“JESUS CHRIST OUR ONLY MEDIATOR” - #2
Preached on October 28th 2001 - AM
Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-6
Intro: If someone were to ask you to summarize the Bible in five words or less, - How would you answer them? - You might say that the Bible is about … God’s glory and man’s salvation—and that would be an excellent answer. But suppose you were asked to reduce the whole Bible into two words or less… Then what would you say? There’s no better way to summarize the Bible than to say the name of -- Jesus Christ. For the glory of God and the salvation of man are both bound up in that wonderful name…
The apostle Peter testified before the religious council of the Jews, (Acts 4:12> ‘Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (than by the name of Jesus Christ).’
Or the declaration of the apostle Paul in, (Phil 2:9-11> ‘…God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the NAME OF JESUS every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’
This morning, I would like to show you one of many biblical portraits of Jesus Christ. The portrait of Christ I would like to show you is one that is found in—1 Timothy 2. My purpose for showing you this biblical portrait of Jesus is two-fold—first, so that:
1. Those of you who already know Him - might know Him better and love and appreciate Him more.
2. Those of you who do not know Him - might come to know Him—not in a religious way, but in a real, personal, saving way. For ‘this is ETERNAL LIFE, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’
There is nothing so satisfying, so comforting, so animating to the soul than a Spirit-wrought display of the truth about Jesus Christ; and we have one such blessed truth here:
Read; 1 Timothy 2:1-6
In this passage, we have:
(1) The apostle Paul exhorting or urging God’s people to pray - for all men—all classes, nations, and races of men. But especially those who are in positions of authority.
(2) Two reasons why we must pray
<1st> That we may lead a “quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” - v.2.
<2nd> Because prayer is good and acceptable to God who “desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of THE TRUTH.” - v.3-4.
But, what is this truth that God wants all men to acknowledge so that they might be saved? The truth found in (v.5-6).
The first part of the truth has to do with the:
1. SINGULARITY OF GOD – (v.5> ‘For there is ONE GOD’ – and this one God who made the heavens and the earth and all things that are seen and unseen—exists, above and beyond our senses. And though we cannot see or feel God, He is no less real and vital to our being and well-being. When God opens His hand, we are blessed with all good things; when He hides His face, we are troubled; when God takes away our breath, we die…
But there is only one God – not many as some people imagine. There is not one god for the Western world, and a different God for the East, and another for the Mid East. There is only one, true, and living God; and this ONE GOD transcends all nations, languages, races, cultures, people groups, and generations.
(1 Cor 8:5-6> ‘For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is ONE GOD, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and ONE Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.’
2. PECULIARITY OF CHRIST – ‘There is… ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.’ In this 5th verse, we are given a portrait of Jesus Christ as a mediator. A MEDIATOR is someone who (lit.> stands in the middle; an intercessor; a go-between…
There are at least THREE IMPORTANT ASPECTS involved in Christ’s role as the only Mediator between God and men:
1st ... JESUS CHRIST IS THE SUPREME PROBLEM-SOLVER (or peacemaker) – a mediator is someone who settles disputes and resolves conflicts between people or groups in order to bring them together. As the divinely appointed Mediator between God and men, it is Christ’s office to make peace between a holy God—and sinful man.
BY NATURE, each of us has an inbred resistance and even hostility toward God. We struggle with all the basic issues of who God is and what He does – we wish that He didn’t even exist. Our fallen nature disdains God’s sovereignty; resists His authority; quarrels with His justice; rebels against His laws; rejects His decrees; and even despises His mercies… Deep down inside, we want to be our own god; or at the very least, we want to tell God what we think He ought do and not do. So, consciously or unconsciously, outwardly or inwardly - we have a natural tendency to fight against God.
WHAT IS GOD’S PERSPECTIVE? – by nature, our attitude toward God is one of presumptive arrogance. Mankind is like a dog that bites its Owner; a worker who steal from his employer; a wife who hates her husband; children who laugh at their Father; guests who are ungrateful to their host; a gambler who cheat his Benefactor…
God is grieved because of our sins; He is offended by our indifference and unbelief; angered by our hostilities; displeased by our arrogance and ingratitude. In God is nothing but light, in us is nothing but darkness; In God there is nothing that is evil, in us there is nothing that is good; God is all beauty and glory, we are all moral ugliness and shame; our God is a consuming fire, and we are all dried-out, useless stubble.
SO WE HAVE THIS GREAT MORAL TENSION: On the one hand, God is righteous, good, and unchangeable in His being and inflexible in His standards. And on the other hand, we are stubborn and brash and persistent in a course of ungodliness. – Is there any question why we need a Mediator?
