## Lord’s Day 6
### 16. Q. Why must the mediator be a true and righteous man?
**A**. Because God’s justice requires that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for its sin;1 but a sinner could never pay for others.2
1 [Rom. 5:12, 15](/References/Bible/45%20-%20Romans/Romans5.md#12); [1 Cor. 15:21](/References/Bible/46%20-%201Corinthians/1Corinthians15.md#21); [Heb. 2:14–16](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews2.md#14)
2 [Heb. 7:26–27](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews7.md#26); [1 Pet. 3:18](/References/Bible/60%20-%201Peter/1Peter3.md#18)
### 17. Q. Why must he also be true God?
**A**. So that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear in his humanity the weight of God’s wrath, and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.1
1 [Isa. 53](/References/Bible/23%20-%20Isaiah/Isaiah53.md); [John 3:16](/References/Bible/43%20-%20John/John3.md#16); [2 Cor. 5:21](/References/Bible/47%20-%202Corinthians/2Corinthians5.md#21)
### 18. Q. Then who is this mediator—true God and at the same time a true and righteous man?
**A**. Our Lord Jesus Christ,1 who was given to us for our complete deliverance and righteousness.2
1 [Matt. 1:21–23](/References/Bible/40%20-%20Matthew/Matthew1.md#21); [Luke 2:11](/References/Bible/42%20-%20Luke/Luke2.md#11); [1 Tim. 2:5](/References/Bible/54%20-%201Timothy/1Timothy2.md#5)
2 [1 Cor. 1:30](/References/Bible/46%20-%201Corinthians/1Corinthians1.md#30)
### 19. Q. How do you come to know this?
**A**. The holy gospel tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise;1 later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs2 and prophets3 and foreshadowed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law;4 and finally he fulfilled it through his own beloved Son.5
1 [Gen. 3:15](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis3.md#15)
2 [Gen. 22:18](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis22.md#18); [49:10](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis49.md#10)
3 [Isa. 53](/References/Bible/23%20-%20Isaiah/Isaiah53.md); [Jer. 23:5–6](/References/Bible/24%20-%20Jeremiah/Jeremiah23.md#5); [Mic. 7:18–20](/References/Bible/33%20-%20Micah/Micah7.md#18); [Acts 10:43](/References/Bible/44%20-%20Acts/Acts10.md#43); [Heb. 1:1–2](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews1.md)
4 [Lev. 1–7](/References/Bible/03%20-%20Leviticus/Leviticus1.md); [John 5:46](/References/Bible/43%20-%20John/John5.md#46); [Heb. 10:1–10](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews10.md)
5 [Rom. 10:4](/References/Bible/45%20-%20Romans/Romans10.md#4); [Gal. 4:4–5](/References/Bible/48%20-%20Galatians/Galatians4.md#4); [Col. 2:17](/References/Bible/51%20-%20Colossians/Colossians2.md#17)