25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
With those words, the grave was silenced, death was defeated, and hope reigned eternal.
Long before that first Resurrection Sunday morning, Job declared through tears and pain, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). He didn’t have all the answers, but he held onto the living hope that one day, beyond death and decay, he would see his God for himself. That hope was not misplaced.
Because Jesus lives, we can face anything – even death – with confidence. The Redeemer Job longed to see is the risen Christ who lived on earth, bore our sorrows unto death, and now lives reigns in glory. And as surely as He rose, He promises that all who trust in Him will rise too (John 11:25).
Today is not just a celebration of what happened – it is a declaration of what is to come. Our Redeemer lives! And one day, with resurrected eyes and glorified bodies, we will see Him face to face.
Let your heart rise with resurrection hope. Jesus is not here. He has risen just as He said. He ascended back to heaven and has promised to return to gather His people to Himself.
21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
The Original Context
Lamentations is a book of grief written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. It gives voice to the sorrow of a people who had lost everything – temple, city, freedom.
Lamentations 3 is a turning point where there is a flicker of hope in the midst of lament. In the middle of darkness, the character of God shines forth: steadfast love, daily mercy, and great faithfulness.
These verses are not spoken from comfort but from ruin. They don’t deny suffering; they declare hope despite suffering, despite crying out in lament. Waiting quietly for the Lord’s salvation was not easy, but it was the only way forward.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Holy Saturday represents the in between. Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. His disciples were scattered and silent. The heavens were quiet. From the outside, it looked like all hope had been buried.
But even in silence – in the in between, God was faithful. Jesus had already promised that after three days He would rise (Mark 8:31). Even when the world couldn’t see it, God’s mercies were not on pause. His redemptive plan was still unfolding.
Holy Saturday reminds us that waiting is part of redemption. Jesus entered the grave, but He wouldn’t stay there. Sunday was coming.
Hope for Today
Many of us live in “Saturday” seasons – waiting for prayers to be answered, healing to come, or joy to return. The silence of God – the in between – can feel unbearable. But Lamentations gives us a word for these moments. God’s mercies never end. His faithfulness is great. And even when we wait in the dark, we wait with hope.
So today, rest in the character of God. Remember His past faithfulness. Trust in His promises. Wait quietly – not because you see the answer yet but because you know and trust that Jesus will bring it.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The Original Context
Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest prophecies in the Old Testament about the coming of a Suffering Servant – One who would be rejected, bear sorrow, and ultimately carry the guilt of others. Verses 3-6 portray this Servant as misunderstood and mistreated. The people saw His suffering and assumed it was punishment from God for His own sins, but Isaiah pulls back the curtain: the Servant wasn’t suffering for His own wrongs – He was bearing the griefs, sorrows, transgressions, and iniquities of others.
This wasn’t punishment for failure. It was substitution. God laid the guilt of His people on this Servant. He was pierced, crushed, chastised – not because of what He had done but because of what we have done. It’s the language of atonement. It is one life being laid down to bring peace and healing to many.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Jesus is the Suffering Servant who Isaiah foretold. He was despised and rejected by His own people. He wept over the unbelief in Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), was betrayed by a friend (Luke 22:47-48), and was abandoned by His disciples (Matthew 26:56). He was beaten, mocked, and crucified – pierced by nails and crushed under the weight of humanity’s sin and the wrath of God against that sin.
But this was neither accidental nor tragic. Jesus didn’t die a victim of injustice but as a willing substitute, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It was the purpose for which He came: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). At the cross, Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Our rebellion against God became His burden. The punishment that brought us peace was laid upon Him. And by His wounds, we are healed – not just physically or emotionally, but spiritually and eternally.
Hope for Today
Good Friday is not a tragedy – it is a triumph through sacrifice.
Good Friday reminds us that salvation isn’t something we earn but something we receive. The weight of our guilt was laid on Jesus. Our wandering hearts find a home in Him who died that we may live.
We are all like sheep – wayward, distracted, self-reliant (or trying to be), but the Shepherd became the Lamb and was led to the slaughter for our sake. If today feels heavy, let it. The cross was no small thing. But don’t stop at sorrow – look through it to see the love of God on full display.
