Wednesday, February 17, 2010

8. JESUS CHRIST: THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN (b)

Last time we saw that the Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is the only mediator who is able to represent God to men and men to God. Indeed, he is capable to do so in a very special way because he himself is the Son of God and the Son of Man (Med. 2-4).

As the Son of God, he showed us during his life on earth what God the Father ‘looks like’. He said: “When you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.” (John 12,45).

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the Greek city of Colosse:“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” and “God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ.” (Colossians 1,15 and 19)

As the Son of Man, and because of his sacrificial death for us (Med.5), he is now able to represent us in heaven before God’s judgement seat.

In Hebrews 9,24 we read that “Christ has ... entered ... into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

The apostle John reassures us by saying: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” (1 John 2,1).

And in Hebrews 7, verse 25 we are comforted with the following words: “He is ... able to save to the uttermost those who come to God (the Father) through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Finally, the apostle Paul encourages us by saying: “ What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us.” (Romans 8,31-34)

It is a wonderful thing to know that we have ‘our man’ in heaven who speaks up for us before God’s throne, as the apostle Paul says: “There is ... one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” ( 1 Timothy 2,5)

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