Jesus Our Mediator - Names of Christ Advent Series

Theology

Dec 19

Written By

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus . . . 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

They called it gold. We saw the blue.

Not really. If only our disagreements were as petty as the color of that silly dress on the Internet. That would have hurt less.

Instead, deep-rooted disputes created a chasm of misunderstanding. Scathing words were spoken. Sides taken. Our future teetered on the side of a proverbial cliff. The slightest blow could bring about its demise, shattering it beyond repair.

If we were ever to find common ground we had only one option. We needed a mediator.

The mediator would sort it out. Somehow, he’d right the wrongs—bring clarity to the situation.

I felt hopeful. In my mind, I role-played how apologies would be made. The whole messy situation would neatly resolve with one giant group hug. I could taste the sweetness of relief.

Only it didn’t.

He didn’t.

The mediator couldn’t fix anything.

Wounds grew deeper in his presence. Resolution eluded us. Confusion swelled larger than each crocodile tear that rolled down my face as he spoke these words, “I don’t know if we can resolve this here.”

Jesus Our Mediator

It’s only been a year but that word—mediator—has turned my stomach like a hurricane ever since.

So when I examine 1 Timothy 2:5 and see Jesus as my mediator, I’m not sure I like it. It’s hard for me to give Jesus that title when the failings of an earthly mediator feel so fresh.

I’d never reached a relational dilemma like this before. The whole concept of “needing” someone in this role was brand new. Mediators only get called in when we can’t work things out for ourselves.

If I’m honest, I’d always rather try to work things out for myself. I like to believe I communicate clearly. In my pride, of course, I believe that I’m right and that my point of view is exclusively aligned with the truth.

To need help feels like failure. To call in a mediator is to confess that I’m not good enough and that I can’t do it on my own.

I don’t like to admit that.

But, perhaps, that’s the very starting point of every authentic relationship with Jesus. We have to acknowledge our need for him as our mediator.

Admitting Our Need

I’m as type “A” as they come, but I hate saying that. I feel it’s akin to bragging because what I really mean when I say I’m type A is that I get things done, on time, every time. I’m a hard worker—one who will gladly carry others’ burdens on my back because I (foolishly) believe shouldering it all will satisfy.

And as a type “A”, there’s a truth that’s hard for me to acknowledge. I need help! Yet to ask for it seems like a concession of weakness.

Maybe you can relate?

I said the sinner’s prayer before I was old enough to spell salvation. I grew up in church and Christian schools, and could tell you the story of Jesus dying on the cross as easily as I could tell you my street address.

But when it came to the way I lived my Christian life, I too often acted as if I didn’t need a savior. My good works, good words, and hardest efforts would win me eternal rewards. Intellectually I knew God wasn’t keeping score, but I sure was. Now I see that this isn’t the message of the gospel, at all.

The Necessity of a Mediator

There are many days, like the ones following last year’s conflict, where I don’t even know what to pray. When my heart feels tangled with emotion or when it lies trounced on the pavement, scripture tells us that Jesus makes intercession for me (Hebrews 7:25). He knows what to pray when I don’t. Jesus communicates to God on my behalf, and gently speaks the direction of the father to my spirit.

But, Jesus is more than our interpreter. Jesus came to do what no earthly mediator could. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus covered the cost of our sin, my sin. He paid a price I could not afford and gave me the opportunity to be in relationship with God the father. It was a chasm I could not cross.

My salvation required a mediator.

So God sent one.

Embracing the Mediator this Christmas

When you think about celebrating Jesus’ birthday, do you ever think about thanking him for coming to be our mediator? It’s not one of the first names of Jesus that comes to mind for me during the advent season.

In some ways, it’s ironic. The very holiday we designate to show gratitude for Jesus’ coming to earth to mediate our relationship with God can often be the holiday we spend trying to prove we’re good enough on our own.

We stress over setting the perfect holiday table, finding the best gifts (at amazing sale prices), and selecting decorations that will spend most of the year in a red plastic tub in the garage. We wonder: Will I be enough, do enough, this Christmas?

Then we face relational stress. Who invited Aunt Margie to dinner? Can my boomer generation in-laws and my millennial sister make it three hours without a nasty political debate? Will the brother I haven’t spoken to all year suddenly make an appearance?

We need a mediator could show up in the flesh at our gatherings just to keep everyone in line!

But what would our celebration look like if we could keep Jesus—the mediator—at front of mind?

What if, instead of chasing perfection this Christmas, we could rest in the truth and grace of our utter dependence on him? What if we could acknowledge that apart from him we’re not enough?

This year, I’m taking solace in the truth that no matter what chaos I face, no matter how messy life gets, my biggest dispute—the one that separated me from God—has been settled by Jesus, my mediator.

About the Author

Heather Creekmore is a best selling author of Compared to Who? (Read the first chapter here for free!) and speaker. She is passionate about helping other Christian women to find freedom from body image and comparison issues. Her heart is to help people grow in their walk with Jesus Christ and to know there is REAL hope for their struggle in all different areas of their lives. You can find her at her website and her Facebook.This is the ninth in the series of the Names of Christ.

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