Angels do not need God's help, or salvation through Christ. They have not been infected by the fall of mankind, polluted by the world, twisted under the control of Satan or faced an eternal peril. But human beings have been, and are. That is why we need saving. Even those who can trace faith in their ancestry are unable to wriggle free from sin without a Saviour who has experienced the personal dilemmas of being fully human (Matthew 26:39,42). Jesus is that person, and yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Nobody can say that Jesus does not understand the pressures of humanity: child of a teenage pregnancy, a refugee for years, a hard-working tradesman helping to support His mother and brothers, tempted by Satan, plotted against by religious leaders, betrayed by the group's treasurer, arrested on a false charge, forsaken by His friends, subjected to a sham trial, cruelly beaten and brutally crucified. Jesus certainly understands the worst elements of being human.

That is why He is such a wonderful and perfect mediator between us and Father God (1 Timothy 2:5). Unlike the angels, Jesus has experienced human life and knows that we would be eternally helpless, if we did not have His atoning sacrifice for our sins. As the victim of the sins of others, Jesus knows how to strengthen all who are suffering (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

In our darkest moments, we may think that God does not know; or if He knows, then He does not care. These verses assure us that He does know, He does care and He pleads with the Father on our behalf (1 John 2:1). Not only is His salvation-sacrifice fully sufficient for our sins (1 John 4:10), but His grace is sufficient to sustain our hearts (2 Corinthians 12:9). We do not need angels, or anybody else, to mediate for us - except Jesus. He understands, saves and keeps … and all because He loves us (Zephaniah 3:17). So look to Him, trust Him, confess your sin and receive His forgiveness; admit your weakness and let Him give you strength to face temptation and the worst of the world.