Christ the Mediator: An Introduction

Opening Comments

There is no way for us to cover Chapter 8 in a multiple week setting as I have only one week until Pastor Ben takes over for a few months.

There are 10 paragraphs here so I felt an overview might be best

In the Covenant of Grace we see that Christ is selected, ordained, and enabled to fulfill the covenant of grace.

The Focus of Christ the Mediator in the LBCF

In Christ the Mediator we see these additional elements:

The Godhead chose and qualified Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead

8:1, God chose Him to be prophet, priest and king, and to be head and savior of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world.

8:3, The Lord Jesus, in His human nature united in this way to the divine in the person of the Son, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond measure. He had in Himself all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Father was pleased to make all fullness dwell in Him so that—being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth—He was thoroughly qualified to carry out the office of mediator and guarantor. He did not take this office upon Himself but was called to it by His Father, who put all power and judgment in His hand and commanded Him to carry them out.

Jesus did not take this office unwillingly; it is accurate He did not assign Himself but it was not received unwillingly

The Lord Jesus most willingly undertook this office. To discharge it, He was born under the law and perfectly fulfilled it. He also experienced the punishment that we deserved and that we should have endured and suffered.

Founders. Confessing the Faith. N. p. Print.

God gave to the Son a people to be His offspring. In time these people would be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified and glorified by Him.

From all eternity, God gave to the Son a people to be His offspring. In time these people would be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified and glorified by Him.

Founders. Confessing the Faith. N. p. Print.

Jesus’ becoming our mediator did not reduce His deity

8:2, The Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is truly and eternally God. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory, having the same substance and being equal with Him who made the world and who sustains and governs everything He has made.

The incarnation was planned from eternity

8:2, When the fullness of time came, He took upon Himself human nature, with all the essential properties and common weaknesses of it but without sin. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit came down upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. Thus, He was born of a woman from the tribe of Judah, a descendant of Abraham and David in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

We have the hypostatic union of Christ summarized within the confession

8:2, Two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without converting one into the other or mixing them together to produce a different or blended nature. This person is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and humanity.

The passion of Jesus

8:4, He was made sin and a curse for us. He endured extremely heavy sorrows in His soul and extremely painful sufferings in His body. He was crucified and died and remained in a state of death, yet His body did not decay. On the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered.

He was made sin and a curse for us.24 He endured extremely heavy sorrows in His soul and extremely painful sufferings in His body.25 He was crucified and died and remained in a state of death, yet His body did not decay.26On the third day He arose from the dead27 with the same body in which He suffered.28 In this body He also ascended into heaven,29 where He sits at the right hand of His Father, interceding.30 He will return to judge men and angels at the end of the age.31

Founders. Confessing the Faith. N. p. Print.

The High Priestly Ministry of Christ

8:4, In this body He also ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of His Father, interceding. He will return to judge men and angels at the end of the age.