Jesus Christ, advocate

So for December I've decided to research a different aspect of Christ for each week.  A tradition I hope to continue.  I'm starting off with Jesus Christ as advocate.

At the risk of sounding like a LAME-o church talk, the definition of advocate from dictionary.com is three-fold 1.  a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. 2. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.   3.  a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.

Now think of Christ in those definitions.... Gooood.  :)

2 Nephi 2:9 ".... he shall make intercession for all the children of men and they that believe him shall be saved..."

     So, what does intercession mean exactly?  Before looking it up, I'm guessing it is talking about intercession from the justice of God.  Again, dictionary.com to the rescue.  It says the definition of intercession is, "1.  the act of interceding.  2.  an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person or 3.  a prayer to God on behalf of another person."  So, then what does to intercede mean?  "1. to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition: to intercede with the governor for a condemned man.  2.  to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate."  Those I would say are pretty great definitions of what Christ has done for us and I find them very useful.  Adding the definition of intercession into the above scripture:  He shall plead on behalf of all the children of men and they that believe him shall be saved.  

   This scripture led me to a main question I had throughout my study of Christ as the advocate:  what or who is He advocating against?

Verse 10 of the same chapter reads, "And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God, wherefore they stand in the presence of him to be judged of him."

        So, Christ's intercession is what makes it possible for us to stand before God.  Intercession is what Christ has doen to make us holy enough.  His sacrifice that enables our repentance and cleansing.  His role as advocate cleanses us so we can stand in God's presence.

2 Nephi 8:22 "... [I] the Lord thy God pleadeth the cause of his people..."  
      Pleadeth to who?  Advocate against whom?  I keep thinking God, but that's not what it says.
"...behold I ahve taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury, thou shalt no more drink it again."
             Thine hand.  He is advocating against ourselves and also God's fury (justice).
Verse 23 "I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee, who have said to thy soul Bow down, that we may go over...."

         In this verse, it describes Christ as our advocate not against ourselves or God but against some unseen power saying to our souls "Bow down!"  Christ advocates against this power.  

2 Nephi 13:13  "The Lord standeth up to plead and standeth to judge the people."

         Interesting that he both pleads and judges -- He represents both justice and mercy.

Jacob 3:1  "....he will plead your cause and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction...."

       Here Christ advocates against those who seek our destruction.  Who is that?  Satan?  Men?  He's pleading our cause to devils?  or He already has?  Maybe he did during the atonement.  Something to think about.   

It's also interesting that He pleads our cause AND sends down justice.  The more scriptures I read, the more I think my assumption that Christ is our advocate against the justice of God is not complete, since Christ seems to represent both mercy and justice himself.  Advocate and judge.

Mosiah 14:12 "...he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.."
  
       Christ advocates by being numbered with us and making intercession for us.

Mosiah 15: 8  "..God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men..."

       It's interesting that God is the subject here.  God gave the Son power to be our advocate even though Christ is advocating to God for us.  Right?  Again, I think my initial idea that Christ is our advocate against God's justice is not complete.  I was thinking of advocate as that second definition of to intercede, "to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate." And I was assuming the two people or groups were us and God.  I don't think this is the case anymore.  I think Christ pleads our case, but I don't think it's to God.  I think He pleaded our case when He suffered for us.  Christ is our advocate against sin, Satan, temptation, and ourselves sometimes.

John 1:1  The word was with God and the Word was God.

    Christ is IN God.  They are one, so the justice and mercy isn't God versus Christ- since tehy are one- it's two different aspects of the same Being.  Furthermore, every scripture listed under "Jesus Christ, relationship with the Father" in the Topical Guide are about unity, not justice or mercy- never anything that puts them at odds with each other.  They always stand together.

1 Jn 2:1  "...we have an advocate with the Father."

      With, not against.  Christ is our advocate with the Father.