If you have ever felt too sinful to be forgiven, too broken to be loved, or too far gone to be reached – Isaiah 53 is for you. Your sin is not too much for the Savior. The Servant of Isaiah 53 – Jesus Christ – came for sinners just like me and you.
You are not alone in your brokenness and sin. You are not stuck in your guilt. You are not without hope. Jesus was pierced for you. And those who put their faith in Him are forgiven, healed, and brought near.
So come and behold the Lamb – despised and rejected yet full of mercy and grace. Let your heart rest in the peace He purchased with His blood.
Come to the cross.
Let your heart be pierced by His mercy.
Marvel that God would do this for you.
And remember: while Good Friday ended in death, it opened the door to life because Sunday’s coming!
12 Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.
The Original Context
Psalm 41 expresses the voice of a faithful sufferer, King David, who faced betrayal not just from his enemies but from a trusted companion. In ancient cultures, sharing bread was a sign of intimate friendship or loyalty, so the betrayal of such a companion added deep pain to hardship. Yet the psalm ends in hope, with a declaration that the Lord upholds the righteous.
Zechariah 11 paints a vivid picture of Israel’s spiritual rebellion against the Lord. The prophet assumes the role of a rejected shepherd, illustrating how Israel would reject God’s true care. The “wages” of thirty pieces of silver – a paltry sum for the value of a shepherd – shows their contempt. The odd command to throw the money “to the potter” at the temple conveys divine disdain for their decision, while also symbolizing judgment and redirection.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Jesus was no stranger to betrayal. Psalm 41:9 is quoted in John 13:18 on the very night of the Last Supper, as Jesus identified Judas Iscariot as His betrayer – the one who dipped bread with Him would “lift his heel” against Him. Judas’s act fulfilled both Scripture and sorrow.
The thirty pieces of silver In Zechariah found direct fulfillment In Matthew 26:14-16 when Judas agreed to betray Jesus for that exact amount. Later, overwhelmed by guilt, Judas returned the silver to the temple, and the chief priests used it to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:3-10) – fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy to the letter.
These betrayals were real. They were evil. And yet they did not thwart the redemptive plan of God. Even through betrayal the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep.
Hope for Today
Betrayal is a bitter sorrow many of us face. Whether in friendship, family, or faith, the sting of being hurt by someone close can feel like a wound that may never heal. But Jesus knows this pain firsthand. He was betrayed by a friend, abandoned by His followers, and sold out for thirty pieces of silver. Yet His story did not end in betrayal. It was merely a precursor to His victory over death, hell, and the grave.
In Christ, our pain isn’t wasted. God sees. God knows. And God redeems.
So today, if you’ve ever been betrayed or wounded by someone close, take heart. Jesus walks with you in that pain. He is the faithful friend who never leaves.
Trust Him to bring beauty even from and through brokenness. And rest in the Savior who was betrayed but not defeated.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
The Original Context
Isaiah spoke these words to Israel during a time of spiritual renewal, casting a vision of God’s heart for the nations. In contrast to the idea that Israel alone was God’s chosen people, Isaiah announced that foreigners who loved and followed the Lord were welcomed into His house.
This radical promise highlighted something about God’s covenant: His salvation was never meant for Israel alone because God was gathering worshipers from every tribe and tongue to find joy and belonging in His presence. His temple was never meant to be a barrier but a beacon.
Fulfillment in Jesus
When Jesus entered the temple in the final week of His life, He saw that its courts – meant for Gentile worshipers – had been turned into a marketplace. In righteous anger, He drove out the merchants and quoted Isaiah 56:7 in Matthew 21:13:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”
Jesus was restoring the temple to its true purpose. And ultimately, He became the new and better temple (John 2:19-21). In Him, all who trust and follow God, all who confess Him as Lord and believe in their hearts He is risen from the dead – regardless of background or nationality – are brought near (Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:11-22).
Hope for Today
Jesus is still gathering outcasts. He is still welcoming foreigners. He is still saving sinners. And He is still building a house of prayer for all peoples.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider – too far off, too broken, too different, too sinful, too shameful – know this: there is room for you in God’s house. The joy of His presence is not reserved for some select few who have it all together or who have the right genealogy, but offered to all who come to Him through Christ.
