1 Timothy 2:5, 6
In our endless journey to discover the spiritual Jesus, may we never forget that Jesus was also a man. He was not ‘part man/part God’. He was all man and all God, both at the same time. Seem impossible? Such are the ways of a God whose reasoning and thoughts lie beyond our own. If Jesus were less than a man, then He could not die as a man who was sinless. If he were less than God then He and the Father could not have been as one.
There is one mediator, or representative between God and man and that is Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Paul emphasizes that it is ‘the man’ Christ Jesus so that we are reminded of Christ’s humanity. It is not the deified Christ Jesus that mediates for us, but rather it is the humanity of Christ that intercedes on our behalf. The man, Christ Jesus knows what it means to be a human, and can properly mediate to the Father for us, for He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
When Moses heard from God on Mt. Sinai, he brought God’s words back to the people. Moses became the representative and mouthpiece of God, first to Pharaoh and then to Israel. Whatever God wanted to say and do, He would say and do it first through Moses.
This arrangement left little hope for the children of Israel. Every time they saw Moses climb the mountain, they knew that he would bring back a mandate from the Lord. They grew to despise these meetings, for it was always God addressing them, and they had no defense.
Then God provided the priesthood, and specifically, the high priest. The high priest held the honor of sacrificing the animal for the entire children of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement and sprinkling that blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This blood would appease the wrath of God for another year and Israel would have their sins covered.
As Moses had represented God to the people, the high priest now represented the people to God. The people now had a mediator; someone to plead their case. Through the sacrificial blood, the people appeared forgiven and God would honor the sacrifice because of the consecration and dedication of the high priest. This was great, as long as the priest was a good one. A bad, sloppy, sinful priest would spell doom for them all.
Not only was Jesus tempted in all points as we are, yet He did not sin, we find out more in the front part of that verse. Notice His role:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
He is our high priest, or our representative to God, and we never have to fear Him living wrong, or sloppy or sinful. You have a mediator today. Do you have a problem? Take it to God through your mediator Christ Jesus. Pray in Jesus’ name and watch your heavenly Father respond to the man, Christ Jesus.
In our endless journey to discover the spiritual Jesus, may we never forget that Jesus was also a man. He was not ‘part man/part God’. He was all man and all God, both at the same time. Seem impossible? Such are the ways of a God whose reasoning and thoughts lie beyond our own. If Jesus were less than a man, then He could not die as a man who was sinless. If he were less than God then He and the Father could not have been as one.
There is one mediator, or representative between God and man and that is Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Paul emphasizes that it is ‘the man’ Christ Jesus so that we are reminded of Christ’s humanity. It is not the deified Christ Jesus that mediates for us, but rather it is the humanity of Christ that intercedes on our behalf. The man, Christ Jesus knows what it means to be a human, and can properly mediate to the Father for us, for He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
When Moses heard from God on Mt. Sinai, he brought God’s words back to the people. Moses became the representative and mouthpiece of God, first to Pharaoh and then to Israel. Whatever God wanted to say and do, He would say and do it first through Moses.
This arrangement left little hope for the children of Israel. Every time they saw Moses climb the mountain, they knew that he would bring back a mandate from the Lord. They grew to despise these meetings, for it was always God addressing them, and they had no defense.
Then God provided the priesthood, and specifically, the high priest. The high priest held the honor of sacrificing the animal for the entire children of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement and sprinkling that blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This blood would appease the wrath of God for another year and Israel would have their sins covered.
As Moses had represented God to the people, the high priest now represented the people to God. The people now had a mediator; someone to plead their case. Through the sacrificial blood, the people appeared forgiven and God would honor the sacrifice because of the consecration and dedication of the high priest. This was great, as long as the priest was a good one. A bad, sloppy, sinful priest would spell doom for them all.
Not only was Jesus tempted in all points as we are, yet He did not sin, we find out more in the front part of that verse. Notice His role:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
He is our high priest, or our representative to God, and we never have to fear Him living wrong, or sloppy or sinful. You have a mediator today. Do you have a problem? Take it to God through your mediator Christ Jesus. Pray in Jesus’ name and watch your heavenly Father respond to the man, Christ Jesus.
