Jesus Alone Is Our Mediator and Ransom
Erick Riddle reflects on the limits of teamwork when it comes to salvation. While God places believers together to help and encourage one another, only Jesus can serve as mediator and ransom for all.
- Teamwork matters in many areas of life, but salvation is accomplished by Christ alone.
- Paul reminds Timothy that there is one God and one mediator, Christ Jesus.
- Communion points believers back to the body and blood of the Savior who paid our ransom.
We have all heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in team.” In sports, success depends on teammates working together. Even in individual competitions, champions frequently point to the coaches, trainers, and supporters who helped them reach the top.
The team concept has taken over much of the business world. Managers and leaders are promoting working together as a team for the prosperity of the company and success of all the team members.
God has put us together to help, assist, and encourage one another. We are stronger together.
But when it comes to our salvation, the story is entirely different. There is one place where teamwork does not apply.
There is One who is not part of a team. One who does not participate in a crew, a squad, or a bunch. The only One who can accomplish what we never could. The only One.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about the One: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6, English Standard Version).
Jesus alone is our mediator. Only Jesus ransomed us from our former way of living.
Our salvation was not a committee, a team, or a collective effort. There is One. Just One. Christ Jesus. He “gave himself as a ransom for all.” That includes you, me, and everyone who follows him in faith.
He died, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. He is at work today. He is our mediator. He is our go between. With his sacrifice, he stands between us and the righteous Judge of the universe.
Remembering the One Who Paid Our Ransom
In our Communion time, we remember the price paid for our ransom. The price was the body and blood of our Savior. We remember his body in the bread and his blood in the cup. As we do so, he stands in the middle. He is our representative to God the Father. There is only One who does that.
Author: Erick Riddle
Erick Riddle has been ministering to churches for more than 40 years. He currently serves as the Chaplain for Golden Years Homestead, a retirement community in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
