Sundays with Spurgeon

ABLE TO THE UTTERMOST.
Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. — (Hebrews 7:25.) THERE is great power in advocacy. Many a man has no doubt escaped from the just sentence of the law through the eloquence of the person who has pleaded for him; and let us hope that far oftener justice has been obtained,
where otherwise it might not have been, through the clear and earnest pleadings of the advocate before the bar. There is a remarkable instance in Holy Scripture of the power of pleading. Benjamin and the rest of Joseph’s brethren had gone away from the Egyptian court. On their road home to their father Jacob they were overtaken by Joseph’s steward. He charged them with having stolen Joseph’s silver cup. This was, of course, denied, and an offer was made that the sacks of corn should be searched. Beginning with the eldest, the steward continued his search till he came to Benjamin’s sack; and there it was. There was no denying the evidence. The fact was proved. They themselves were all unwilling witnesses that the charge was true. The stolen goods were found upon Benjamin. They go back; they are brought into the hall of Joseph, whom they think to be the governor, and do not know to be their brother. He charges them somewhat
severely with their ingratitude. They had feasted at his table; he had sent them away with provisions; and the only return they had made was that they had stolen his cup. Now, as it seemed to them, there was a clear case against them. Benjamin must be kept a prisoner. They make an offer all of them to stop and to be bondsmen, but Joseph says, “No, the man with whom the cup is found, let him lie in prison.” And then it is that Judah rises and begins to plead, and
marvelous was the effect of his pleading. He did not attempt to urge that there was innocence in the case of Benjamin. It appeared to him very clear that the cup was there: therefore he did not attempt that plea. But he described his father at home, and the love that the old man bore to this, his youngest, son. He said there had been two by his father’s favored wife, but one is not, and this is the only one that is left. He declared that if this child 8 was taken from him he should see his father dying of grief; he should bring his grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. And then he went on to plead that he would be willing to stay and be a slave instead of Benjamin. Substitution
was his argument. “Take me,” said he. And then he mentioned that he had made a covenant with his father Jacob, and had said, “My life for the lad’s life. I will be a surety for him.” And with all his might he pleaded his own surety-ship engagement; he pleaded his willingness to fulfill it by becoming a substitute, and begged that Benjamin might go free. Such seemed to have been the effect upon Joseph that he could no longer restrain himself. He had played his part well up to that moment, but suddenly he bade the Egyptians begone, put every stranger out, and then, bursting into a flood of tears, he cried, “I am Joseph your brother. Doth my father yet live ?”
Perhaps he might have continued a little longer the part he had assumed, but Judah’s earnest-hearted eloquence prevented all this, and the soul of Joseph poured itself forth in love. It was a faint type, this, of the power of the advocacy of our greater Joseph, the shepherd of Israel. He pleads for us His brethren, guilty as we are. He does not deny our guilt, but He pleads
that He is a surety for us. He brings forward the ancient covenant engagements into which He entered with His Father when He put His life for our life; and there He stands, even now, pleading also His own substitutionary sacrifice — not only that He is willing to be bound for us,
but that He has been so bound — not merely that He is willing to take our guilt and be regarded as the guilty one, but that He has been numbered with the transgressors and has borne the sin of His people. No wonder that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us. No wonder that e’en the Father pours forth His love in plenteous streams of benediction upon the souls for whom the Savior pleads. Now, for a very short time this evening I have to call your attention to the advocacy of Christ, and you will notice in the text that there are three points worthy of your careful observation. The first is that the participators in the benefit are mentioned — “ they that come unto God by Him.” Secondly, the benefit itself is mentioned, and the extent of it. “He is able to save unto the uttermost.” And then, thirdly, concerning the benefactor, we have a teaching with regard to the source of His power to save: “Seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Briefly, then, upon each head.