Christ: The Mediator

Christ: The Mediator The Advocate
A great minister who was noted for his Christlike spirit as well as for his consecrated ability, dreamed that he had died and stood at the gate of heaven knocking for admission. He gave his name, only to be told that his name did not appear upon the books. Finally, at his earnest entreaty, he was bidden to enter and was told he would have the privilege of appearing before the Judge of all the earth, and if he could stand His test he might abide in heaven forever. Standing before the throne, he gave his name, and the following questions were put to him: "Have you led a righteous life?" He said, "No." "Have you always been kind and gentle?" Again he replied in the negative. "Have you always been forgiving to those who have been around you?" "No, I have miserably failed there." "Have you always been honest and just?" He answered, "I fear not."
As question after question was put to him by the Judge, his case seemed more and more hopeless. The last question was asked him, and to that, too, he was obliged to give the same negative reply. Just when he seemed to be in despair, the brightness about the throne became brighter, and suddenly he heard a beautiful voice-the most beautiful to which his ears had ever listened. It was sweeter than a mother's voice; it was more beautiful than all the music of heaven; it filled all the arches of the skies and thrilled the soul of this man as he stood before the Judge trembling and about to fall. The speaker said, "My Father, I know this man. It is true that he was weak in many ways, but he stood for Me in the world, and I take his place before Thee." Just as the last words of this sentence were spoken, the dream was over and the man awoke; he had his lesson, and it is a lesson for us all.

Christ Feels Our Suffering
Plato was right when he said that no one has a right to become a doctor who has always been healthy. Christ suffered, and therefore He can understand our suffering. He did not deserve to suffer for He was sinless. But God was glorified through His suffering, which was not really for Himself but for us, for our sin.

Jesus Christ, the Communicator
An unbeliever once asked a preacher why John called Jesus Christ "the Word." It seemed a strange appellation to him. The preacher answered, "It seems to me that as our words are the means that permit us to communicate with others, John used it to show that Jesus Christ is the only means whereby God chose to communicate with man." Jesus Christ, then, is God's speech or discourse to man.

Only One Mediator
When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes the cynic, he asked what he could do for Diogenes. The cynic answered that there was only one thing which Alexander could do for Diogenes, and that was to abstain from standing between him and the sun. There are many great and mighty people who like to stand between God and man, but they only obscure man's vision of God. Only Jesus Christ, God incarnate, can bring God as the regenerating and transforming Spirit into our experience.

Christ Is Our Mercy Seat
In the Tabernacle Holy of Holies, the light of God's glory was present between the cherubim, telling Israel that God was in her midst. The mercy seat was the place appointed where God met once a year the blood of the sacrifice of atonement. The blood of atonement was sprinkled there. It was not an appeasement. God does not have to be appeased. He is merciful, compassionate, and full of lovingkindness, but He will not hold man guiltless without an atonement. When the blood was sprinkled, there was satisfaction. Sin was covered. The offering for sin was made.
The One whose soul was made an offering for sin is Messiah Jesus. He is the Mercy Seat where the justice of God and the satisfying sacrifice meet, bringing peace to all who believe.