The Only Mediator
1 Timothy 2:1–7 NKJV
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
We live in a world full of conflicts. We have nations in conflict with other nations. We have conflicts within our countries. We have conflict in our churches. We have conflict in our families. And everywhere there are those we call upon to mediate these conflicts. Some of these mediations are more successful than others. A mediator is one who tries to bring peace in these conflicts. Some of these conflicts are more important to deal with than others. We should realize that the greatest of all conflicts is actually that between us and God our creator. All other conflicts resolve themselves in this life, if for not other reason that we all die. But our conflict with God has eternal consequences. If no other conflict ever comes to resolution except this one, all will be eternally well. But even if all earthly conflicts resolve and we have not made peace with God, all is eternally lost. where can a competent mediator be found? We can find and answer here in the text we read this morning from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
The text we read starts with one major potential source of conflict in our lives; that is the government. Citizens of any nation will in general have conflicts with those secular rulers who rule over them. Some of these are grievous. Sometimes they lead to revolution and overthrow. However, we should realize that Paul is speaking here in a Christian context. How does the Christian deal with such potential conflict?
A conflict between authorities and the Christians is implied here because petition is made that we might be able to live peaceable and godly lives in all reverence. When we first think of how this potential conflict might be resolved, we would think of sending someone to the emperor with a petition, asking him to intervene. The petitioner reverently asks the Emperor to hear the petition and act favorably on it. However, we should realize that it is not the earthly emperor who is being petitioned, but God. this is not to say that petitions might be delivered to earthly authorities as well, as many Christians over the centuries have done so to various authorities. But we also remember that God is the great Emperor over all the universe, which means He rules over the very earthly authorities who might be troubling us. whether they acknowledge it or not, earthly sovereigns are the servants of God. they may be good servants or wicked ones, but they are nonetheless servants.
When one makes a petition to God, one is making petition to Ultimate Authority to intervene on our behalf with the actions of one of His subjects. Now let us look at what is being petitioned. The petition is not for wealth or power or some earthly good. It is one that the Christian might be able to live out His faith peaceably in a hostile world. But notice that this petition is not just made for the benefit of the Christian alone, but is made in behalf of all men, including those in authority. But this is not a general peace like on earth where peace is the absence of conflict. This petition is made to God who desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. This is the acceptable petition to God. In understanding the petition in this way, Paul is stating that the ultimate fulfillment of this petition for peace is at the highest level, that is peace with God. the one who is a Christian has made peace with God even if there is earthly conflict all around. We also realize that in the act of petition and this statement of God’s will, there is also a reminder that as much as lies within us to make this prayer a reality. What should we do to make this petition to God and His will to save a reality.
Now Paul goes on to tell us how this peace with God is made. There needs to be a mediator between God and man in order that things might be reconciled. the reality is that man the creature is out of sorts with His Creator. any mediator assigned to address this conflict must be agreed to by both parties. Who is He that can bridge the gap between a all-holy and powerful God and the rebellious self-willed, sinful man? The mediator must be holy and untainted by sin in order to come into the presence of the Eternal Godhead. This same mediator must also feel the pain of mortality which humans feel. The answer is the man Christ Jesus, Unlike Moses, Mary, the Saints, or any other proposed mediator who were tainted by sin, the Bible said that even though He was tempted as any man, but did not sin. We also learn from Scripture that Jesus is the Incarnate Son of God in whom the entire universe was created. Jesus is fully God and fully man. He has perfect and personal understanding of both parties and is able to stand as mediator.
Let us take a little detour to the 15th chapter of Genesis. there, God makes a covenant with Abraham. Part of the ratification of this covenant that through Abraham;s descendant all the nations of the earth might be blessed, those who had the same faith in God that Abraham had. Abraham was a good, though not a perfect man. He was told to make a trench for the blood of animals which he had cut in half might flow. This covenant of blood had to be ratified by both parties walking though this bloody trench. There was an implied curse that if either of the parties was not faithful to this covenant that they would become like the animals that had been slaughtered. The text says that Abraham was terrified at the prospect. What man could be that faithful to the stipulations of the covenant. Instead of Abraham actually going through the blood, the LORD had Abraham fall into a deep sleep. Then two objects were seen in vision going through the bloody trench together. In other words, someone took Abraham’s place. There was mediation. The mediator is seen in symbols, but they find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who as perfect God and perfect human stepped through the trench.
Usually, a disinterested party is set up to be a mediator in human affairs, one who has no skin in the game, so to say. a person who has an interest in one side of the conflict or the other cannot serve as an impartial human mediator because he has a conflict of interest. This is not so with Jesus who is a doubly interested mediator. He represents both the Divine as well as the human interests perfectly. He satisfies the Divine interest by personally becoming the ransom for our sins. He bore the curse of the failure of man to keep the covenant. Because all interests in the conflict have been satisfied, there is reconciliation with those who believe on Jesus.
Paul goes on to say that this reconciliation would be testified of in its proper time. What does Paul mean by this? What is the testimony, and what is the due time. We can see that the very act of Christ’s suffering for us is in itself a testimony. It testifies of God’s love for us and His willingness to show grace. Paul, in Galatians says that the crucifixion served as a billboard. We also read from Galatians that in the fullness of time, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, for the purpose of redeeming us.
However, there is another aspect of when the due time to testify is. Paul refers to this when he mentions to Timothy that God had called him to be an apostle and preacher. This serves to demonstrate the role of the Christian. We do not mediate between God and man. Instead, we direct unbelievers to the One mediator, who is Christ. We are not the truth, He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” It is He who is the truth that God wills all people to come to the knowledge of. It is Christ who makes peace between us and God.
Proclaiming Christ is necessary. But how is this done? through the means of preaching, certainly. But there is also the proclamation of the truth of Christ in the way we live our lives in the world. Someone has said “Preach the Gospel. if necessary use words.” It is, or course, necessary to use words. But our lives should also point people to Christ. We see that Paul directs that intercessions be made for all men as we have noticed. But we are reminded by the very act of intercession that we are called by God and equipped with distinct spiritual gifts that we need to use them to bring others to the knowledge of the truth. In Paul’s case, he was called to be a preacher and apostle. For others, they might proclaim Christ in acts of service. We all have our part.
Whereas, we must affirm that Jesus is the only mediator between us and God in a salvation context, we also act as mediators, We show this by these very intercessions. We show this by mediating conflicts between Church members. We even try to mediate conflicts within the world and bring justice for the oppressed. These should be a reflection of the mediation in our behalf. We remember that Jesus Himself said that the peacemakers are the blessed children of God. Our mediations are to bring God glory, and not for ourselves. We believe that Christ works in us, both to will and do according to His good pleasure. so, even when we act as mediators, it is Christ in us doing the mediating. It is by the Spirit of God that we beseech everyone to be reconciled to God, for Christ’s sake.
