“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (1 Cor. 8:6)
Jeremy Taylor rightly said, “Christians believe there is a God, who is one, true, supreme and alone, infinitely wise, just, good, free, eternal, immense and blessed; in him alone we are to put our trust.”[1]
This God is Maker of heaven and earth. He made the sun and the moon, the stars and all the regions of glory; he made the air, the earth, and the water, and all that live in them. He made angels and men. And he preserves and governs them all to his glory.
Further, this one God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is his only begotten Son, the express image of his person (Phil. 2:6), the brightness of his glory, equal to the Father (Col. 2:9-10), and heir of all.
This same Jesus is anointed by the Father to be our Great High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant between God and man, a position only made possible by his death and resurrection (1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 10:19-22).
The Greek word for mediator occurs three times in Scripture in relation to Christ (1 Tim. 2:5, Heb. 9:15, and Heb. 12:24), and its original meaning indicates someone who acts as a go-between, a reconciler.
Like a legal representative, Christ appears before God, the holy Judge of all, on our behalf. As our Mediator, he presents our case as one who has been redeemed from the condemnation of sin and sentence of death once for all. He vouches for all those who have the blood of Christ applied to the door of their hearts that they are now pardoned, sanctioned, and cleared to spend eternity with the Father and the Son. He declares and defends our innocence – not because of what we have done, but because of what he himself did for us at Calvary (1 John 2:1-2).
Neither angels, nor loved ones gone before, nor any one of those notable saints now praising God around the throne can reconcile man to God. The Only One who can and does fulfill that essential representative role for us before the Judge of all the earth is Jesus Christ. He alone is qualified to be our Mediator because his blood alone is completely sufficient to pay for sin and restore us to a right relationship with God. He clears our guilt and guarantees eternal life for all who believe in him (John 3:16).
Contemplations:
- I consider, Lord, that you are One God, and yet you became man so that you might die to save me – who is lower than the lowest – and redeem me from the pit. Your death on the cross was filled with agony and shame for you Lord, but it paved the way for my salvation.
- In your death you suffered everything a human can suffer. You went into the heart of the earth that none of your chosen need fear the jaws of death and hell, for you triumphed over the gates of hell and on the third day rose from the dead.
- By the power of God you were raised from death and hell to light and life, never to return to death any more. This is why Scripture refers to you as the firstborn from the dead, the first fruits of those who sleep. As we all die in Adam, so in you we all shall be made alive. Christ is the first; and if we follow him in regeneration we shall also follow him in resurrection.
- Lord, I tend to forget about the ascension more than remember it. Either I think about the cross or about you being in heaven. But after the resurrection, you lived with your disciples for forty more days, and on more than one occasion you appeared to more than 500 of your followers at once. Having spoken to them concerning the affairs of the kingdom and the promise of the Spirit, you blessed them. You were then taken up into heaven in a cloud, to prepare a place for us above all the heavens. You are yet in the presence of your Father, interceding for us as our Great Mediator and High Priest.
Further References for 1 Cor. 8:6:
Eph. 4:6; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; John 17:3
[1] Jeremy Taylor, A Choice Manual Containing What is to Be Believed, Practiced, and Desired or Prayed For (London: J. Grover, 1677), 16.
