The Reward of Intercession


Isaiah 53:12
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

The satisfied life only comes through intercession. It says in the verse above, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong…” There are many people who seek greatness, but none became as great as our Saviour. There are many who want to enjoy the spoils of the strong, but few will endure the battles that the strong endured. Yet, Jesus Christ truly enjoys greatness, and He truly enjoys the spoils of overcoming the battle of the cross.

The greatness talked about in the verse above is not a greatness that one sets out to achieve; rather, it becomes great as a result of certain actions. The spoils of the strong are not enjoyed without battles; they are enjoyed because of battles. These battles are a result of certain actions. Without the actions in the verse above, you will never enjoy the results. Let me show you the actions Jesus took in order to become great and enjoy the spoils of the strong.

First, Jesus had to pour out his soul unto death. In other words, there was no limit as to what Jesus would do to reach the lost. Those who become great do not become great by holding back. They are all-in in their pursuit of the lost. When you put your finger to the wind to see how popular serving the LORD is, then you will never experience greatness. It only comes when you are consumed with serving the LORD.

Second, Jesus was willing to be “numbered with the transgressors.” In other words, Jesus spent his life trying to reach the lost. Let me ask you, are you constantly seeking the lost? Jesus’ life was about seeking and saving those who were lost. You will never achieve greatness until your life is consumed with reaching the lost for Christ.

Third, Jesus bore the sins of many. In other words, He helped them overcome their sins. Is your life wrapped up in yourself, or is it wrapped up in helping people find a way to overcome their sin? In other words, you need to be involved in ministering to people and help them overcome their sins.

Fourth, Jesus interceded for the transgressors. Jesus prayer life was about helping others get out of their problems. How much have you interceded for others? How much of your prayers are about others compared to yourself. The prayers of the greatest Christians are prayers of intercession for others. There is nothing wrong with praying for yourself, but the majority of your prayers should be about interceding for others.

The reward of this life of intercession is to enjoy the spoils with the strong. In other words, you will never live a victorious Christian life if you don’t live to intercede for sinners. It was the life of intercession that allowed Jesus to become great, and it is the same life you must live if you are ever going to be in the conversation of the great.