Jesus the One Mediator

DEFENSE

Christ has a unique role as mediator, but this does not mean that he alone intercedes with God.

The term “mediator” (Greek, mesitēs) began as a business term refer- ring to an intermediary who helped two parties do business. In Judaism and other ancient religions, it came to refer to one who served a similar role securing good relations between God and man, reconciling them.

In several senses, Jesus is uniquely the Mediator. First, by virtue of the Incarnation, he alone is the God-man, who shares the natures of God and man (CCC 618). Second, because he is God incarnate, he became the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 8:6, 9:15, 12:24), just as Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant (Gal. 3:19).

Jesus’ status as the “one mediator” does not mean he is the only person with a role between God and men. Paul’s apostleship meant he had such a role, and he appealed to his apostleship in the same passage he refers to Jesus as the one Mediator (1 Tim. 2:7). Other ministers have similar roles (2 Cor. 5:20; cf. 1 Thess. 5:12, Heb. 13:17), as do all Christians (2 Cor. 3:2–3; 1 Pet. 3:15).

Although Jesus intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1), he is not the only one to do so. The Holy Spirit does (Rom. 8:26–27), and all Christians are called to as well. Thus Jesus instructs us how to pray for ourselves and others (Matt. 6:5–13), and tells us to pray even for our enemies (Matt. 5:44).

Paul asks for prayer for himself and for others (Rom. 15:30; 2 Cor. 1:11; 2 Thess. 3:1–2), and he introduces the very passage in which he refers to Christ as the one Mediator by exhorting his readers to pray for others: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, inter- cessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1).
TIP
If this objection worked, it would prove too much: If Jesus’ status as
the one Mediator meant only he could intercede for us, then it would contradict his teaching that we should pray for others.