This Holy Week, let your prayers rise in confidence and hope. Jesus has not merely opened a way for people to come to Him, He IS the Way (John 14:6), and He prepares a place for Him in His Father’s house for all He saves (John 14:2-3). If He has saved you, you belong there; you are home with Him. And through Him, your worship is welcomed with joy.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
The Original Context
Psalm 118 was likely sung during one of Israel’s major festivals, like Passover. It was a song of thanksgiving – a declaration of God’s steadfast love and salvation. The image of the “stone that the builders rejected” (v. 22) captured Israel’s story: once overlooked and often oppressed, now lifted up by the Lord to a place of prominence and purpose. God had done something unexpected and wonderful, and the people were called to rejoice.
In its immediate context, this passage may have celebrated a king’s return to the temple after a victory, or perhaps commemorated God’s steadfast love and deliverance of His people. Verses 25-27 echo the cries of those longing for salvation, welcoming the one who comes in God’s name and leading the sacrifice to the altar in thanksgiving.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Centuries later, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people cried out these very words:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Their cry of “Hosanna!” literally means “Save us now!” and is the Hebrew word from the beginning of v. 25. They waved palm branches and welcomed Jesus as the promised King. Yet they did not realize the kind of salvation He had come to bring – not military or political victory, but a deeper, eternal rescue.
Jesus is the true and better cornerstone – the One whom the religious “builders” rejected but God exalted (Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11). He is the foundation of a new and everlasting temple, not made with hands but built through His body, the church (Ephesians 2:19-22). And he did not merely lead the sacrifice to the altar – He Himself was the festal sacrifice. He was not led in by a priest but rode into Jerusalem willingly. He did not have to be bound with cords because He “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
The light of God’s salvation has Indeed shone on us through Jesus. And it is beautiful and marvelous to behold.
Hope for Today
Palm Sunday is a call to see the faithfulness of God in action. What He promised, He fulfilled. The long-awaited King came. The cornerstone was set. The sacrifice was made.
And because “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23), we too can hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. Even when we feel rejected, overlooked, or uncertain, we can trust that God is building something good and glorious, even when we cannot fully see it yet.
So today, don’t glance at this moment in Jesus’s story – step into it. Cry out to Him with “Hosanna!” knowing full well that He has saved and will save, knowing that He will meet you in your time of need. Lift your voice in praise and cry out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” knowing that He was promised to come and that He did – and that He will again! And let your heart rest in the Savior who was once rejected but now reigns forevermore!
Every week, our faith family gathers because of all that Jesus has done for us — His life, His death, His resurrection, His work even now, and His imminent return. We don’t gather to impress each other or prove ourselves on the basis of religion or attendance. We come because we need Jesus — and because He has made a way for sinners (like us) to be made right with a holy, holy, holy God.
This Sunday at Christ Community, we will spend time in worship reading 1 John 1:5-2:2. It’s a beautiful and powerful reminder that God is light, and that in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). That’s both comforting and confronting. It comforts us because it means that God is pure, holy, trustworthy, and sinless (everything we aren’t), but it also confronts us because when we step into His light, our sin is exposed. So, we don’t get to walk in darkness and claim to have fellowship with the God who is light (1 John 1:6).
That sounds like bad news if we were to stop there, but praise GOD, the good news is coming in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The blood of Jesus. That’s our hope. He is our hope. Our sins — real, serious, and shameful though they are — can be cleansed by His blood. Y’all, that’s not just a line from some hymn but the truth of the gospel.
That gospel saturates every part of our worship gatherings. We read it together from the Word. We sing it. John opens the Word and preaches it. And we have the opportunity to hear it from our own voices and the voices of our brothers and sisters, reminding us that Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up to come to Him — He came to save us while we were still sinners, and He did it because He loves us (Romans 5:8)!
As 1 John 2:1-2 says, when we do sin (and we do), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous! He is the propitiation for our sins. He bore the wrath of God due for our sin, took our place on the cross we deserve, made peace by the blood of His cross, and gives the LIFE He has and the favor of God He deserves to those who put their trust in Him — for those who confess Him as Lord.
