Have you ever been in a conflict or dispute that you cannot resolve? Have you experienced being in a mediation or negotiation process? Whether it is in legal or non-legal dispositions, commercial transactions, domestic or community, or labor relations, a mediator plays an important role in resolving conflicts and disputes between parties. It is a skill that is essential nowadays when the world is filled with misunderstandings and conflicts of interest.
As shattered as human relations are, we often need the reconciling services of a mediator. And the Bible has shown examples of mediation. There is only One Mediator between God and man. Abraham mediated Sodom and Gomorrah to God. Moses mediated between God and the people of Israel, relaying God’s commandments and speaking to God on their behalf. He also interceded for the people in times of trouble and acted as a high priest, leader, and judge.
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What Is A Mediator?
A mediator is a person who mediates or helps in settling a dispute by creating an agreement when there is a conflict between two or more people or groups. The mediator acts as an intermediary or go-between for those parties. It comes from the Latin verb mediāre, meaning “to be in the middle” or “to intercede.”
A mediator can be a trained professional who has expertise in communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation. They do not take sides or make decisions for the two parties; instead, they help the parties to reach a mutually acceptable and satisfying resolution that meets everyone’s needs and interests. The goal is to promote settlement, agreement, or reconciliation.
In the Bible, the mediator goes between the disputes between humans, and conflicts between God and men. Judges 8 was an example of mediation and mediator between men. Gideon mediates a dispute between the Israelites and the tribe of Ephraim over his victory against the Midianites. Gideon’s peaceful approach and respectful language helped prevent a civil war.
In the Old Testament, the high priest served as an intermediary between the Israelites and God. The ephod was a mysterious accessory that was an essential part of the high priest’s attire, symbolizing the high priest’s role as the mediator between God and the Israelites.
The high priest would perform sacrifices and offer prayers on behalf of the people, seeking God’s forgiveness and blessings. In Leviticus 16, the high priest is given specific instructions for the Day of Atonement, during which he would make a sin offering for himself and the people to purify them and reconcile them with God.
How Many Mediators Are There Between God And Men?
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.—1 Timothy 2:5–6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—John 14:6
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.—Hebrews 9:15
Who can reconcile God to humanity? In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the only God that is born in human form. Jesus is the mediator[1] of a better covenant where God and humanity are reconciled through His sacrificial death on the cross. His blood is an everlasting and supreme sacrificial offering that has enormous power to atone for the sin of all human beings. The man Christ Jesus is the one mediator and the only way to the Almighty Father.
What Does It Mean That There Is Only One Mediator Between God And Man?
To say that there is only one mediator between God and man means there is but one way and one appointed man that God the Father has established for humanity to be reconciled with Him. And that is through Jesus Christ. But why is there a need for a mediator and meditation between God and man in the first place?
Isaiah 59:2 says, “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.” The sin entered through Adam and Eve, and death came to all men because all have sinned. Death means separation or alienation between God and man.
Sin has caused a relational gap and barrier in the close fellowship of man with God. But even then, only God can save humankind. With God’s grace, He provided the way to reconcile humanity to Himself by sacrificing His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save mankind. Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
For we are convinced that the love of God is poured on us through the abundance of His grace. We are reconciled to God not because of good works but by His grace, mercy, and kindness. That neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39).
It is only through the one mediator we are able to present ourselves before God and be reconciled with Him. No other mediators, no matter how professional they are, will be able to do what the Son can do for us and God.
Conclusion
There is only one God, and one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). No other human could be presented as a qualified mediator between God and man because human nature is sinful. Only the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified a life of holiness and through His salvation, we were made to be worthy in the presence of God.
Through His sacrifice, the Lord has given us an everlasting covenant of peace with God. He is the messiah and the savior of the world. He gave us better promises of eternal life, inheritance, and eternal rewards with Him. As children who are reconciled with God the Father, let us share the good news with others.
Is Jesus Christ our lord and savior and soon coming King thank you