The Names of Jesus - Elmer Towns

for our failings. His defense rests upon His work—what He accomplished at Calvary on our
behalf.
Because both Intercessor and Advocate are aspects of His work as High Priest, the
qualifications for both tasks are the qualifications for the priesthood. To be a priest, one needed
the right birth, right calling, and right qualifications. Jesus qualifies to be our High Priest and,
therefore, both our Intercessor and Advocate because, after the order of Melchizedek, He was
called of God to be our High Priest and was anointed of the Holy Spirit just as priests were
anointed with oil to begin their priestly ministry. The Man in the glory (Hebrews 6:19-20 with
7:24) is not only our High Priest but also our Intercessor and Advocate.
The Propitiation for Our Sins
A third of the assistance names of Jesus is “the Propitiation for our sins'' (I John 2:1). The
Greek word hilaskomai means “a satisfaction.” It was used by pagan Greeks to describe
sacrifices to their gods which were offered as an appeasement to their wrath. In the Scriptures,
this word is never used in connection with any act of man that might appease the wrath of God;
rather, God is propitiated by the vicarious and expiatory sacrifice of Christ. In the sacrifice of
Christ on the cross, the holy and righteous character of God was vindicated, making it possible
for Him to be a just God and at the same time to forgive sin. Jesus not only accomplished the
task of propitiating the Father but was Himself the propitiation or satisfaction by which God was
propitiated.
John describes Jesus as the propitiation for our sins (plural). Earlier in this epistle he used
the singular form of the noun “sin” (cf. I John 1:7-8). When the word “sin” appears as a singular
noun in this epistle, the apostle is speaking of the sinful nature of man. When the noun is plural,
John is speaking of the practice of sin. Jesus not only “cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7) but
also forgives us our sins (I John 1:9). He is the sufficient payment or propitiation for the sins we
commit-past, present, and future-and not only for our sins “but also for the sins of the whole
world” (I John 2:2). The death of Christ was sufficient to save anyone regardless of his history of
sin.
The Indweller
Although the title “Indweller” is not found in Scripture, this name for Jesus is Biblical in
spirit. The names of Jesus reflect the actions of Jesus, and these acts include indwelling the
believer. Many Christians realize the Holy Spirit indwells them but do not know that Jesus
Himself also lives within. Jesus promised to “manifest” Himself to His disciples and later
explained, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:20-23).
The conscious recognition of Christ's indwelling the believer is sometimes called
communion with Christ or the deeper Christian life. The condition which the believer must keep
in order to enjoy this communion is a deep love for Christ which evidences itself in a willing
obedience to do the commands of Christ. We cannot claim to have this kind of love for Christ
while we rebelliously resist the Lordship of Christ. Our obedience to the Scriptures is born not