If you need to be reminded that God is still gracious and Jesus still saves, come on (Titus 3:4-7, Hebrews 7:25).
You won’t be out of place because our gathering is full of sinners in need of grace (Luke 5:31-32, 1 Timothy 1:15). The only difference is that many of us sinners have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). You’ll hear us pour our hearts out singing “Thank You, Jesus, for the blood applied…. Thank You, Jesus, You have saved my life!” You’ll hear us sing “O the blood, it is my victory!” You’ll hear us sing because we haven’t moved past our need for grace. We’ve just come to the One who gives it freely (Romans 3:23-25, John 1:16, Revelation 22:17).
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 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. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 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. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
When I started doing this five years ago, I never intended for it to become an ongoing thing. The pandemic was in full swing, and I became aware that some members of Christ Community—and others in our greater community—were unable to attend church due to health concerns. Some lacked technology or internet access to livestream services and be spiritually fed. So, I began writing Bible studies and sending them out. I even purchased the justKeithHarris.com site to make it easier to share the studies with folks.
As Covid began to settle into a more “normal” part of life and things started moving again, John Goldwater gave us a challenge during a pastors’ meeting. He asked us to think of something God had moved us to do during the pandemic—something extra to reach out—and to consider keeping it going. These Bible studies are what the Lord has continued to stir in me. Now, have I been as consistent over the past year or so as I would like to be? Definitely not. But my heart to encourage people through the Word of God hasn’t changed. That pastor’s heart—God’s call on my life—is what compels me to write this Bible study today.
So many people are hurting right now (and many of you may have burdens I don’t even know about). But God’s Word is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that [we] may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Revelation 2 and Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus would certainly be good for us and would build us up. But I can’t get 1 John 2:1–2 off my heart and out of my mind.
I feel a deep burden—and a burning desire—to break open 1 John 2:1–2 with you “clearly,” to give “the sense,” and to help you understand “the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). I want to help you see whatever it is in this passage that God’s Spirit desires to open up to you. As I write (and truly, I don’t know how this is all going to turn out), there are a few things I want to share before diving into the text:
We – all of us, myself especially – are sinners.
Even if we are saved, there is still a struggle with sin (and unfortunately, we will fall into sin).
When we sin – again, even if we are saved, there are consequences that must be faced.
However, if you are saved and have been adopted into God’s family, you have an advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous who stands for you when you have fallen into sin and shame. His blood covers sin. He is the God who saves. We never stop needing Him.
If you are reading this and are not saved, He can save you.
Again, my heart is heavy for many of you, and I don’t know exactly how all of this is meant to work together. But I do know this: God’s Word going out is always a good thing. His Word never returns to Him empty; it always accomplishes what He intends (Isaiah 55:11). I may never know how this helps you—but I pray that, according to God’s purpose, it does.
My Little Children (v. 1a)
John opens up this section of 1 John with a term of endearment – a term of love – for these people. By calling them his “little children”, he is not belittling them or making it seem like he sees them as less but rather letting them know that he loves them as a father is supposed to love his children. He is about to tell them some good and bad news and this term of endearment reminds them of their relationship and his love for them.
For me, both at school and at church, I’ve found myself using the word “kiddos” the same way I do with my own children at home. At first, it just slipped out without me thinking, but over the years, it’s become a way to express my care for them—like I consider them mine. It communicates relationship. There’s good news and hard conversations. There’s encouragement, correction, and discipline. They laugh and joke about what’s become my catchphrase at the end of each class—“Good class, kiddos!”—but they always notice if I forget to say it. If I miss it, they’ll ask, “Aren’t you going to say it?” They want to know that, no matter how the class went, I thought it was good. That little phrase reassures them. And even in times when I’ve had to correct them, that word—“kiddo”—still shows up. It reminds both them and me that our relationship remains, through the good and the hard.
Thinking of it that way, I can almost hear John saying with a sigh, “Kiddos, I need you to make sure you’re picking up what I’m laying down: I’m telling you all of this so that you will stop sinning.”
