The sacerdotal office of Christ embraces two parts: a) satisfaction and b) intercession.
Already in His state of humiliation Christ interceded for men (intercessio terrestris), John 14, 16; 17, 9; Heb. 5, 6—10. From the nature of Christ’s intercessions these are divided into two classes: a) general intercessions (intercessio generalis), Luke 23, 34, which were made for men in general; and b) special intercessions (intercessio specialis), John 17, 9 ff., which were offered up for believers.
However, Christ remains a Priest also after His exaltation, Heb. 7, 24. 25, and in this state He administers His priestly office, not by repeating His atoning work, Rom. 6, 9.10; Heb. 9,12—15; 7, 26. 27, but by interceding for the elect of God (intercessio coelestis). This perpetual intercession of the exalted Christ has no atoning value (intercessio Christi in statu exaltationis non est satisfactory), but merely applicative value (intercessio Christi in statu exaltationis est applicatoria), Heb. 7, 24. 25; 1 John 2, 1; Rom. 8, 34; that is to say, it relates to the gathering and preservation of the Church, or to the salvation of the elect (Christus est Mediator reconciliationis), Rom. 8, 34; Heb. 7, 25; 1 John 2, 1.
According to Scripture the heavenly intercession of our glorified Mediator is both real (intercessio realis), that is. He presents to the Father perpetually the holy blood which He shed for the sins of the world (Chemnitz: Ostendit vultui Dei, quae stigmata pro redemptione nostra accepit, Heb. 9, 12), and verbal (intercessio verbalis), that is, He actually prays for men, Heb. 7, 25; Rom. 8,34; 1 John 2,1, though this must be understood in a manner becoming the exalted Lord, who sits at the right hand of God (intercessio incomprehensibilis).
In contradistinction to the intercession of the Holy Spirit (intercessio Spiritus Sancti), Rom. 8, 26. 27, the exalted Christ intercedes as the God-man (intercessio ϑεανόριχή) and on the basis of His own merits (merito ipsius intercessoris), while the intercession of the Holy Spirit (intercessio ϑεική, Rom. 8, 27, “according to the will of God,” κατά ϑεόν) rests on the ground of Christ’s redemption (merito alterius), Gal. 4, 4—6.
The constant intercession of the exalted Savior at the right hand of God gives the believer the most certain assurance of his final salvation, Rom. 8, 34—39.
The Unitarians (Modernists) deny Christ’s vicarious satisfaction and therefore reject Christ’s intercession, which is based upon His atonement. According to the Unitarian view, Christ’s only function as priest is to inspire men by precept and example to become their own saviors. The papists supplement Christ’s intercessory work with the intercessions and merit of the saints and thus deny the Scriptural truth that Christ is the only Mediator between God and man, 1 Tim. 2, 5. 6.