Becoming Barnabas: The Example Of Encouragement (Part 3): Words Can Go The Distance

We know that you must earn money to spend money. You cannot spend what you do not have. It is a good point about stewardship of our resources, but it helps us understand this distinction about Christ’s work. Christ is spending his resources from heaven now. First, he earned those blessings in what we call impetration while he lived a perfectly righteous life on earth and when he bore God’s curse for our sin, especially as he died on the cross. He earned forgiveness and life for all who believe in him. Then, he rose from the grave. His ministry did not end at the resurrection because he ascended to heaven to intercede for us. To connect the dots, Christ Jesus is speaking in defense of, in favor of, all who trust in him right now before the throne of heaven.
Who has more reason to criticize than the perfect Jesus Christ as he looks on sinners? Could he not say, “You are such a failure! You keep defying me! You cannot get it right”? If anyone has good reason to offer criticism, it is Jesus for his people. If anyone has reason not to set aside his complaints about you, it is the Lord Jesus.
But what does Jesus do instead? He intercedes for you. Jesus Christ did not just live, die, and rise from death for you. He is speaking words of encouragement over you and about you right now. He is doing for you, on the supernatural scale, what Barnabas did for Saul.
Consider richly what it means that Jesus focuses on the good things he can say about you. He focuses on defending you and feeding you, entreating the Father to remember always that he earned heavenly blessing for you. Beautifully, Jesus is the reason why he can speak encouraging things about you. His entreating for you is not because you deserve it but because Christ has set his love on you in full grace. We speak words of encouragement to and about one another because Christ lives to speak the same for us.

Becoming Barnabas: The Example Of Encouragement (Part 3): Words Can Go The Distance | The Heidelblog