“All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NLT)
When Jesus was on the cross, he wasn’t just taking your place. He was also restoring your relationship to God by becoming your Mediator.
Mediators are people who bring two sides together. The Bible tells us that because of sin, we are separated from God. God is on one side, and all of us, as sinful people, are on the other side. And there is a divide between us that we can’t cross on our own.
But there’s good news! Jesus came to earth so he could go between us to bring us together. He is our Mediator—the bridge-builder between us and God.
The Bible says, “All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT). Jesus became the bridge between you and God.
In the Old Testament, before Jesus came to earth, the only way someone could have access to God was through a priest. In fact, only the Jewish high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies—the most sacred part of the Tabernacle. Once a year, he would enter to make atonement—making amends—for the sins of the people. This one priest represented all of Israel before God. He was the mediator between the people and God.
But when Jesus came, he made a way for each individual to have direct access to God. You don’t have to go through a priest or a saint or a pastor or any other person. You can talk directly to God!
Jesus is our Priest and Mediator. That’s why we often end our prayers with the phrase “in Jesus’ name.” It’s not a requirement to end your prayers that way, but it’s one way you can acknowledge that Jesus made a way for you to go directly to God and ask him for anything. You can be confident that God hears you and accepts you and cares for you.
Because of Jesus, you can have direct fellowship, communion, and conversation with God. He wants to be your friend! There is no better time to start talking to him and spending time with him than today.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California with campuses in major cities around the world. He is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 90 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. You can listen to his daily radio broadcast at PastorRick.com.
