THE ONE AND ONLY MEDIATOR

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on December 15, 2024 under 2024 |

Bethany Bible Church Sermon Message from December 15, 2024 from 1 Timothy 2:5-7

Theme: God has given Jesus Christ to be the one and only Mediator between Himself and humanity.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Very often, dear brothers and sisters, one of the greatest things we need for our growth in the Christian life is just a simple ‘reminder’ of what never changes.

As followers of Jesus—in a sense—we do need to ‘adapt’ and ‘change’ and ‘innovate’ when it’s appropriate to do so. However, the fundamental things that make the Christian faith what it is will never change. And so, ‘progress’ in our faith isn’t made so much by creating something ‘new’ as it is by returning to the foundational matters that have always been ‘true’.

I heard a story once about the great evangelist Billy Graham. When he went to Russia in the midst of the Cold War in the 1960s, he stirred up a lot of controversy with his plain, straightforward, biblical preaching of the gospel of Jesus before the Russian church’s leaders. Many American church leaders who were of a more progressive mindset were offended by this, and complained that he was setting Christianity back 50 years. When Dr. Graham heard that, he said that he was deeply sorry. He certainly didn’t mean to set Christianity back 50 years. Rather, he said he meant to set it back 2,000 years.

The passage we’re going to be looking at this morning from 1 Timothy helps to set us back 2,000 years to something fundamental, and basic, and unchanging with respect to the Christian faith and to our message to the world.

That fundamental and basic thing is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ as it’s proclaimed to us in the Scriptures.

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Now; Paul’s first letter to Pastor Timothy was primarily about protecting the integrity of the foundational message of the gospel in the local church. Paul wrote to Timothy—who was charged with the care of the church in the ancient city of Ephesus—and urged him to make sure that no one preached or taught any other message than the gospel of Jesus Christ that was once for all time given to the saints. When it came to the various activities within the church family, Timothy was instructed to make sure that—in all of it—the gospel of Jesus was protected and kept front and center.

In our last time together, we saw how this was brought to bear—for example—in the matter of praying for those in governmental and civic authority. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul told Timothy;

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 (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Paul wanted Timothy to make sure that the church in Ephesus was a praying church family. He wanted God’s people to pray for those in authority so that the social and cultural environment would be favorable to a quiet and peaceful life. The purpose of this was so that God’s people could live freely in a godly and reverent manner, and that the gospel of Jesus could then spread and transform the lives of others. That’s what we need to pray for in our day, too. We need to be praying for all those who are in positions of authority so that we can live in a way that’s consistent with the message of the gospel … and thus be better able to proclaim it freely to those around us.

Paul took up the theme of prayer once again in verse 8. But it seems that before he did so, in verses 5-7, he took the time to describe that gospel. It’s as if he wanted to remind Timothy—and through Timothy, remind the church—just exactly what that ‘gospel’ is. And so, he went on to write;

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 (vv. 5-7).

This, dear brothers and sisters, is the fundamental message of the church to the world. Paul makes repeated references to it in this letter, and he repeatedly urges Timothy to hold on to it diligently and faithfully. It’s the only message that can save souls and transform lives. When a church family thinks that it’s making ‘progress’ in this world by changing that message, or when it tries to add anything to it, or when it departs from it in any way, it has seriously lost ground and has slid backward. True progress in the Christian faith occurs when we go back to the beginning, remember this all-important message as it’s given to us in Scripture, and restore it to its place of prominence in our ministry.

And, dear brothers and sisters in Christ; it’s important for us to remember that the reason for doing so is—ultimately—love. That’s what Paul emphasized to Timothy at the very beginning of his letter. In 1 Timothy 1:5, he said;

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith …” (1:5).

The most loving thing that we as a church can do in this world is to make sure that we understand the message of the gospel clearly, hold on to it tightly, live it out consistently, and proclaim it faithfully. It alone is the single most loving thing we can do for this world—even more loving than seeking justice for people, or cleaning up the neighborhoods, or feeding the poor. And that’s because, above all those other important things, the faithful preaching of the gospel alone is what causes people to be born again, gives them eternal life, and transforms the way they live. We should certainly do those other things when and where we can. But they must never be allowed to come before, or to ever take the place of, the faithful proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in this world. That gospel has been entrusted only to God’s redeemed people. As Paul put it in 3:15, the church is given by God to be “the pillar and ground of the truth” in this world. It’s crucial that we know it, hold on to it, and preach it faithfully.

And what is that true message? What is the content of that all-important gospel that we’re to declare to this world? It’s what we find summed up for us in this morning’s passage: that God has given Jesus Christ to be the one and only Mediator between Himself and humanity.

