Drawing Near to the Living Presence of Jesus
The Sun.
It is the source of all life on earth—without it, nothing grows, nothing lives, and all would freeze into darkness. We need the sun. But we can’t get too close. Its blazing purity would incinerate us.
That’s how God’s holiness works: it is pure, life-giving, and beautiful, but also utterly dangerous to anything impure. Just as no one can stare at the sun or approach it unshielded, no sinner can stand before the unfiltered presence of a holy God and survive.
It’s the ancient tension: we long for what we dare not touch. Like Icarus, who soared on wings of ambition toward the sun, we too are drawn to transcendence. But Icarus, despite the warning, flew too close—and the very thing that drew him upward also consumed him. His wings melted. He fell.
Icarus reminds us of what happens when we approach glory without humility or covering. God’s holiness is not something we ascend to on our own strength. We don’t fly up to God—we would be undone. Rather, in love, God came down to us.
And yet… we need Him. Not just His gifts or His blessings—but Him. His presence is our life (Psalm 16:11). That tension—needing what we cannot survive—runs through the entire Bible. It’s what makes the cross of Christ so staggering. In Jesus, God Himself veils His glory in flesh (John 1:14), so that instead of being destroyed by His holiness, we are healed by it (Isaiah 6:7).
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
—Hebrews 4:16
From the beginning, we were created to walk in close fellowship with God. In Genesis 3:8, we read that God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Humanity—created in His image—lived in intimate communion with their Maker. There was no separation. No fear. Just presence, peace, and joy.
But when sin entered the world, so did separation. Adam and Eve hid, ashamed and afraid. Sin disrupted the nearness. And more than that—it made closeness to God dangerous. Because He is holy and just, proximity to Him while unclean or unholy results not in comfort but in consequence.
Proximity Is Dangerous
We see this reality vividly in the Old Testament. God’s presence dwelt with His people in the tabernacle and later in the temple, but only under very strict conditions. One misstep could mean death.
Think of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6–7), who reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant as it wobbled on a new cart—something already contrary to God’s commands (Numbers 4:15; 1 Chronicles 15:13–15). Despite what seemed like good intentions, Uzzah died on the spot. Why? Because sinful man cannot casually or carelessly come near to the holy presence of God.
God’s presence was always glorious—but it wasn’t always safe.
But Then Jesus Walked In
And then we come to the Gospels. And something changes.
In Luke 5:17–26, Jesus is teaching in a packed house. Jesus was known to heal people. Four men carry their paralyzed friend but can’t get through the crowd. So what do they do? They climb the roof, break it open, and lower him down in front of Jesus. Think about that: they tore a hole in someone’s house to get into the presence of God.
And what happens? Does the man die for his irreverence? Does the presence of the Lord break out against him?
No. He lives.
If this happened during the time of Moses, and someone dared climb on top of the tabernacle and tore a hole in it to get inside….dead…without question.
Jesus looks at him, not with wrath, but with mercy. He says, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (v. 20), and then heals his body as well: “Rise, pick up your bed and go home” (v. 24). The crowd is left in awe, glorifying God.
The presence of God had come in flesh (John 1:14). The presence of God was no longer behind a veil in a tabernacle but in the form of the Man-God, Jesus (Phil 2:8), seated in a room, surrounded by the desperate, the sinful, and the broken. And instead of judgment, they received healing, forgiveness, and peace.
God Draws Near… and Now Dwells In Us
The shift that Jesus brought is staggering. His life, death, and resurrection tore the veil in the temple (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing that the way to God was now open. Hebrews 10:19–22 says we can now enter the holy places with confidence by the blood of Jesus. No more terror of judgment. Jesus bore it for us.
And even more incredibly, God’s presence doesn’t just come close—He dwells in us.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”
—1 Corinthians 6:19
Like Tony Stark’s arc reactor that keeps him alive, the Spirit of God sustains, empowers, and transforms us. But the Spirit is not a man-made invention—it is the very presence of the living God. And He does far more than keep us breathing:
He regenerates us (Titus 3:5)
He seals us for salvation (Ephesians 1:13–14)
He helps us in weakness (Romans 8:26)
He produces fruit in us (Galatians 5:22–23)
He teaches and reminds us of Christ’s words (John 14:26)
He empowers us for godliness (2 Peter 1:3)
Draw Near
James 4:8 promises: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” What a reversal. What a miracle. In Christ, nearness to God is no longer fatal—it’s life-giving. We come not in fear, but in faith. Not in shame, but in confidence. Not by our merit, but by His mercy.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”
—Hebrews 10:22
So today, don’t hesitate. Don’t hang back. Whatever you’re facing—draw near. Open His Word. Call on His name. Cry out in weakness. Come close in worship. Jesus, our High Priest, has made a way.
And He is not far off.
He’s in your heart.
And He is everything you need.