10/21/12. Hebrews 9:15-28. CHRIST: MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT-my devotional

Key Verse: 9:15                                                                                                                                                        Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

     Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the dawn a bright new day full of possibilities. Thank you for helping Julie and I to prepare our testimony for this marriage talk.  Help us to reveal your grace and your mercy on those who are flailing in the darkness. Lord, thank you for Sunday worship service and the home group afterwards. How great it is to worship you and fellowship with other Christians. Please empower Pastor Steve to deliver a powerful message. Help all to have attentive hearts and ears. Also help James, Steve and Mark to study the Bible today. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Part 1: The Blood of the Covenant (15-22).

Verses 15-22, “¹⁵ For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. ¹⁶ In the case of a will,it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷ because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸ This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. ¹⁹ When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” ²¹ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

This is kind of hard to understand. I think the key to it all is found in verses 16-18, “¹⁶ In the case of a will,it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷ because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸ This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. “   What is the point of the blood sacrifice? Why?  Verses 16-22 explain why blood was necessary to install a covenant. The old covenant was established in blood – the blood of animals. Blood is required because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. The shedding of blood is first revealed in Genesis. We see how God gave Adam and Eve animal skins to cover up. We see Abraham and his people making altars and sacrificing animals. We see Able offering up the fat portions of his flock. But even though we see the shedding of the blood of animals and we are not sure as to why we need to do that. The Bible says the life is in the blood. Leviticus 17:11, “¹¹ For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’” NKJ. That is all fine. But why not offer up grape juice? The life is in the juice of the grape also. We may think that a slain animal is much more valuable than juice. When we slaughter an animal it is much more of a sacrifice.

But this passage satisfies my desire to know why the blood. It is very clear. In order for a new covenant to take effect their must be the death of someone. The shedding of the blood and the anointing by the blood symbolizes the death of something. It means that, just as the will can begin to be carried out when someone dies, the covenant can begin to take affect when there is the shedding of blood. This gives us a deeper meaning as to why there is animal sacrifice. It is getting closer to the core.

We are living in the times of the New Covenant. This new covenant is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. ³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

This is the new covenant. It is like a will. It needs to be put into effect though the death of someone. Maybe they could just kill more animals. No way. They were already killing many of animals. Something new had to die. It is put into effect through the death of God’s one and only Son, Jesus. Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant through his blood by which we receive an eternal inheritance. Jesus died as a ransom to begin this new covenant. It is because God sent Jesus into this world to die that the benefits of this covenant, which is like a will, can be put into effect.

This also tells me that there is no other covenant. The blood of animals put the first covenant into effect. The blood of the Son of God put the new covenant into place. If there was a later covenant, whose blood would be worthy enough to put that one into place? There is no other blood that is worthy to shed. Therefore there is no other covenant to be put into play. This flies in the face of other religions that state that God came up with another covenant with humanity after Jesus gave us the gospel. Jesus is the only way and his blood starts the New Covenant which is in effect now and is the last one in this world.

Part 2: Jesus’ Superior Sacrifice (23-28).

Verses 23-28, “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. ²⁵ Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  ²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

The old covenant required continual animal sacrifice since animal blood wasn’t enough. But the new covenant is established on Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. He appeared for us in God’s presence. Not again and again, but once at the culmination of the ages, doing away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once and after that to face judgment because of sins, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many. We look forward to his appearing again because he will certainly bring salvation to those who place their hope faith and trust in his atoning sacrifice.

I thank God that Jesus’ blood is enough. We don’t have to sacrifice again and again. My pets can rest assured that they can live out their natural life. I can also trust that all of the benefits of the will, the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood are now being employed. The New Covenant is pouring out its blessings. And one the blessings is forgiving me of my sins and setting me free from the power of sin to live a fruitful life in the Lord and then go to spend eternity in heaven. Thank you Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you for Jesus our mediator who died to set me free from sin.
One Word: Jesus is our mediator