One God and One Mediator
Month 5: What About Other Religions? · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: 1 Timothy 2:5
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Memory Verse
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”— 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Deuteronomy 32-34
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Moses sings, blesses Israel, and goes to be with the Lord.)The Heart of It
Today's verse is short, but it carries two huge truths. First, "there is one God." Not many gods. Not a god for each nation. Not a little statue on a shelf. There is one God who made everything. Second, there is "one Mediator." A mediator is a go-between. He stands in the gap to bring two people together. Imagine two friends who had a big fight and won't talk. Then a third friend steps in and helps them make up. Our sin separated us from God. And Jesus is the one Person who can bring us back. He can do it because He is fully God and fully man, "the Man Christ Jesus."
This is why Christians can be kind to everyone and still say Jesus is the only way. It's not that we think we're better. It's that there's only one bridge over the canyon, and His name is Jesus. Other religions offer ladders to climb, rules to keep, or good deeds to pile up. They hope to reach God on their own. But you can't earn your way across a canyon you can't even see the bottom of. Jesus is the only Mediator. He's the only one who paid for our sin and then walked out of the grave alive. One God. One bridge. One Savior for all people.
Around the Table
Jesus is like a bridge that takes us all the way to God. There's just one bridge, and it's Him!
Let's do it: Build a "bridge" with your arms or some blocks and walk a toy across it, saying, "Jesus brings me to God!"
A mediator is a go-between who helps people make up. Our sin separated us from God. Then Jesus stepped in to fix it.
Let's talk: Why can Jesus be the bridge when no one else can? Here's a hint. He is both fully God and fully man.
"One God" rules out many gods. "One Mediator" rules out earning our way, or reaching God through anyone else. Jesus' role is one of a kind, and no one else can ever fill it.
Let's go deeper: This verse lets us be two things at once. We can be humble, because we're not better than anyone. And we can be sure, because there's only one way. How does it do both?
💬 Conversation Starter
Can you think of a time someone had to be a "go-between" to help two people stop arguing? What did they do?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says "you Christians think you're the only ones who are right," you can kindly explain. It's not about us being right. It's about Jesus being the only Mediator who actually died and rose for us (). Anyone can come. The door is wide open to all people. But it's one door. Say it "with gentleness and respect" (). It should sound more like sharing good news than winning a fight.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Read the very next verse. Jesus "gave Himself a ransom for all" (). That little word all is precious in our theological lane — Christ died not for a select few but for every person. The invitation is genuinely open to anyone who will respond in faith. So Jesus is the only way ("one Mediator"), and yet the offer is for everyone ("for all"). Those two truths don't fight each other. Together, they are the gospel. Help your kids hold both. We never water down that Jesus is the way. But we never act like the door is small or stingy. The narrow gate is wide enough for the whole world. It's just shaped like a cross.
Draws on: Sean McDowell, A New Kind of Apologist.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that there is one God and one Mediator. Thank You for Jesus, who brought us to You. Help us hold tightly to Him. Help us tell others the door is open. In Jesus' name, amen."
One God, one bridge, one Savior. And the invitation is for everyone.