Austin Bible Church
A mediator is one who acts as an intermediary agent in bringing a settlement that is satisfactory to both parties who had been previously in opposition to each other. The purpose of a mediator is to interpose between parties in order to reconcile their differences. A mediator must be equal with both parties. Phil. 2:6-8; John 1:14.
“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8, NASB)
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NASB)
Sin caused enmity, a wall, a barrier to exist between God and man. Isaiah 59:2.
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NASB)
A mediator was necessary to establish fellowship between God and man. Job 9:2; Job 9:32-33.
“"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?” (Job 9:2, NASB)
“"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.” (Job 9:32-33, NASB)
The Necessity For a Mediator
Adam and Eve were in sinless innocence and were in perfect environment in the Garden and in fellowship with God. Jesus Christ walked and talked daily with Adam and Eve. Sin due to their negative volition created a separation from God. Gen. 2:15-17; Gen. 2:22-23; Gen. 3:6.
“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."” (Genesis 2:15-17, NASB)
“The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."” (Genesis 2:22-23, NASB)
“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6, NASB)
They lost fellowship with God when they sinned and died spiritually. They did not need to hide, but did anyway. Gen. 3:7-10.
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”“ (Genesis 3:7-10, NASB)
The first act of legalism was sewing fig leaves together. Man tried to help himself. The first act of grace was God coming to them. Gen. 3:8.
“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8, NASB)
Adam was created in the “image of God.” His children were in his own likeness after his image. Gen. 1:26; Gen. 5:1; Gen. 5:3.
“Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."” (Genesis 1:26, NASB)
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” (Genesis 5:1, NASB)
“When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.” (Genesis 5:3, NASB)
The entire human race is “in Adam.” 1 Cor. 15:22.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22, NASB)
Adam’s original sin is imputed at physical birth to our genetically-formed old sin nature. We are all born spiritually dead. This puts the human race behind the barrier between God and man that was sin formed when Adam and Eve sinned. Rom. 3:23.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, NASB)
Man could come to God only if someone would stand in the middle that was qualified as a mediator. That mediator had to be equally man and equally God to be qualified. Man is completely helpless to help himself. John 1:12.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” (John 1:12, NASB)
Therefore, it was necessary to have a mediator. God decided in eternity past send a mediator – Jesus Christ. Job 9:2; 1 Peter 1:20.
“"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?” (Job 9:2, NASB)
“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:20, NASB)
Job recognized that there is a gap between man and God. Job 9:32-33.
““For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. “There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.” (Job 9:32-33, NASB)
In Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of salvation. This is called the “proto-evangel” or first Gospel message given to man.
“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."” (Genesis 3:15, NASB)
The Mediator’s Qualifications and Provision
To satisfy God, the mediator had to be equal to God and be without sin. To help man, the mediator had to be true humanity because He must take man’s place as a substitute and die spiritually by paying for the sins of all mankind. God provided the Mediator – the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Tim. 2:5.
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5, NASB)
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5, NASB)
Therefore, Jesus Christ in Hypostatic Union was qualified to propitiate or satisfy both the perfect righteousness and justice of God the Father and reconcile man to God. 1 John 2:2; Col. 1:21.
“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, NASB)
“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,” (Colossians 1:21, NASB)
There are two areas requiring a mediator. At salvation, He removes the barrier between God and man. This is called reconciliation. Eph. 2:14-18.
“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:14-18, NASB)
The Mediator’s Work
Jesus Christ did not become Mediator until after His death, resurrection, ascension, and session seated at the right hand of the Father - alive in His humanity, eternal in His deity. Jesus Christ set up His will and testament in eternity past before man was created - before Adam existed. The will (testament) is not valid until death. However, the will is made retroactive upon all who believed in the Old Testament. The statement of mediatorship is found in Hebrews 9:15.
“For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:15, NASB)
A covenant is a disposition made by one party in favor of another on specified terms which must be acceded to. A permanent covenant must have both a testator who must die and a mediator who must live. The basis of the New Covenant is a testator who dies and yet lives, and a mediator who is equal with God and equal with man, the God-man Jesus Christ. Heb. 9:16-17; Acts 16:31.
“For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.” (Hebrews 9:16-17, NASB)
“They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."” (Acts 16:31, NASB)
The first covenant was the Mosaic Law which was temporary. It was renewed year by year. God could pick up the option each year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus Christ died to validate the New Covenant. All the shadows of the Old Covenant (which told that Jesus Christ would die) also told them (Old Testament believers) that they would be included when He did die. Acts 7:53.
“you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."” (Acts 7:53, NASB)
The New Covenant is permanent, eternal and sets aside the old covenant. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law. Rom. 10:4.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4, NASB)
Old Testament believers were saved by believing in the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ who had not died yet, but in the mind of God it had already occurred. 1 Peter 1:20.
“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:20, NASB)
The Mosaic Law could not provide salvation because it had no provision for an efficacious sacrifice. Animals could not act as mediators - no resurrection. The Mosaic Law was sanctified, ordained, authorized and started on the basis of animal sacrifices. Animal sacrifices, under the Law, were shadows, not the reality. Heb. 9:19-22.
“For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:19-22, NASB)
Where once stood the barrier, now stands Jesus Christ, the only Mediator, the only way and only access to God. John 14:6.
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6, NASB)
In 1 Peter 2:24, “healed” man and God have been brought together.
“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, NASB)
The work of the mediator is Jesus Christ functioning as our Intercessor. He is also our Advocate with the Father. In the spiritual life, Jesus Christ is the believer’s defense attorney when Satan accuses the believer. Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1; 1 Tim. 2:5-6. See category on Advocacy of Jesus Christ.
“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25, NASB)
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1 John 2:1, NASB)
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6, NASB)