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So then; let’s look at 1 Timothy 2:5-7 and be reminded once again of this glorious message that we’re to proclaim. It’s expressed to us in four basic points: (1) that there’s only one God for all people, (2) that there’s only one Mediator between God and all people, (3) that this Mediator has graciously given Himself for all people as a ransom from sin, and (4) that His sacrifice for all people must be proclaimed to the world so that people can hear it, trust it, and be saved by faith in it.

So; let’s begin by considering that …

1. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.

In his summary of the gospel message, Paul wrote in verse 5, “For there is one God …” When it comes to the message that the church is to hold on to and faithfully proclaim in the world, that’s the first point to be made. When we think of the gospel, we don’t always think of that as the first point; but in reminding Timothy of this message, Paul put it up front. It might be that Paul was thinking of the message that Moses declared to the people of Israel back in Deuteronomy 6:4 …

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

I remember being with a group of Christians witnessing in downtown Portland once. A man walked by who expressed his anger at the group, and someone in our group—remembering that Jesus taught us to bless those who curse us—said “God bless you” to him. He turned back and mockingly said, “Which God?”; and then he quickly walked away so that no answer could be given to him. But what would be the correct answer to give to the man? The answer to “which God” would be the God of the Bible—our Creator—the only God there is. There aren’t many ‘gods’ in this world, as his cynical question was meant to suggest. There’s only one. In the fallenness of humankind, people have created for themselves many alternatives to the one true God. This people group might say that they worship this god, or another people group might say that they worship that god, or some might say that they worship many gods, or some might even say that there is no God. But in presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to this world, it’s important that we affirm—with complete confidence—that God indeed is … and is the only God that exists. He’s the God of the Bible—the Creator of heaven, and of earth, and of all humankind.

I hope I speak reverently; but there’s a verse in the Book of Isaiah that almost makes me chuckle a little. It’s in Isaiah 44:8; where God Himself says;

“Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one” (Isaiah 44:8).

God Himself said that He didn’t know of any other! And if God says that He knows of no other than Himself, then there isn’t any other than Himself. He is exclusively the only God that there is; and He Himself says so. So; the message of the gospel to this world begins with that bold affirmation: “For there is one God …”

And what’s implied by this is that He is the one and only God for all of humankind. He isn’t God only of this people group or only of that people group. He is God of all people groups in all the world—whoever they may be, wherever they may live, and at whatever time in history they may exist.

We today are fond of dividing people up into categories based on their skin color or ethnicity or nationality. The list of possible boxes to check on the national census form seems to be growing longer every time it’s sent out; isn’t it? When you fill it out, you have to choose carefully from the options of what the census takers think that you might be. But from the standpoint of God our Creator, there have really only been two basic people groups in the world: Jews and everybody else. And He is declared in the Bible to be God of both of those two groups. As Paul wrote in Romans 3:29-30;

Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith (Romans 3:29-30).

Now; this is a crucial affirmation for us to hold on to and proclaim to the world—that there’s only one God. It’s vital to the message of the gospel. The Bible teaches us that only one God has created us, and it’s to only one God that we are ultimately accountable. The one true God created our first parents, Adam and Eve—from whom all of humanity was born. And our first parents disobeyed the commandment of that one and only God. As a result, every other member of humanity who has been born from them has fallen before that one true God, and every individual human being, therefore, needs to be redeemed from sin and restored to a relationship with that one true God. There isn’t any other situation than that situation; because there’s only one God.

There can, therefore, only be one plan of salvation for all of humanity because there is only one true God to whom we must be redeemed. And that leads us to the next point that we need to remember and hold on to; and that is that …

2. THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR.

As Paul went on to tell Timothy in verse 5, there is one God, “and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus …” As Jesus Himself said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Now; think of that title ‘Mediator’. There are mediators in business, and in cases of law, and even in matters of family dispute. And in those situations, a ‘mediator’ is someone who stands between two adverse parties and acts on behalf of both of their interests in order to reconcile them. As sinners who have been alienated from the one true God because of our sins, we, too, need a mediator. In the Old Testament, the man Job knew of this need for a mediator. He longed for someone who could stand between him and God. He spoke of God and said;

“For He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both. (Job 9:32-33).

So then; one of the basic points of the gospel that we’re to proclaim to this world is that we need a mediator between God and man—and that just such a Mediator has been given to us! He is God’s own eternal Son—born of a woman—born into the human family as one of us, yet without sin. He walked on this earth in human flesh as Immanuel—God with us. And so, He was able to pay the ransom price of death for the sins of humanity, and to thus reconcile us to God. He was able to atone for our sins in a way that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament law could never fully do. Those old sacrifices were only meant to serve as a picture of what our great Mediator would one day do for us on the cross. As it says in Hebrews 9:13-15;

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:13-15).

