CHAPTER 8: Of Christ the Mediator
(Parts Seven & Eight)
The strength of our Mediator is incredibly great. He not only atoned for the sins of and redeemed all those who would ever believe in Him after His work on the cross was finished, but the benefit of that same work was applied and communicated to the elect of all ages—including those who lived and died before His work on the cross. All who were ever saved, are saved, or will be saved, are saved by the finished work of Jesus Christ and by no other means whatsoever.
How is this possible? Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), and He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
No one at any time has been or will be saved except by faith in what Christ has done to redeem His elect. The elect who lived before Christ trusted in what God would do for them—even though they had no knowledge of the details of how He would do it. All of the elect who have lived, or will live after Christ, trust in what God has already done in Christ. Because of where we live on the timeline, we have greater knowledge of Christ and of what He has accomplished on behalf of those He came to save, than those who lived and died before Jesus accomplished salvation for His people.
(Part Eight)
To be our Mediator Jesus had to be fully God and fully man. From eternity past He was fully God and not man, but when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, while not becoming any less than fully God, He also became fully man. He continues to be fully God and fully man ever since, and He will continue as fully God and fully man forever.
Both natures (divine and human) are resident in one Person. Sometimes Jesus’ humanity is in clearer view in the scriptures (John 1:14; Luke 23 46). At other times His deity is more in view (John 1:1, 5:18; Colossians 2:9). This is no problem because He is fully God and fully man. That is why He is the perfect (only) Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5); the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church of God.
We need His prophetic office, since without His Word, we remain in darkness (John 6:67-68; Luke 4:24). We need His priestly office because if He had not offered Himself as the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of those He came to save, we would remain enemies of God, deserving only of His wrath. He continues as our Priest by constantly interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25). We need His kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to His heavenly kingdom (John 12:15, 18:37; 1 Timothy 6:15).