One Mediator

1. One Mediator – 9th
July 2016
“Forthere is one Godandone mediator between Godand mankind,the manChrist Jesus…”
(1 Timothy 2:5).
Mediatorisone whointervenesbetweentwoormore personswhoare at variance,withaview to
reconcile them.Thiswordisnotfoundinthe OldTestament;butthe ideait expressesisfoundabove in
Job 9:33, ““Ifonlythere were someoneto mediate between us,someone to bringus together…”.This
word“mediator”isusedinthe NewTestamenttodenote one whoactsas a mediumof communication
betweentwocontractingparties. A mediatorisa sortof go-betweenthatassistswithcommunication
and negotiationbetweentwoormore differentparties.Inthe New Testament,three differentpassages
referto Jesusasthe mediatorbetweenGodandpeople.A lookatthese three passagesrevealsmuch
regardingChrist'sworkon ourbehalf.
Firstwe can learnasstatedin 1Timothy 2:5, "Forthere is one God,andthere isone mediator between
Godand men, the manChrist Jesus." Here the apostle Paul specificallyteachesthat Jesusisthe one and
only meansof access betweenhumansand Godthe Father. This affirmsotherplacesinScripture,such
as what we see in Acts 4:12, "Salvationisfoundinno one else, for there isno other name under
heaven givento mankindby which we must be saved.”
The secondthat mentionsChristasour mediatoris foundin Hebrews 9:15: "Forthis reasonChrist isthe
mediatorof a new covenant, that thosewho are calledmay receive the promisedeternal
inheritance—nowthathe has diedas a ransom to set them free fromthe sinscommittedunder the
first covenant." Here Jesusispresentedasthe mediatorof the new covenant.The firstcovenant(the
Mosaic Law) providedameansfor the condemnationof people.Throughit,we canclearlysee thatwe
have sinnedand therefore standinneedof forgivenessandredemption.The new covenantmediated
throughJesusoffersthisforgivenessof sinsandpresentsus acceptable before God—somethingno
personcouldeverearnthrough our works.It isa giftof God bygrace through faithin JesusChrist aswe
can learnfromEphesians2:8-10, “Forit is by grace you have been saved,throughfaith—andthisisnot
from yourselves,it isthe giftof God— 9
notby works, so that noone can boast. 10
Forwe are God’s
handiwork,created in ChristJesus to do goodworks, whichGodprepared in advancefor us to do”.
Thirdinstance that mentions Christasourmediatorisfoundin Hebrews12:24, “…to Jesus the
mediator ofa newcovenant, and to the sprinkledbloodthat speaks a betterword than the bloodof
Abel”.There,we simplyread,"Jesus,the mediatorof anew covenant…"Affirmingthe previousmention
of Jesusasmediatorgiven above inHebrews9:15, we again see Jesuspresentedasthe One and only
mediatorof God's newcovenantthatprovidesforgivenessof sinsandrightstatus forus before God.
The Jewishreadersof these verseswouldhave understoodthe significance of Jesusastheirmediator.In
theirtradition,sacrificeswere presented as‘payment’ fortheirsins.Thesesacrificeswere notaone-
time event,butoccurredthroughoutone'slifetime.Thesetemporaryofferingswere contrastedwiththe
one-time sacrifice of Jesusonbehalf of sinners thatenabledtheirsalvation.Throughfaith inHim, sin
wouldbe eternallyforgiven,offeringaccesstoGod and rightstandingbefore Him. We can alsolearn
that the newcovenantinwhichJesusChrististhe mediatorasbeing superiorbecause itisestablished
on betterpromisesgivenbyGod.We can learnfromHebrews 8:6,“But in factthe ministryJesushas

2. received is as superiorto theirsas the covenantof whichhe is mediator issuperior to the old one,
since the new covenant isestablishedon better promises”.