In the original language of Paul’s words, it says that there is “one Mediator between God and men, a Man Christ Jesus”. Not “the” Man, but “a” Man. This was meant to emphasize to us that Jesus came for us as one of us—a member of the human family—a Man. It says in Hebrews 2:17-18;

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:17-18).

And do you notice that, just as we’re told that there is “one God”, we’re also told that there is only “one Mediator” between God and man? There aren’t a variety of possible mediators that we can choose from. There is only one Man who is qualified to stand between God and humankind. And that’s the one and only God-Man Jesus. As the apostle Peter declared in Acts 4:12;

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Can you see the logic of the gospel? If there is only one God, then there can only be one Mediator. We can no more have ‘another’ mediator than we can have ‘another’ God. Jesus is that one and only Mediator who can reconcile us to that one and only God. And that leads us to a third basic part of the message we’re to declare to the world; and that is that …

3. HE HAS GIVEN HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL

As Paul said in verse 6, there is only one God, and only one Mediator—Jesus Christ—“who gave Himself a ransom for all …”

The word that Paul used for “ransom” is a very important one. It appears only here in the whole Bible. It’s a word that’s formed by two Greek words being put together into one: the word lutron (which means “a price paid”), and the prefix anti (which means “instead of”). So, this word antilutron means that Jesus’ death on the cross for us is the price paid in our place—the ransom payment made for us instead of our having to pay it ourselves. On the cross, He paid the price that was described in Isaiah 53:5-6;

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

As it says of Him in Galatians 3:13;

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

And dear brothers and sisters in Christ; please note especially that we’re told that He “gave Himself” on behalf of fallen humankind for this very purpose. He gave Himself, of course, in obedience to the Father. But in doing so, He gave Himself willingly. He gave Himself out of love for us. As He Himself declared in Matthew 20:28;

“… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

So; this is the message that has been entrusted to us. We must understand it, faithfully hold on to it, and preserve the integrity of it. It’s the message that “there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all …” We must protect that message faithfully; because it alone is the message that saves souls and transforms lives.

But that leads us to one more point. It, too, is basic to the message we’re to hold to, and that is that …

4. HIS SACRIFICE IS TO BE PROCLAIMED TO ALL.

We must not just ‘hold on’ to it; but we also must faithfully testify to it before the world. As Paul said in verses 6-7, Jesus 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’re told that this message was to be testified “in due time”—or as can better be translated, “at the proper time”. This is speaking of “the proper time” in history. It had always been the Father’s goodwill to reconcile humankind to Himself through the ransom price of His Son Jesus Christ. And He hinted at this promised reconciliation long ago—in the Old Testament—through the offerings and sacrifices that were to be made in accordance with the law given by Moses. But it wasn’t ‘the proper time’ in history for it to be revealed and testified to in a clear way until after Jesus had accomplished that reconciliation for us on the cross. It happened at the proper time in history—in accordance with God’s plan—as Paul told us in Galatians 4:4-5;

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

After Jesus’ sacrifice for us was fulfilled, it was testified to by witnesses—the apostles—who walked with Jesus for three and a half years, who heard Him teach, who saw His miracles, who testified of His sinless life, who saw Him crucified, who saw Him buried, who beheld Him alive from the dead, and watched as He ascended to the Father. And among those apostles was Paul. He was called to be a witness after those others. Many had doubted his authority as an apostle; and that’s probably why he had to insist that he was telling the truth and was not lying. Jesus Himself had truly appeared to him in resurrected glory—when he was still a persecutor and a blasphemer and a violent man. Jesus Himself genuinely called him to preach the gospel, and told him,

“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (Acts 26:16).

And now; it’s our responsibility as God’s redeemed people to accurately understand that message from the Bible that Paul had been given, diligently protect it and teach it to one another, and to faithfully proclaim it to the world around us.

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Let me close by sharing one more passage to you from the apostle Paul. It almost seems to me that it makes the same points as this morning’s passage—except stated in reverse order. In 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, Paul wrote;

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Can you see it? The basic points of the gospel are all there. There’s only one God, and there’s only one Mediator between God and man. This one Mediator has given Himself a ransom for all; and that glorious sacrifice is to be proclaimed to the world so that people can believe it and be saved by it.

Dear brothers and sisters; let’s make sure—above all else that we do as a church—that that’s the message we proclaim!

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