January 13th: Christ the Mediator (2)

Speaker: Duncan Wyncoll

The longest chapter in the 1689 Baptist Confession is devoted to this key doctrine, which underpins the most amazing work in the history of the world. Part 2.

1 Tim 2.5 - “There is one God, & there is one Mediator between God & men, the man Christ Jesus.”
·         Last week, BCofF Ch 8, just paragraphs 2 & 7
·         Only a man can suffer in a man’s place; only man can die (God cannot)
·         Only God can conquer death & sin; he’s perfect; has the power to bear iniquities of millions
So the mediator must be man & God; but that is impossible
·         With God all things are possible; “The Word became flesh & dwelt among us.” God-man entered the world - He’s unique in the universe. The God-Man; Dual Nature of Christ – 1 person, 2 natures
·         There’s only “One Mediator”; So, no other religion can purge away sin

Christ’s Mediatorial Work – we’ll look at a number of aspects of this work
1. The Father Chose Christ to be the Mediator (para 1)
BCoF “It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose & ordain the Lord Jesus Christ... to be the Mediator between God &
man”
Gal 4.4 - “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman...”
·         Nobody else could do it - Required nothing less than God's Son
·         But He wasn’t self-appointed. Seems unimportant – it isn't
·         Christ willingly did this
Phil 2.7-8 - “But he made himself of no reputation & took upon him the form of a servant, & was made in the likeness of men, &…  humbled himself, & became obedient, even unto death”
John 6.38 - “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me”
·         God sent Christ on this mission
·         A king sends ambassador to negotiate peace with an enemy, briefs him
·         An ambassador is under instructions, an inferior

A number of NT verses appear to teach Christ is inferior to God the Father; JWs/ cults seize on them
John 14.28 - “For my Father is greater than I”
1 Cor 11.3 - “The head of Christ is God” 
·         There’s certainly inferiority in these verses 
·         Calvin: Cults have not understood this is “spoken of Christ as Mediator”
·         He willingly undertook his task & became obedient unto death
Gal 2.20 - “The Son of God, who loved me, He gave himself for me”     
·         How terrible (even blasphemous) to take that voluntary submission to the Father & fling it back in His face & say He’s not God!

2. He Needed Equipping for the Task (para 3)
BCoF “It pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him so that…He might be thoroughly furnished to perform the office of a Mediator”
Acts 10.38 – “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost & with power… for God was with him”
·         His human nature required the Holy Spirit when He preached, worked miracles
·         As Mediator He said: John 8.28 - “I do nothing of myself, but as my father has taught me”
·         He prayed all night; Angels ministered to Him
·         The Holy Spirit descended like a dove on Him; he really had to partake of manhood
·         Thus empowered, He “by His perfect obedience & sacrifice…fully satisfied the justice of God”

3. His Eternal Sacrifice (para 4)
For 33 years He had a body like ours. What about now?
Acts 13.37 - “He… saw no corruption”. At death his body did not decompose; it would continue
John 20.27 - “Reach hither thy finger, & behold my hands...”  He rose with the same body
Acts 1.9 – “He was taken up, & a cloud received him out of their sight.”  Ascended with the same body
Acts 1.11 – “this same Jesus…shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” He will return with the same body
-   He has that same glorified body now, & will have it for eternity
Phil 3.21 - “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”  

BCofF: “He was crucified & died…but his body did not undergo any decomposition. He rose with the same body in which He had suffered, with which he also ascended into Heaven”
-   He will never be the same again, eternally. For us! He did it willingly
“This office & duty of Mediator…the Lord Jesus undertook most willingly.”

4. His Success (paras 5/6)
1 Cor 15.25 - “He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet”
As God's appointed Mediator, he could not fail
 - He didn't go to Calvary in hope of a few turning to him. 100% certain His people would be converted
John 6.37 - “All that the Father gives me shall come to me; & him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
Rev 6.2 - “Rides forth conquering, & to conquer…”  - He conquers hearts
 - His work is to save His people; not one OT or NT saint will be lost
 - He alone can bring us to God – no pastor or priest

BCofF: “LJC has fully satisfied the justice of God, has procured reconciliation, & has purchased an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven for all those whom the Father has given to Him”
He is a wonder in Heaven

5. He is Our Prophet, Priest & King (paras 8-10)
 - OT saints could grasp His work as Mediator
 - All the OT offices prefigure Christ – three great strands of His work. So much work for Him to do!
i. Prophet – Teacher, reveals truths of salvation, opens blind eyes, gives understanding. He’s the Word, its author
ii. Priest – go-between. Hebrews 5.5-6 “made an high priest…a priest for ever...”
-   Offered Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy God's justice & reconcile us to God
-   Continues to make intercession for us. Pastoral care for millions
iii. King – 1 Cor 15.25 - “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”
 -  His kingdom is growing in Heaven – larger than any on earth – A host no man can number
 -  He subdues our wilfulness, brings us to seek & find Him, rules, & defends us
-   Revelation gives glimpses of how He orders all history, restrains governments, limits Satan, holds back deluge of evil that would envelop the world, & proclaims the Good News.

BCofF para 10: “Because of our ignorance we need His prophetic office. Because of our alienation from God… we need His priestly office to reconcile us & present us to God as acceptable. Because of our aversion to God, & utter inability to turn to God… we need His kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, & preserve us until we reach His heavenly kingdom”

6. The Extent of His Mission
Remember the Fall (Genesis 3):
     ● Sin entered world, anti-values – irreversible
    ● Death entered, ageing, sickness, decay rules everything – irreversible
    ● Man polluted – understanding darkened, heart loving evil, will stubborn – irreversible

Ø God's beautiful Creation wrecked, polluted, in rebellion
Ø The only person who can straighten out this disaster is Christ
Ø He’ll summon the living & the dead, right all wrongs, punish sin, banish death, restore Creation
Ø His mediatorial work is not over; the mission will only end when its design is accomplished

When all the elect are converted by the truth, & presented to the Father;
When all evil is expelled;
When wicked spirits are defeated & shut up in their prison eternally;
When death has yielded up his spoils, & laid his sceptre at the feet of his Conqueror;
When the grand assize has been held & men's everlasting abodes allotted;
When the heavens & earth have passed away, & a new heavens & earth created.

This is what history is all about – Christ the Mediator reversing the Fall.
Remember Rev 6 - No room for the defeatism of today! Our success is assured.