Bulletin Articles
Jesus our Mediator and Intercessor
When we think about what Jesus does for us as His people, two terms are used of Him that help us understand why it is so important to trust Him. Scripture teaches that Jesus is both our Mediator and our Intercessor. Let’s think about these terms.
Jesus is our Mediator
“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 Tim 2:5-6).
Paul had said that God desires all to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (v. 4). The plan for making this salvation possible entailed one Mediator who offered a sufficient sacrifice. As there is one God, there is one Mediator who is capable of offering Himself as a ransom. A mediator is a go-between who can sufficiently represent both sides in a dispute and thereby bring about reconciliation. Why do we need a Mediator?
Because of sin, we were separated from God, acting as His enemy and creating a breach in the fellowship that God initially put into place (cf. Isa 59:1-2). Jesus, by becoming a man, was able to provide the sacrifice suitable for reconciling God with humanity. He is God, but He became man. He knows both sides of the breach, even though He never sinned.
The point here is that the only path to the salvation God offers is through Jesus Christ and the ransom He paid to make this happen. “No one comes to the Father except through Me,” said Jesus (John 14:6). He is our “negotiator” and bridge between us and God. Paul also wrote, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10). Because Jesus is our Mediator, we need not remain separated from God. “More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Rom 5:11).
When we plead with others to be reconciled with God, we can only do so on the basis of what Jesus Christ did by His death and resurrection. As Paul wrote concerning their role as ambassadors for Christ, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:18-20).
Because Jesus is both God and man, He is uniquely qualified to carry out this vital role of Mediator.
Jesus is our Intercessor
“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).
In discussing the love of God, Paul also wrote, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Rom 8:34).
Jesus, then, is not only our Mediator, He is also our Intercessor. This is tied to the permanent High Priesthood of Jesus as He continues to plead on our behalf so that we can draw near to God. Because Jesus lives forever in His unique position, we have continual access to God. Jesus is not the accuser who condemns, but rather is the Intercessor who pleads and saves.
Jesus is able to save “completely” or “to the uttermost.” There is no flaw in what Jesus did for us. The path to salvation is set and He is fully capable of doing what God intended for humanity. His appeals on our behalf perfectly accomplish His will. He can do this because “He always lives.” Jesus defeated death through the resurrection, and because He ever lives, He can provide life for those who turn to Him. This is why we must remain faithful, giving our total allegiance to Jesus as our King, our High Priest, and our Intercessor.
As the Mediator, Jesus reconciles us to God. He breaks down the wall between us and opens up the path to fellowship. As the Intercessor, Jesus continually goes to the Father on our behalf and is able to save us completely. We have a permanent High Priest through Christ who also gave Himself as our ransom so that we can be reconciled, saved, and draw near to God through Him. The Lord does not just do this once upon initial salvation, but He ever lives to do this on our behalf. By His grace, He continues to be our Intercessor even now.
Without Jesus as our Mediator, we could not be reconciled with God. Without Jesus as our Intercessor, we would have none to plead our cause and save us completely. Through Jesus, we have both, and only through Him can we have hope. Let us remain faithful to Him.