Let that sink in – “so that you may not sin” (v. 1).
How far will you make it with that? How far have you ever made it not sinning?
Yeah, me too.
From a religious standpoint, that might sound like bad news, because we know we can’t do it. The Bible is clear on this. Psalm 14:3 and 53:3 both say, “there is none who does good, not even one,” and the Holy Spirit, through Paul, drives this home in Romans 3:10: “None is righteous, no, not one.” Anyone who honestly looks at their life and compares it to the holy standard of our holy, holy, holy God knows what Isaiah meant when he said, “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). Even what we might think of as righteousness is tainted by sin—those “iniquities” that “like the wind, take us away.” That’s why we can’t earn salvation. There’s no amount of scrubbing, trading, or weighing good against bad that can remove sin or make us righteous. It doesn’t work that way. As we’d say in Mississippi, you either are or you ain’t—and, well, we ain’t. The “wages” of our sin give us what we earn—what humanity has earned since Adam—namely death (Romans 6:23).
That’s more than just bad religious news—it’s bad life news.
But praise God, John didn’t stop there! The next word is only three letters in English (and in Greek), but it’s a powerful word for us: “BUT”. That conjunction takes everything that came before it—our sin, our inability to be righteous on our own—and sets it aside to introduce what comes next. John is honest: he tells these spiritual children he loves that he’s writing to them so they “may not sin.” But he knows they will. He knows because he himself didn’t make it far either. John was a sinner too. And how could he not know that? He had walked in the presence of Jesus. How could anyone be in Jesus’ presence and not be fully aware of their sin?
But more than being aware of his sin, John was aware of his Savior. He wrote that they may not sin—but that when they do, they would look to the Savior. Look at the beauty of that second sentence in 1 John 2:1: “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
That’s good news! Let me show you why.
We Have an Advocate (v. 1b)
Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to understand what John is saying when he writes that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” It’s important to grasp the weight of this biblical truth before we move forward. The word translated “advocate” here is significant. To the native Greek speakers who weren’t writing in a biblical context, this word was used of “a legal advisor, pleader, proxy, or advocate…who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another”[1], which carries the idea of a defense attorney today. This was someone who came forward to speak on behalf of another, stepping in to represent and intercede.
But this word also has rich biblical meaning. It’s the same word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit, whom He called our “Helper” (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit now carries out Jesus’s work in our hearts—He is the One who indwells believers and represents Christ within us. While Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit fills those who are saved, continuing His ministry as our Helper and Advocate here on earth.
That might sound a bit complex, especially since the idea of a defense attorney already makes sense. But Jesus is so much more than just a spiritual lawyer. Just like the Holy Spirit within us knows we are guilty, Jesus knows it too. He’s not trying to work out a plea deal or pretend we didn’t sin. He doesn’t spin the truth or fudge the facts. Jesus was and is sinless, and He will never lie. But here’s the powerful truth: Jesus knows we’re guilty—and yet He stands in for us anyway.
Jesus doesn’t rely on courtroom tricks to win our case. He is, in a sense, both our advocate and our judge. What He does for those He saves is beyond anything a human defender could do—or would be willing to do. He substitutes Himself on our behalf. He takes our place. And when He stands before the Father, it’s His plea, His righteousness, and ultimately His judgment that matters.
But don’t miss this: when the divine gavel comes down, it’s not on us—it’s on Him. The wrath of God due to our sin falls on Him. That’s how it works.
This is huge—monumental. There’s a theological term that’s been used since the Reformation to describe this: penal substitutionary atonement. It may sound like a mouthful, but it means exactly what it says. “Penal” refers to the penalty our sin deserves. “Substitutionary” means someone is taking someone else’s place. And “atonement” means covering sin and making it right. Put it all together, and it means Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sin so that we could be forgiven and made right with God.
And that truth is captured in two key words from this passage: “advocate,” which we’ve just unpacked—and the next word we’re turning to now: “propitiation.”
