Jesus Christ: The Mediator Of The New Covenant

JESUS CHRIST: THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT

HEBREWS 9:15-22

INTRODUCTION

Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new testament or covenant. Remember: a testament or covenant is an agreement between two parties. This particular covenant is the great covenant of God, the new covenant and agreement that He has made with man. God has set up a new agreement with man. He no longer relates to man like He did centuries ago, that is, by law, by man trying to keep certain rules and regulations and thereby becoming acceptable to God. Under the old covenant of law man just could never relate to God, not adequately and not perfectly. Man was always failing to keep the law; he was always breaking his relationship to God. As a result, he was condemned and cut off from God. He never had true fellowship and communion with God, not on a continuous basis, not a fellowship and communion that met the very basic needs of man. What are those needs? What are the basic needs of man? Love and friendship with God and others. A clear heart and conscience—to be completely free of guilt—to know that his sins are truly forgiven. Deliverance from sin, evil, corruption, death, and condemnation. Absolute assurance and security that God has acccepted him and that he will live in the presence of God perfected forever.

The new covenant meets every one of these needs. It meets them through the Lord Jesus Christ—through the Mediator of the new covenant of God.

MAJOR POINTS OF THE TEXT

1. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant (v.15).

2. Argument 1: a will is not in effect until the testator’s death (v.16-17).

3. Argument 2: the institution of the first covenant shows that all things are cleansed by blood (v.18-22).

OPENING UP THE TEXT

1. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant. Remember: a mediator is a person who stands between two parties and brings them together. He is the negotiator, the go-between, the arbitrator, the middle person. This is Jesus Christ, the great mediator between God and man.

But what gives Jesus Christ the right to be the great mediator between God and man? Why is He the mediator and not some great leader of an earthly religion? What is there about Jesus Christ that makes Him so unique, that makes Him stand head and shoulders above all others when it comes to relating to God?

The death of Jesus Christ is what gives him the right to be the mediator between god and man. When Jesus Christ died, He died for all men. He sacrificed His life for everyone—no matter who they are. He took the sins of every human being upon Himself—He bore the guilt and condemnation for every person. How could He do this?

He was the Son of God who had come to earth for this very purpose. He became flesh and blood and lived as a Man upon earth. But there was one distinct difference: He never sinned. He never transgressed the law of God. He possessed the ideal, perfect righteousness. He stood before men as the Ideal Man which means that His ideal righteousness could cover man.

But something else was needed, something critical. Man had already sinned and transgressed; he already stood guilty before God. Therefore, the penalty for having broken the law had to be paid. Man had to die or else some perfect sacrifice had to step forward and die for him. As just stated, there was only one perfect and ideal person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He and He alone could step forward and bear the guilt and punishment for man. It is this that stands out above all else—this that sets Jesus Christ apart from everyone else in the universe—this that makes Jesus Christ stand head and shoulders above all others—this above all else that qualifies Him to be the great Mediator between God and man.

Jesus Christ died for man. he sacrificed himself for man. The reasons:

1). To forgive past sins. His death redeems man, frees man from sin, death, and judgment. What does this mean? When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, then Jesus Christ bore our sins; we do not have to bear them. When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our death, then Jesus Christ bore our death; we do not have to die. When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our judgment, then Jesus Christ bore our judgment; we do not have to face judgment.

2). To give an eternal inheritance. The results are glorious: our sins are forgiven and we receive an eternal inheritance. God accepts us, and we receive the glorious promise and assurance of living with Him forever and ever. We receive that for which we as men and women long and ache, WHICH IS: love and friendship with God, a clear heart and conscience, a deliverance from sin, evil, corruption, death, and condemnation, eternal life, and absolute assurance and security.