The Father's Mediator

by Scott Price

"For God is one, and there is one Mediator between man and God, the Man Christ Jesus." I Tim 2:5 (MKJV)

Often when we speak concerning the gospel, we talk of mercy and grace, which is good since the gospel is called the gospel of grace in the Scriptures. But even in the context of grace we too often focus man-ward when we look at salvation and do not spend near enough time God-ward. One example of what I mean is in the gospel doctrine of the Mediatorship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Justified sinners, who are still sinfully selfish, have a tendency to put their needs or wants ahead of the honor, reverence, and worship of God Almighty. We no doubt need and want both mercy and grace. For these to come our way we only can have them "in Christ", because of Christ, or on the behalf of Him. We need Him as our Mediator. We are shown this by the Spirit of God. This attitude of seeing our need humbles us greatly.

We must look beyond our need and see the Father's glory as being our ultimate satisfaction in the way our need was fulfilled in Christ. I am speaking of the fact of the holiness, righteousness, justice, and wrath of God as He saves sinners through His Mediator. Yes, the Father's Mediator! A mediator is not a mediator of only one, but rather at least two parties. The Father is entirely more important than us, so me must focus on Him, His purpose, His will, His satisfaction, and His glory. The Father MUST have a mediator to deal with man. That Mediator, Christ Jesus, must be both God and man in one Person (God-Man). This way He can represent man to God and God to man, not one without the other, but both.

The Father needed a perfect sacrifice in order to have any dealings with man. Sin MUST be punished. The debt incurred MUST be paid in full. Law and justice MUST be completely satisfied. This way God can be just when He justifies the ungodly. He CANNOT, out of His sheer sovereign power or mercy, forgive sinners without first being faithful to His own holy character in punishing sin to the fullest extent. How is this done? Since God CANNOT clear the guilty and is of too pure eyes than to look on sin to let it go unpunished, He MUST punish sin by way of a sinless, perfect, Mediator. Sin must be justly punished in a way the completely eradicates it so as non to be charged to the account of the justified saints of God. God's reputation and the honor of His character is at stake here in the issue of how sinners are saved.

God will NOT share His glory with another. He will punish the foolish notions of God dishonoring false religion, which does not worship Him as both a just God and a Savior. God's people, the elect, will have the Lord sanctified and glorified in their hearts. He reigns in their hearts as both Lord and Savior. They willingly and irresistibly bow to Him in His Meditorial Lordship. This glorifies the Father as He is shown to be all wise and Almighty, one and only true God. He loves His Mediator. If you love Christ as your Mediator remember to thank the Father for His choosing of both His and our Mediator, the preeminent One, Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.