He is the Propitiation for Our Sins (v. 2)
“Propitiation” might sound like what some folks call a fifty-cent word—or a seminary word—but really, it’s just a Bible word. There’s not a single perfect English word that fully captures it, which is why some translations use phrases like “atoning sacrifice” (NIV, CSB) or “sacrifice that atones for our sins” (NLT). But since the Holy Spirit chose to use this word, it’s one we need to understand—not just for head knowledge, but so we can grasp what God is telling us through it. Basically, the word translated “propitiation” in 1 John 2:2 “is the means of putting away sin and establishing righteousness”[2], but let me break it down even further.
At its core, “propitiation” refers to the way Jesus took the punishment for our sins and made peace between us and God. It’s the means by which sin is dealt with and righteousness is established. Jesus didn’t just do something to help us—He is the sacrifice that removes our sin (John 1:29).
In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the mercy seat—the top of the ark of the covenant—to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:14–15; Hebrews 9:5). But Jesus did something far greater. He was both the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12–14). His blood wasn’t a symbol on a religious holy day—it was poured out for real, once and for all, on the cross (Hebrews 9:26).
Propitiation doesn’t mean God changed His mind about sin. Jesus, as our Advocate, knows full well the depth of our sin—and we need to understand that Jesus is God. He is holy and has always hated sin. But in His love, God provided the sacrifice Himself (Romans 3:25; 1 John 4:10). He knew we couldn’t save ourselves. He knew we had nothing to offer that could earn forgiveness. The honest and universal plea of humanity is “GUILTY as charged.” Yet through Jesus’ death on the cross—as our substitute—He made a way for us to be forgiven and declared righteous in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This wasn’t just a one-time historical act—it still holds power today. Jesus remains our propitiation. His life, death, resurrection, and ongoing love are what keep us in relationship with God (1 John 3:16; Hebrews 7:25). That matters because Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is constantly accusing believers before God “day and night.” Now, Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), but speaking from experience, he doesn’t have to make things up to accuse me. My sin is real. God knows it. But I’ve been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9).
So when Satan stands before God accusing me, I’m not sitting there alone in shame. I have an Advocate—Jesus Christ the Righteous. I don’t even have to speak in my own defense because Jesus speaks for me. And what He says is powerful and final: I am forgiven. The punishment I deserved has already been carried out—He died in my place. And when the Father looks at me, He doesn’t see my sin. He sees the righteousness of His Son, because I’m covered by His blood.
That’s good news!
Wrapping Up
I hope all of this made sense. All I can really think to say about it is, “Whew! I needed that!” – and that I hope it helps you, dear Sojourner, as well.
One question keeps stirring in my heart as I reflect on everything we’ve seen in this passage: if God loved me enough to do all of that—and to keep doing all of that—for me, won’t He take care of everything else?
The answer to that is easy: a resounding YES.
He loved me enough to save me. He loves me enough to keep me. And He will keep loving me—through my sin, despite my failures, and even in the face of the consequences I bring on myself. Why? Because I belong to Him.
And if you’re reading this and realize that you’re sitting before the divine Judge with no Advocate—if you’re trying to represent yourself—let me gently remind you: it’s unwise to defend yourself in court here on earth, but it’s eternally deadly to try and do it before the holy and all-powerful God of the universe. He already knows the truth: none is righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). Your sin—any single sin—is enough to condemn you.
So what will it take to convince you to turn to Jesus? What will it take for you to see that He loves you, that He died for you, and that He will save you if you simply bow your knee and confess Him as Lord, believing that He is the risen Savior (Romans 10:9–10)?
I know my words are too weak to convince you. But God’s Word is strong enough. Go back and reread the verses. Click the cross-references. Don’t take my word for it—test it against Scripture. I’m not selling anything. I don’t get a prize if you believe. But if you do put your faith in Jesus, oh what a reward there is for you! Know this: if you need me, I’m here. I’m praying for you. But more than that, I write to you, dear Sojourner that you may not sin. But when you do…there is an advocate. His name is Jesus. He is the Righteous One. He is the propitiation for my sins – and the sins of the whole world.
Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day — Sunday, and I’m excited!
Every week at Christ Community, we gather because the gospel — the good news about Jesus — is true: He really lived, died, and rose again to save sinners and bring us into life eternally with Him. You see, we don’t gather to prove ourselves, check some religious attendance box, or pretend we have it all together. No, we gather because we need Jesus.
