1 Timothy 2:5b – We Call Him Jesus

… and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

Summary: In this passage, Paul describes Jesus as a “mediator.” The word suggests a relationship between God and mankind that is more than we deserve.   

Why would God need a mediator? Isn’t he God? Is there anything he can’t do? 

Here, again, it is difficult for us to wrap our minds around God’s situation. He goes to the trouble of creating an entire universe, chooses a planet like ours to make livable, and then fills it with life (Genesis 1:1). 

At some point, he chooses to make living beings in his own image (Genesis 1:26–27). We might not fully understand what that means, but we know it makes us special — especially to God. 

Then, when humanity rejects God’s authority and arrogantly claims the right to decide what is best for itself, God responds as only God can. 

The first wave of corruption is wiped from the face of the earth by a flood (Genesis 6:5–7). But God doesn’t wipe us out. 

The second threat to God’s authority is the Tower of Babel, so God scatters the people and confuses their languages (Genesis 11:1-9). 

Eventually, God chooses Abraham to be the father of a race of people dedicated to God (Genesis 12:1–3). This group of people is given the responsibility of recording God’s instructions to the human race and preserving them for all of humanity, yet even they turn against God (Isaiah 1:2–4). 

Finally, God sends a mediator. 

A mediator is “one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant.”* In other words, a mediator is someone whose job is to restore a relationship. 

Imagine the job description Jesus had to fill! 

Position: Mediator

Job Function: Restore the human race to a loving relationship with their Creator. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Applicant must be willing to be born into the human condition, subject to all the limitations and temptations of human flesh. At the same time, they must remain completely faithful to God, unwavering in their commitment and fidelity to the Creator, and capable of relaying and demonstrating the Creator’s love for his creation. 

The applicant will be responsible for providing a perfect sacrifice for the fulfillment of God’s covenant between himself and the descendants of Abraham as implemented through Moses. 

Reporting Structure: 

This position is a direct report to the Creator of All Things. 

There was only one person who could fill this job description, and that was the Creator himself. We call him Jesus. 

Application: Thank God for his love and patience with us.  

Food for Thought: What does it say about God’s love for us that he provided a mediator? 

*”G3316 – mesitēs – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 25 Mar, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3316/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.