent on destroying their pastor and ruining his reputation. It quickly became apparent that we didn’t need a coach or even a counselor for our predicament. We needed someone with the integrity to represent our case accurately and the expertise to handle it skillfully.
Every believer eventually discovers their deep need for an advocate—not just a lawyer for this world’s woes, but someone who can attest to the good character of the one on trial before the almighty God. Jesus acts as that advocate, vouching for us, based on his own righteousness. He represents us before our Judge when the Adversary takes aim. Our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, are bent on destroying us. However, as the apostle John assures us, we already have an advocate, one who can plead our case with skill and authority before the bench of heaven—Jesus Christ himself, the righteous one.
Our Need
Let’s examine John’s words in 1 John 2:1 by first noticing his tone. He is full of gentleness towards God’s people as he writes to them. “My little children” he calls us. Yes, you and me. This phrase not only speaks of John’s personal affection for his first century flock, but reflects our Father’s heart towards us in Christ, specifically as we face the sin and temptations of this world.
John gets right to the point. On his heart are believers not just of his day, but of future generations. What does he want for them? A life of willing and glad obedience to Christ. We can imagine both warmth and firmness in his voice. John has spent the first chapter of his letter laying out the joys of fellowship with God himself as his people walk with Christ. Then he sets forth the very real challenges to that fellowship: a God who is light and people who sin.
Next, John spells out the conditions for that fellowship: four if/then statements to clearly distinguish the path of sin and the path of life for “his little children.” His tone is fatherly, and his instructions are clear. They are to seek to walk in the light, a path that includes confession and forgiveness.
Our Advocate
“But” John writes one more instruction to his little children, with one more “if” statement, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father…” His words take us up to heaven, facing the throne on which sits the Judge of both the living and the dead, before whom we all will stand. We know we have not only sinned against God but failed to fulfill all righteousness.What hope do we have of acquittal?
“But.” But what?
But “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Though we can’t pay for the type of legal help we need, an advocate steps forward. He isn’t some ambulance chaser looking for easy money, rather he is meticulously qualified not just by ability, but by virtue.
What will he do as our advocate? We have some knowledge of what lawyers do in our day, but what was the role of an advocate in Roman society during the early centuries of the church? “The Romans were the first to have a class of people who spent their days thinking about legal problems, and this is why their law became so ‘precise, detailed, and technical.’” These legal problems presented more than just a puzzle to be solved, they showcased the training needed to apply legal knowledge to the cases that were brought before them.
Furthermore, the general sense of the word advocate is “one who appears on another’s behalf.” He comes alongside the client, not just to guide him through the legal process, but to personally present the case.
Jesus Christ the Righteous
There’s an adage that when you stand in court, you only look as good as the one who represents you. And who is that for us? Who shows up on our behalf when our conscience batters us with accusations? Our advocate is the only lawyer whose primary qualification is his perfect righteousness. Indeed, this one’s righteousness is not only our greatest need, but also his gracious gift to each one who believes. Now we can see why the title John gave to the ascended Jesus was his most important qualification to be our advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous.
If Jesus had an office with a glass door and name plate, his title would read, Jesus Christ, The Righteous One. We’ve come to the right place for professional help. As our advocate, Jesus clears our name by giving us his name. And as “the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2), he cleanses us inside and out.
Because Jesus has ascended to the right hand of his Father, we can stand before our Father in his perfect righteousness. Because he is the propitiation for our sins, all charges against us have been answered.
When your enemy accuses you, when your conscience charges you with sin, when the adversary pursues you, bent on your destruction, you have a perfect advocate before the supreme court of the cosmos. You and I need not retreat in guilt or hide in shame. Our advocate will prevail. And we shall stand in his righteousness.
Footnotes
Crook, John A. (19767). Law and Life of Rome, 90 B.C.–A.D. 212: Aspects of Greek and Roman Life. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1984).
Ibid.
Propitiation describes a sacrifice that satisfies the demands of God’s justice.
