A mediator is one who mediates, who acts as an intermediary, or go-between to  work with opposing sides in order to bring about a settlement. A mediator  attempts to influence a disagreement between two parties with the goal of  resolving a dispute. There is only one Mediator between mankind and God and that  is Jesus Christ. We’ll see below why God has a dispute with us, why Jesus is our  mediator, and why we are doomed if we try to “go it alone.”

God has a  dispute with us because of sin. Sin is described in the Bible as transgression  of the law of God (1 John 3:4)  and rebellion against God (Deuteronomy  9:7; Joshua  1:18). God hates sin, and sin stands between all of us and Him. “There is no  one righteous, not even one” (Romans  3:10). All human beings are sinners by virtue of sin we have inherited from  Adam, as well as the sin we commit on a daily basis. The only just penalty for  this sin is death (Romans  6:23), not just physical death but eternal death (Revelation  20:11-15). The rightful punishment for sin is an eternity in hell.

Nothing we could do on our own would be sufficient to mediate between ourselves  and God. No amount of good works or law-keeping makes us righteous enough to  stand before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6;  Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). Without  a mediator, we are destined to spend eternity in hell, for by ourselves  salvation from our sin is impossible. But there is hope! “For there is one God  and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus  represents those who have placed their trust in Him—miserable sinners—before  God’s throne of grace. He mediates for us, much as a defense attorney  mediates for his client, telling the judge: “Your honor, my client is innocent  of all charges against him.” That is true for us also, as some day we will face  God, but as totally forgiven sinners because of Jesus’ death on our behalf. The  “Defense Attorney” took the penalty for us!

We see more comforting  proof of this truth in Hebrews  9:15: “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those  who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that He has  died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first  covenant.” It is because of the great Mediator that we are able to stand before  God clothed in the righteousness of Christ Himself because on the cross He  exchanged our sin for His righteousness (2  Corinthians 5:21). His mediation is the only means of salvation.