Jesus: The best Mediator I could ask for

Feeling distant from God

What was this feeling?

I remember experiencing it as a six-year-old, standing outside the deputy head’s office awaiting a scolding, having over-excitedly thrown a toy over the school fence. A sort of deep-down guilt, not fear as such, but a stomach-churning nervousness I expect we have all felt at one point or other in our lives.

I was feeling it now, as a young adult, as I thought about my life and how my relationship with God was. I knew I loved God and had been a Christian for a while, but I still felt distance. I could relate so well to the story in Genesis of Adam wanting to hide from God when he had eaten from the tree rather than just walk and talk with God like he had always done.

Was this how it was to be? I remember a quote from Winston Churchill’s autobiography which stood out to me for some reason: “I loved my mother dearly­—but at a distance.”

I feel so moved to share this with you dear reader because I now experience increasingly that this “distant” relationship is becoming a thing of the past and is not how Jesus wants us to live.

Jesus – My personal Mediator!

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus …” 1 Timothy 2:5.

A mediator brings two parts together and establishes dialogue. In the old Christmas Carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” Jesus is described in this line: “Pleased, as man, with men to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel!” (meaning “God with us”). Could Jesus really be pleased to be with us human beings with all our egos, issues with others and cowardice? Could He really?

I knew I had times when I really felt myself in the presence of Jesus, particularly when I was at church, singing and praying, but right then it felt like God was a million miles away. Now I really needed a mediator. I thought, what would I say to the Mediator?

“Please tell God that I feel so unworthy to serve Him. I feel rubbish about how I’ve taken things and I’m really questioning if I am the right kind of person to be His disciple. I feel dirty and weighed down by sin in me and around me.”

How would a mediator like Jesus reply? A Mediator who had taken on a human nature like mine some 2000 years ago, dwelt with mankind and experienced the same temptations that I do every day. What would be His message to my question to God? I am imagining it now:

“I have a message for you from My Father and your Father in heaven. It’s all written in the Bible, but I want you to really believe it was written for you, personally.

“Before you were formed in the womb, I knew you and I think and pray for you all the time. (Psalm 139.) I know you even better than you know yourself. I completely understand you are not perfect and you’re going to see a lot more in your nature that you hate, but I love your heart’s attitude! You want to serve Me even though you can’t see Me (1 Peter 1:8) and yet you sorrow over sin and are not trying to excuse or blame it on the others around.  

“I love My creation but most of all I love you – yes, I gave my own life as a ransom for you and you owe nothing to Me. (1 Timothy 2:6.) Here in heaven many are witnessing your endurance in your daily race. (Hebrews 12:1.) Today is a new day that I have made, and I will strengthen you to make the right decisions. Now you must fight the good fight of faith. (Revelation 3:8; 1 Timothy 6:12; 1 Timothy 1:18.)”

“I’m just going to believe Him,” I thought. “I’m going to believe in what He is saying more than what I’m telling myself.” It was such an incredibly simple decision, but it opened up a whole new deepening relationship with Jesus. In this position of faith, joy and love for Jesus leapt in my heart—He really loves me just as I am. I can take it as it’s written, even though I don’t deserve it! He really sees my deepest longing for God and all that is good. Yes, I have a nature which is fallen, but He sees my heart and says that I belong to heaven—just as I am!

Read also: A letter of love from God to you

Closing the gap

John 14 is an amazing chapter. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:1. Then Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these because I go to my Father.” John 14:12.

With this upright believing heart we come boldly in our prayers to a loving God who will strengthen us in our daily battles. (Hebrews 4:16) No more loving at a distance but heart to heart connection with our Saviour. He is a very present help in time of need—why? Because He has been through the same temptations and is even now praying that I can overcome just as He overcame. (Hebrews 4:15)

What is the secret key to experiencing unbroken contact with my Mediator and God Himself? The more I let go of my own reasoning and beliefs about everything and open my heart to God’s truth, the more I will experience a deep and loving relationship with Jesus. I need to practice this every day—right now, and when everything in me screams out something different. “… let God be true but every man a liar.” Romans 3:4.

I am indescribably thankful for the faith that He has given me, and my greatest longing is that many more can experience this too. This is truly an amazing life! In His presence is fullness of joy!