Mediator
DAY 15 WRITTEN BY: GILBERT TORRENS-
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus…
-
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to guide the saints to lead lives shaped by the gospel of Jesus, and to intercede in prayers for one another to be able to live that gospel shaped life.
The problem is that we as humans, apart from God, cannot live a life worthy of the gospel. What’s more, apart from Christ, we cannot even approach God.
God’s perfect holiness presents an insurmountable chasm that we cannot bridge in order to have communion with Him. Our sin separates us from his holiness, and our mortal bodies cannot contend with his power and might (Job 9:3-7,32-33). But because of his great love for us, God reached across that chasm and appointed sacrifices, covenants, and men as mediators throughout time.
In the Bible, a mediator is one who intervenes between two or more opposing parties and aims to reconcile or satisfy their demands.
These appointed mediators were imperfect; however, the sacrifices were not lasting, and we could not uphold our end of the covenant. None of them could build a lasting bridge between humanity and the perfectly holy and righteous God.
When Paul wrote the man Christ Jesus, he was intentionally referring the fully human Christ who fully understands our condition yet knowing no sin (Heb 4:15), has paid the ransom and has once and for all eternity, bridged the gap between us and the righteous God. (Heb 2:17-18). Because of Jesus Christ, the mediator, we are now free to serve God (Heb 9:14).
Hebrews 4:16 - Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
-
Father, thank you for your love that reached across eternity and provided your son Jesus, a perfect mediator and ransom for all.
Jesus, thank you for your love and sacrifice. Thank you for building a bridge once and for all. I rejoice in your resurrection and promise of eternal life.
Holy Spirit, please guide my life to live as a living sacrifice, in worship to God. Help me to not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but to live the grace, mercy and peace that you have given us.
