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Ep. 158: There is One Mediator
Jesus, the One Mediator: A Call to Behold and Believe
*Based on 1 Timothy 2:5*
Brothers and sisters, I am here today not to entertain, not to tickle your ears with soft words or clever stories, but to proclaim a truth that should shake the foundations of your soul and drive you to your knees before a holy God. The Scripture says in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” One God. One mediator. One way. Do you hear that? There is no other door, no other bridge, no other hope for wretched sinners like you and me. Today, I plead with you to see Jesus—not as a mere figure of history, not as a moral teacher, but as the only One who stands between a righteous God and a rebellious humanity. Oh, let us tremble at this truth and run to Him!
The Holiness of God and the Sinfulness of Man
To understand why we need a mediator, we must first see the chasm that separates us from God. Scripture declares that God is holy—perfectly, infinitely, unapproachably holy. In Habakkuk 1:13, it says His eyes are too pure to look upon evil. He is a consuming fire, a God of justice who will not let sin go unpunished. And what are we? We are not merely flawed; we are corrupt to the core. Romans 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Every thought, every deed, every secret rebellion has made us enemies of this holy God. Do you grasp this? You cannot waltz into His presence with your good works or your church attendance. Your hands are stained, your heart is deceitful, and the wages of your sin is death—eternal separation from the God who made you—eternity in a lake of fire and torment.
This is the tragedy of humanity: a perfect God, a sinful people, and a divide so vast that no man can cross it. You cannot climb to Him with your religion. You cannot bargain with Him through your sacrifices. The prophets of old tried to approach Him, and they fell on their faces in terror. Moses hid in the cleft of the rock because no man can see God and live. So how then? How can a sinner stand before a holy God and not be consumed? There must be a mediator—someone to bridge the unbridgeable, to reconcile the irreconcilable. And praise be to God, there is One!
The Man Christ Jesus: Fully God, Fully Man
Look at the text again: “the man Christ Jesus.” Oh, what a mystery, what a marvel! This is no ordinary man. This is the eternal Son of God who stepped into time, who took on flesh, who humbled Himself to bear our infirmities. Philippians 2 tells us He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, born in the likeness of men. He is fully God—Colossians 2:9 says, “In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”—and yet fully man, tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Why? Because a mediator must represent both parties. He must be God to satisfy God’s justice, and He must be man to stand in our place. No angel could do this. No priest could do this. No prophet could bear this weight. Only Jesus—the God-man—could span the gulf between heaven and earth.
Do you see the beauty of this? He is not aloof, sitting in the heavens detached from your pain. He walked this broken world. He felt hunger, weariness, sorrow. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. He sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. And yet, He never wavered, never sinned, never turned from the Father’s will. He is the perfect man, the second Adam, undoing the ruin of the first. Where Adam failed, Jesus prevailed. Where we rebelled, He obeyed—even to the point of death. Oh, brothers and sisters, this is no small thing! This is the hope of the world!
The Work of the Mediator: Atonement and Reconciliation
What does a mediator do? He makes peace where there is enmity. He pays what is owed. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. On that cross, He didn’t just suffer physical agony—He bore the wrath of God. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” The sinless One became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Father’s justice demanded payment, and Jesus cried, “I will pay it!” The cup of wrath that you and I deserved, He drank to the dregs. And when He cried, “It is finished,” the debt was canceled, the curtain was torn, and the way to God was opened.
This is not a negotiation. This is not a partial payment where you add your works to finish it. No! Hebrews 10:14 says, “By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” One sacrifice, once for all. He is not just a mediator who pleads our case; He is the mediator who secures our salvation. He reconciles us to God, not by our merit, but by His blood. Do you believe this? Or are you still clinging to your filthy rags, thinking you can earn what He has already purchased?
The Exclusivity of the Mediator
Now, hear this, and hear it well: there is *one* mediator. Not many. Not a pantheon of saints. Not a priest in a confessional. Not Mary. Not your good deeds. Jesus alone. The world hates this truth. They’ll tell you all roads lead to God. They’ll say, “Find your own path.” But Scripture says there is one God and one mediator. John 14:6—Jesus Himself declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” No one! Are you offended by that? Then you’re offended by God’s Word. There is no plan B, no side door. If you reject Christ, you reject God, and you will face Him alone on judgment day.
The Call to Respond
So what will you do with this Mediator? He stands ready to intercede. Hebrews 7:25 says He ever lives to make intercession for us. But you must come to Him. Repent of your sin—turn from it! Believe in Him—trust His finished work! Don’t delay, brothers and sister. Don’t delay. The kingdom of God is at hand. The lost world is perishing, and you who know this truth are called to share it. But first, you must know it in your bones. You must cling to this Mediator who saved a wretch like you, like me. Fall at His feet today. Cry out for mercy. And then rise up, filled with His Spirit, to proclaim His name to a dying world. Jesus is the only Mediator—behold Him, believe Him, and live!
