Now, it is perfectly plain that the great mission of Jesus was not entirely finished during His sojourn upon the earth. That for which He came was accomplished, it is true. But just as we needed a Savior--one who would unselfishly lay down His own sinless life for the sins of others--so we need even now, when that sacrifice has been made, a mediator, an advocate, to intercede for us with the Father. For we are all sinful at the best; weaknesses of various kinds beset us, and if we were to be rewarded strictly according to our merits, many of us would get but little in the way of blessing. Jesus continues then to be our Redeemer, pleading our cause before the Father. "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." So did Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, express to the Hebrews his faith in the mediating power of Jesus; and to the Romans he wrote, "Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is {304} risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Jesus continues, then, His great redeeming labor, bringing salvation and exaltation to those who accept Him and diligently seek Him. [Sidenote: Many mansions in the Father's house.] And He prepares a place also for His own, that they may be appropriately received when they shall go to their eternal reward. One day when Jesus was talking to the apostles about His coming sacrifice, and the apostles were sorrowful because they thought that He intended to go away, He said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." Even as He promised His disciples that He would prepare a place for them, so is there a place prepared for each one of us. For in many respects the future life will be ordered like the present. In this life we are generally able to achieve such advancement as we work for. If we honestly and conscientiously make the most of the opportunities that lie about us; if we strive to make the most of what we have, never hiding the God-given talent in the earth--we are bound to progress and to succeed. But there are in the world many degrees of diligence, and therefore many degrees of success. So will it be in the kingdom of God. There, there are many mansions; and such a one will be prepared for us as will satisfy fully the degree of diligence with {305} which we have served. The risen Christ is not only our advocate with the Father, but also our judge. [Sidenote: Lord of lords and Kings of kings.]