What Is Jesus Doing?

Have you ever thought about what Jesus is currently doing in heaven? He ascended there bodily after his resurrection (Acts 1). Later in Acts 7 as Stephen is being killed he sees Jesus standing in heaven. Later at Paul’s conversion Jesus appears to him in radiant light (Acts 9). Those visions generally summarize the standard sights of Jesus after his ascension in the New Testament.

So, is Jesus just sitting around in heaven waiting to return while occasionally appearing to people?

This question is really tongue in cheek. We know that Jesus is God and therefore is holding all things together, overseeing all of creation with supreme power. But there is something else I want to focus in on as we consider Jesus’ activity in heaven.

Romans 8:34 describes Jesus as interceding for us at the right hand of God. 1 John 2:1 further explains, “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.”

Jesus is advocating to the Father on your behalf. Websters defined an advocate as, “One who pleads the cause of another. Specifically: One who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court; a counselor.” Its second definition for the word is similar but more nuanced, “One who defends, vindicates, or espouses any cause by argument; a pleader.”

Jesus stands before the Father and pleads your cause. He is a Pleader on your behalf. He defends your standing before God. He defends your salvation and forgiveness. He stands up for you before the Law.

It is not as if God the Father is out to get us and Jesus must hold him back or restrain him. Jesus said the Father himself loves us (John 16:27). Rather, the emphasis is on the continuing effect of the salvation of Jesus, specifically as it pertains to our continued struggled with sin. Instead of Jesus becoming angry with us, impatient with us, or weary of us because of our failures, he advocates for us. He continues to point out that his blood covers every sin - past, present, and future - thereby rendering sin as nothing.

As 1 John 2:1 says, Jesus is leading us away from sin so that we would sin no more. But if we do, if we still fail (as we all still do), he doesn’t abandon us, but pleads our continued forgiveness. It is for this very reason that Paul can say nothing, not even sin, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39), because Christ keeps advocating for us.

There is much more that goes into this description of Christ as advocator. It is pregnant with theological truth about Jesus, our salvation, and the nature of sin. But time and space constrains me now to simply beg your attention to look at the continued, unending love of Jesus for you. The tempter will try to make you despair by telling you that Jesus is done with you, you’ve sinned too much, God doesn’t love you anymore. But Jesus stands resolute as One who pleads our cause. He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14), and he has promised to finish what he has started in us (Philippians 1:6).

So, when failure happens, you and I must respond in repentance and in gratitude for a gospel so rich that our Savior continues to advocate on our behalf in heaven. Jesus so loves us that he continues to declare us forgiven even while we still stumble in this life. Praise God for our Advocate!