February 9 – LD 6, Day 5: The Knowledge of the Mediator is
communicated to us through the Holy Gospel
by Rev J. Kortering
Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ;
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the
Jews first and also to the Greek.”
The gospel is good news,
but good news kept secret is not good. The good news of the gospel is
that we have a Mediator, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One Who paid
the debt of sin and restores us to favor with God. There is nothing more good than such news.
The question the
catechism now poses is this, “How do you know about the Mediator?” The
answer is from the holy gospel. The word gospel means good news.
God in His mercy always
announces that good news to fallen sinners. The salvation which He provides in
our Lord Jesus Christ is in His heart, and from the moment man fell into sin
until the present, even unto the end of the world, God is busy heralding forth
this good news by which He saves fallen mankind.
The heart of the gospel
and its message is salvation through Jesus Christ.
This, Paul acknowledges
in the quotation above. Paul says, the gospel of
Christ is the POWER of God unto salvation. The reason for this is because it is
the gospel OF CHRIST. God through Jesus Christ our Mediator,
has reconciled the sinner unto Himself. Being both God and Man, Jesus was
qualified to make this reconciliation. As the angel announced to Joseph at His
birth, “She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt
call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins.” It is good
news for “his people”. The Apostle Paul defines these people as “everyone that
believeth, to the Jews first and also to the Greek.”
God is very honest with
us as He communicates to us the Holy Gospel. He strips us of all pride and
self-worth. Only undeserving and unworthy sinners will turn to Jesus by faith
and embrace Him as their Savior. The first work
of grace in your heart and mine that prepares us for the good news of Jesus is
that we NEED Him.
Do you see yourself as a
lost sinner, separated from God, worthy of everlasting hell?
God sets forth Jesus in
the gospel. He calls you to receive Him and believe in Him as your Mediator.