There’s more good news: He came to save. This is clearly seen in some of the verses we will read together in worship.
16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
And how did He do that? The apostle Paul puts it plainly, saying it is the most important message, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4:
…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, …He was buried, …He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….
This is the most important news, the good news we call the gospel. It is what we proclaim with our mouths and our lives. It is at the heart of everything we sing, read, pray, and preach. Jesus gave Himself for us — not when we are all cleaned up and put together but while we were lost, guilty, and broken.
One of the songs we will sing, “God So Loved”, takes the message of John 3:16 and other passages to give an invitation to come to Jesus. Ponder these words:
Bring all your failures Bring your addictions Come lay them down at the foot of the cross Jesus is waiting there with open arms God so loved the world
If you have never trusted in Jesus as Savior — confessed Him as Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9), we pray that you consider these words today. This is the more important invitation, to come to Him more than coming to church.
We would also like to invite you to gather with us where you will hear this gospel again and again. Even if you have trusted in Him, we invite you to gather with us, praying that your heart might be stirred again by the wonder of His gospel — His love, grace, mercy, and salvation — and respond with fresh joy, worship, and devotion to Him.
This gospel will saturate our songs. When John opens the book of Hebrews, this gospel is at the heart of the book and the sermon. We will read the good news together.
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Psalm 40:1-2
Psalm 40 is a testimony of God’s faithfulness in deliverance in David’s past and a plea for help in his present troubles. David recalls how the Lord rescued him from the pit of destruction – which he describes as a miry bog (think quicksand) – and placed his feet on a rock, giving him a new song of praise (vv. 1-3). But even as he celebrates God’s faithfulness, he finds himself once again in need of God’s delivance.
This psalm teaches us a powerful truth about living out the new life we have in Christ: it is a cycle of waiting, deliverance, and renewed dependence on the Lord. We live these out over and over, and God is faithful over and over. David is not relying on God’s past deliverance alone, though; he continually puts his trust in the Lord rather than in earthly sources (v. 4). He recognizes that God’s plans for him and His wonders are beyond measure (v. 5) and that true obedience is worth more than religious sacrifices (vv. 6-8).
David’s worship is more than religion, too. He says that in the “scroll of [God’s] book” will be written that he delights to do the will of God and that His law is “within [his] heart” (vv. 7-8). He has not held back in telling people “the glad news of deliverance” and God’s righteousness (v. 9). He has not been silent about God’s faithfulness or His salvation, especially being vocal about His steadfast love (v. 10). And because of this, David is confident that God will not hold back when it comes to His mercy, steadfast love, or faithfulness (v. 11) in the midst of his current troubles from his own sin (v. 12) and his enemies (vv. 13-15).
Even in the midst of trials, David ends with confidence: “You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” (v. 17). God did not delay to deliver and was not about to start then. Like David, we can hold fast to the Lord because “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23)!
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 40
David’s words in Psalm 40 foreshadow and point to Jesus. The writer of Hebrews 10:5-7 applies vv. 6-8 to Jesus, showing that He is the true fulfillment of this psalm. He came to do the will of His Father, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
And because of Jesus’s resurrection, our hearts should be consistently bursting with “new song” (v. 3) to give testimony for how Jesus saving us and giving us new life – His consistent track record of deliverance, even from death, moving our hearts to praise Him!
Reflection
We can trust, as David did here in Psalm 40, that God hears our cries, rescues us in His perfect timing, and will never forsake those who put their trust and hope in Him. Consider the following questions to help you see where you need to trust the Lord:
Are you in a season of waiting on the Lord? What have you seen in Psalm 40 and in your own life that helps you trust His timing?
How have you experienced God’s faithfulness in the past? How does remembering it give you confidence in Him today?
Look to the Lord. Cry out to Him from whatever miry bog of despair you find yourself in, and trust that He will put you firmly on Jesus, our rock and our redeemer (Psalm 19:14)!
Here’s a praise song to help you apply and praise the Lord with Psalm 40:
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
Just Keith Harris 