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By Grace and WrathJesus, the One Mediator: A Call to Behold and Believe
*Based on 1 Timothy 2:5*
Brothers and sisters, I am here today not to entertain, not to tickle your ears with soft words or clever stories, but to proclaim a truth that should shake the foundations of your soul and drive you to your knees before a holy God. The Scripture says in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” One God. One mediator. One way. Do you hear that? There is no other door, no other bridge, no other hope for wretched sinners like you and me. Today, I plead with you to see Jesus—not as a mere figure of history, not as a moral teacher, but as the only One who stands between a righteous God and a rebellious humanity. Oh, let us tremble at this truth and run to Him!
The Holiness of God and the Sinfulness of Man
To understand why we need a mediator, we must first see the chasm that separates us from God. Scripture declares that God is holy—perfectly, infinitely, unapproachably holy. In Habakkuk 1:13, it says His eyes are too pure to look upon evil. He is a consuming fire, a God of justice who will not let sin go unpunished. And what are we? We are not merely flawed; we are corrupt to the core. Romans 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Every thought, every deed, every secret rebellion has made us enemies of this holy God. Do you grasp this? You cannot waltz into His presence with your good works or your church attendance. Your hands are stained, your heart is deceitful, and the wages of your sin is death—eternal separation from the God who made you—eternity in a lake of fire and torment.
This is the tragedy of humanity: a perfect God, a sinful people, and a divide so vast that no man can cross it. You cannot climb to Him with your religion. You cannot bargain with Him through your sacrifices. The prophets of old tried to approach Him, and they fell on their faces in terror. Moses hid in the cleft of the rock because no man can see God and live. So how then? How can a sinner stand before a holy God and not be consumed? There must be a mediator—someone to bridge the unbridgeable, to reconcile the irreconcilable. And praise be to God, there is One!
The Man Christ Jesus: Fully God, Fully Man
Look at the text again: “the man Christ Jesus.” Oh, what a mystery, what a marvel! This is no ordinary man. This is the eternal Son of God who stepped into time, who took on flesh, who humbled Himself to bear our infirmities. Philippians 2 tells us He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, born in the likeness of men. He is fully God—Colossians 2:9 says, “In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”—and yet fully man, tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Why? Because a mediator must represent both parties. He must be God to satisfy God’s justice, and He must be man to stand in our place. No angel could do this. No priest could do this. No prophet could bear this weight. Only Jesus—the God-man—could span the gulf between heaven and earth.
Do you see the beauty of this? He is not aloof, sitting in the heavens detached from your pain. He walked this broken world. He felt hunger, weariness, sorrow. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. He sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. And yet, He never wavered, never sinned, never turned from the Father’s will. He is the perfect man, the second Adam, undoing the ruin of the first. Where Adam failed, Jesus prevailed. Where we rebelled, He obeyed—even to the point of death. Oh, brothers and sisters, this is no small thing! This is the hope of the world!
The Work of the Mediator: Atonement and Reconciliation
What does a mediator do? He makes peace where there is enmity. He pays what is owed. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. On that cross, He didn’t just suffer physical agony—He bore the wrath of God. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” The sinless One became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Father’s justice demanded payment, and Jesus cried, “I will pay it!” The cup of wrath that you and I deserved, He drank to the dregs. And when He cried, “It is finished,” the debt was canceled, the curtain was torn, and the way to God was opened.
This is not a negotiation. This is not a partial payment where you add your works to finish it. No! Hebrews 10:14 says, “By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” One sacrifice, once for all. He is not just a mediator who pleads our case; He is the mediator who secures our salvation. He reconciles us to God, not by our merit, but by His blood. Do you believe this? Or are you still clinging to your filthy rags, thinking you can earn what He has already purchased?
The Exclusivity of the Mediator
Now, hear this, and hear it well: there is *one* mediator. Not many. Not a pantheon of saints. Not a priest in a confessional. Not Mary. Not your good deeds. Jesus alone. The world hates this truth. They’ll tell you all roads lead to God. They’ll say, “Find your own path.” But Scripture says there is one God and one mediator. John 14:6—Jesus Himself declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” No one! Are you offended by that? Then you’re offended by God’s Word. There is no plan B, no side door. If you reject Christ, you reject God, and you will face Him alone on judgment day.
The Call to Respond
So what will you do with this Mediator? He stands ready to intercede. Hebrews 7:25 says He ever lives to make intercession for us. But you must come to Him. Repent of your sin—turn from it! Believe in Him—trust His finished work! Don’t delay, brothers and sister. Don’t delay. The kingdom of God is at hand. The lost world is perishing, and you who know this truth are called to share it. But first, you must know it in your bones. You must cling to this Mediator who saved a wretch like you, like me. Fall at His feet today. Cry out for mercy. And then rise up, filled with His Spirit, to proclaim His name to a dying world. Jesus is the only Mediator—behold Him, believe Him, and live!