The 2nd IMPORTANT ASPECT about Christ’s role as ‘the only Mediator…’ is that:
2nd ... JESUS CHRIST IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO DO THE WORK OF MEDIATION – only Jesus Christ fully and perfectly identifies with both God and man. That is because in His one Person, Jesus has both a divine and a human nature.
(1) As the Second Person of the Trinity, JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY AND FULLY GOD He is equal in every way with the Father, having all the attributes and perfections of God. In (Titus 2:13> He is called the ‘GREAT GOD and our Savior;’ (1 Jn 5:20> ‘the TRUE GOD;’ (Is 9:6> ‘the MIGHTY GOD;’ (Rom 9:5> ‘the ETERNALLY BLESSED GOD (who is over all);’ (1 Cor 2:8> ‘the LORD OF GLORY.’
The apostle Paul wrote, (Col 1:15-16> ‘He is the IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD… For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones… (Col 2:9> ‘For in Him dwells ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.’
Jesus Himself declared, (Jn 10:30> ‘I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE.’ (v.31> ‘Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.’
(2) And yet at the same time, JESUS IS A COMPLETE AND PERFECT MAN – ‘Great is the mystery of godliness, GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH…’ Jesus has a real human body and a real human soul. The apostle John wrote, (Jn 1:1,14> ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD…and the Word was MADE FLESH and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…’
At one and the same time, Jesus Christ, in His unique Person as both God and Man, is equal in dignity with God, and perfect in sympathy with man (Heb 1:1-9; 2:14-18; 4:15). The Lord Jesus, not only perfectly identifies with both God and man; He perfectly represents God to us, and represents us to God.
3rd ... JESUS CHRIST ACTUALLY RECONCILES US UNTO GOD – Jesus settles every dispute and controversy; resolves every problem and difficulty; puts away all our sins and turns away all God’s wrath—so that God is not just appeased, but He’s pleased with every sinner that believes in Jesus.
‘But,’ someone says, ‘How can God be pleased with guilty sinners?—He is too awesome; too holy, too pure, too dreadful for sinners to come to Him.’—that’s right. But there’s a Man seated next to Him on the throne of the universe—and that Man is dressed in our humanity.
As our Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for our sins; becoming our substitute, paying the price for our transgressions; suffering under the unrelenting wrath of God, taking our place and our punishment. As a Man, Jesus suffered and died—as God, His sufferings and death have infinite value and eternal implications! (Heb 10:4-14) (Heb 7:25> ‘Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.’
* What Lessons can we learn from this portrait of Jesus Christ—the only Mediator?
1. THE LESSON OF GOD’S WILLINGNESS TO SAVE SINNERS – I’m afraid that there may be some people here this morning, who are not very sure that God is really willing to save sinners. Even some of us who are Christians struggle because we misunderstand or misinterpret some biblical doctrines, and fall into a lazy, negligent, cold-hearted kind of Christianity – there’s no earnestness or passion or zeal for souls.
(Pro 11:30> ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.’ (?) When was the last time you spoke to someone about Jesus Christ? When was the last time you asked God to make you a soul winner?
‘Well, pastor, we need to be careful, we don’t know who God’s elect are…’ (?) Will you stand in the judgment and use the doctrine of election as an excuse for being a useless, self-absorbed Christian? Our text (God’s revealed will for us) says: (1 Tim 2:3-4> ‘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.’
How shall they come to the knowledge of the truth unless we tell them..?
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But there’s another problem: Many of you have heard the gospel over and over again, and you have still not come to Christ. One thing I hope that you will not soon forget: God desires YOUR salvation! He is more willing to save sinners, than the man or woman who buys a lottery ticket wants to win $100 million.
The problem is not God’s willingness to save you, but your willingness to be saved. It’s not enough to want to be saved from our problems and discouragements—we need to want to be saved from our sins (our lusts, pride, self-centeredness, anger, hatefulness, deceitfulness, love of things, love of money, love of self…)
God is so willing to save sinners… that He urges His people to pray for all men. God is so willing to save sinners that He sent His Son to be the perfect Mediator…
The Lord Jesus is everything that we need because He is all that we are not:
We are sinful and morally defiled - He alone (as the God-Man), is holy and morally pure.
We are weak and helpless in our sins - He is strong and mighty to save us from our sins.
We are spiritually backward and bankrupt - Jesus Christ is rich in mercy and full of grace.
We are proud and boastful - Jesus is meek and lowly and invites us to come unto Him.
We are lawbreakers - Jesus fulfilled and magnified God’s law
His love more than compensates for all our hatefulness and bitterness.
His glory is far greater than our shame; His grace is far greater than all our sins! Because of Jesus Christ, we have the biblical promise, “Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound!”
2. THE LESSON OF EXCLUSIVITY – the devil and the devilish human heart are very good at conjuring up other mediators – angels, saints, priests…
The only mediator between God and man is the Man, Christ Jesus!
