Phil. 2: Christ the Intercessor

Scripture

Philippians 2:5–11 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Scripture Reflection

At Christmas, we remember that Jesus did not save us from a distance. He stepped into our frailty. The eternal Son put on flesh, entered the mess, and moved into the neighborhood. When He did, He brought more than salvation — He brought intercession.

Jesus didn’t intercede from a heavenly distance; He interceded from within humanity. He became like us in every way, yet without sin, so He could fully represent us before the Father. His entire life was a long prayer — a cry for mercy, a groan for the Kingdom, a willingness to bear the burdens of others.

When we step into intercession, especially for our region, we are not performing a task; we are joining a Person. We are sharing the burden of Christ for the people He loves. We are embodying the same posture He took in His incarnation: laying aside privilege, drawing near in love, and standing in the gap.

Intercession is not only the words we speak — it is the life we live, patterned after the One who moved in close. God is inviting us to pray without ceasing, with and without words, so that our very lives become a prayer for the world around us and this region He loves.

Let us, like Jesus, be moved with compassion. Let us pray not from above, but from within. For the Word became flesh — and still groans for the world He came to save. Let’s join Him in His prayers.

Praying it UP / IN / OUT

UP: Give thanks to Jesus for His sacrificial intercession on our behalf.

IN: Ask God to make us intercessors like Christ — willing to take on the burdens of the people around us.

OUT: Pray that churches in New England would embrace their role in intercession for the region.

Closing Prayer

Jesus,

You did not stay distant,
but stepped into the ache of the world.
You wore our skin, carried our sorrows,
and made Your whole life a prayer.

Teach us to do the same.
Form in us a heart that groans with compassion,
that carries others in love — as you did.

Forgive us for the times we have prayed from afar.
Teach us to pray from within —
within our cities, within our churches,
within our neighborhoods and families.

Make us living prayers.

Amen