The question “If Jesus is God, why don’t we need a mediator between Him and God?” has been asked to attack the deity of Christ and refute the doctrine of the Trinity. But it demonstrates a lack of clarity because the term ‘god’ is used twice in the question with two different meanings. The first usage refers to the divine nature existing within the person of Christ. The second refers to God as the Trinity or God the Father. Both are possible. So, the question is confusing because of the lack of clarity on how the term “God” is used. Nevertheless, please consider the following.
Jesus is the Divine Mediator
Imagine two countries that speak two different languages. They can’t understand each other unless a mediator knows both. Likewise, God’s infinite vast nature is so far beyond us that mediation becomes problematic – at least for us. Jesus solves the problem because He is both God and man. He is both divine and human. We call this the hypostatic union. So, since He is both God and man, He can mediate between us and God the Father who is in heaven (Matt. 6:9–13; 1 Tim. 2:5). But His mediation is not simply communicative.
Jesus is the exact presentation of the nature of God (Hebrews 1:3). This reveals that there is an identity with God as well as a distinction from Him. Again this is part of Trinitarian theology. Nevertheless, His mediation is also priestly since He is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20; 7:25). This mediation deals with the cleansing of sin (Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 1:7). In this case, Jesus himself is the sacrifice that cleanses people, and this also satisfies God the Father.
- Hebrews 6:20, “where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
- Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Conclusion
So, Jesus is the mediator between God and man because he is both God and man. He is the incarnation of the mystery of God reaching down to us. He does what we cannot. We cannot reach up to Him and satisfy His infinite holiness with our sincerity, words, or works. So God became one of us, made under the law (Galatians 4:4), and fulfilled the law perfectly (Matthew 5:17; 1 Pet. 2:22). Therefore, in the mystery of the incarnation where Jesus, in his divine essence through his being one person, is the mediator between the infinite God and finite man.
