How is Jesus our mediator?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

A mediator is a sort of go-between that assists with communication and negotiation between two or more different parties. Jesus is our mediator because He stands between holy God and sinful humanity, accomplishing what no one else could (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15) In the Old Testament, Moses, the priests, and the prophets each served as temporary mediators, pointing forward to a greater one to come (Deuteronomy 5:5; Hebrews 10:1-4). Moses stood between God and Israel at Sinai, priests offered repeated sacrifices for sin, and prophets foretold a suffering servant and a new covenant of forgiveness (Exodus 19:16-19; Isaiah 53:5-6). All of these roles were fulfilled and perfected in Jesus, who offered Himself once for all as the spotless sacrifice (Isaiah 53:5–6). The New Testament declares that there is only “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), and through Him we gain forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life. Unlike the old covenant, which continually reminded people of sin, the new covenant established by Christ provides complete redemption and peace with God. Because of Jesus’ finished work, we no longer need repeated offerings or human mediators—through Jesus, we have direct and lasting access to God forever.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The people of Israel could not approach God directly at Sinai because of His holiness. They begged for Moses to speak to God on their behalf (Exodus 20:18–19; Deuteronomy 5:5). Moses stood between God and the people, foreshadowing the greater Mediator to come.
• God appointed priests, especially the high priest, to offer sacrifices and intercede for the people (Leviticus 16:32-34). Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with blood to atone for sins. This anticipated Jesus as the final High Priest who entered not an earthly temple, but heaven itself, with His own blood (see Hebrews 9:11-12).
• Prophets looked forward to one who would bear sin and bring peace between God and His people. Isaiah 53 describes the Suffering Servant who would be “pierced for our transgressions” and through whom many would be counted righteous (vv. 5, 11).
• Jeremiah foretold a “new covenant” where God would forgive sins and remember them no more (Jeremiah 31:31–34), implying a mediator far greater than Moses.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• First Timothy 2:5 states, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Here the apostle Paul specifically teaches that Jesus is the one and only means of access between humans and God the Father. This affirms other places in Scripture, such as Acts 4:12 that says, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
• The second place in the New Testament that mentions Christ as our mediator is Hebrews 9:15: "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." The first covenant (the Mosaic Law) showed our sin and need for forgiveness and redemption. The new covenant mediated or presented through Jesus offers forgiveness of sins and presents us as just and right before God—something no person could ever earn through works. It is a gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10).
• Hebrews 12:24 refers to Christ as “the mediator of a new covenant." This affirms the Hebrews 9:15 mention of Jesus as mediator, the One and only of God's new covenant who provides forgiveness of sins and right status before God.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

​​Jewish readers would have immediately recognized the weight of Jesus’ role as mediator because of their deep familiarity with the sacrificial system. Under the old covenant, priests continually offered sacrifices for sin—day after day, year after year (Hebrews 10:11). These offerings reminded the people of their sin but could never fully remove guilt or cleanse the conscience (Hebrews 10:1-4). Sacrifices were temporary and incomplete, pointing forward to something greater. In contrast, Jesus offered Himself once for all as the perfect and sinless sacrifice. His death did not simply cover sin for a season but dealt with it fully and finally. Through faith in Him, believers have eternal forgiveness, direct access to God, and the gift of righteousness.

Paul captured this reality in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” On the cross, Jesus bore the penalty of sin though He Himself was blameless, and in exchange, all who trust in Him receive His righteousness. No longer do we need repeated sacrifices or human mediators; through Christ, the perfect mediator, we are reconciled to God once and for all.

UNDERSTAND

• The Old Testament mediators pointed forward to a greater mediator who would bring lasting forgiveness and peace with God.
• The New Testament reveals that Jesus is the one and only mediator who established a new covenant through His once-for-all sacrifice, giving us righteousness and eternal life.
• Unlike the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant, Jesus’ finished work secures eternal forgiveness and direct access to God, reconciling us to Him forever.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that Jesus is your one true mediator with God affect the way you approach Him in prayer?
• How do you sometimes rely on your own efforts instead of trusting fully in Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice?
• How does Jesus giving you direct access to God change how you see your relationship with Him each day?

ENGAGE

• How do the roles of Moses, the priests, and the prophets in the Old Testament point us toward Jesus as the ultimate mediator?
• Why is it significant that the New Testament emphasizes Jesus as the only mediator between God and humanity?
• How can we encourage each other to live in the freedom and confidence that comes from Jesus’ complete and final work as our mediator?