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 Previous Return to Hebrews Next 

CHRIST:  THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Hebrews 9:15-17

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Christ fulfills many roles in the New Testament.

1.      These roles are intricately tied to the sacrifice that He made on Calvary.

2.      In this section, Jesus is said to be “the mediator of the new testament” (Heb. 9:15).

a.      Jesus’ death enabled the New Testament to become operative.

b.      Jesus’ blood dedicated this new covenant.

 

B.      An outline of this section:

 

i.                    THE DOCTRINE OF TESTAMENTS (Heb. 9:15-17)

ii.                  THE DEDICATION OF TESTAMENTS (Heb. 9:18-23)

iii.                THE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE (Heb. 9:24-28)

 

I.                   THE DOCTRINE OF TESTAMENTS (Heb. 9:15-17)

 

A.    Jesus’ Role as Mediator (Heb. 9:15)

 

1.      His title:  “the mediator of the new testament” (Heb. 9:15a)

 

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament…

 

a.      “And for this cause…” 

1)      The writer had just discussed the fact that Jesus’ blood was powerful enough to cleanse the conscience.

2)      The power of His blood is also what enables Jesus to be the mediator of the new testament.

b.      Mediator

1)      Strong (3316):  a go between, internunciator

2)      Thayer:  one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant

c.       Jesus is the “go between” in regard to man and God.

d.      He established a covenant whereby they could be reconciled again.

1)      Man’s sin had made him an enemy of God (Rom. 5:10).

2)      Jesus came between them and formed a way for them to be friendly again. 

3)      His mediation involved the new testament.

2.      His triumph (Heb. 9:15b)

a.      Redeemed

 

…that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament…

 

1)      In His death, Jesus paid the price for the transgressions that were under the first testament.

a)      The first testament was the Law of Moses.

b)      Jesus enabled all of the sin committed under the Old Covenant to be forgiven.

c)      We often say that Jesus’ blood reached back to cleanse the sins of those under the Old Testament.

2)      Question:  Were the Patriarchs and the Jews lost under the Old Testament?

a)      If the blood of bulls and goats cannot forgive, and that is what those under the Old Testament offered, it would seem that they were lost.

b)      Not so.

1)      The animal sacrifices which they offered were like promissory notes, paying the price until the actual payment was made by Jesus on the cross.

2)      Thus, their sins were said to have been forgiven (Lev. 19:22).

 

And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done:  and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

 

-          The sacrifice of Jesus was so certain that sins under the Old Testament could be spoken of as being forgiven in the present.

-          In the mind of God, Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).

 

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.

 

3)      A thought:  Think of the huge number and the vast scope of sins found in the Old Testament.  In a moment of time, Jesus’ blood removed all of them from their records.  Truly, “there is power in the blood.”

b.      Rewarded

 

…they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

 

1)      God has and continues to call all men to His service.

2)      Those who answer His call are referred to as “the called.”

3)      Jesus’ blood enables the called, both of the Old Testament and the New Testament to be able to receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

4)      It is “eternal” in that it has always existed and will continue to exist (See Matt. 25:46).

5)      It is an “inheritance” because it is a reward from our heavenly Father given to His faithful children.

6)      Lesson:  Our inheritance is still a promise.  If it is a promise, it cannot be a present reality as the doctrine of once-saved always-saved affirms.

 

B.      The Requirement for a Testament (Heb. 9:16-17)

1.      Death was essential (Heb. 9:16)

 

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

 

a.      Testator

1)      Strong (1303):  to put apart, to dispose (by assignment, compact or bequest)

2)      Thayer:  to arrange, dispose of, one’s own affairs, to dispose of by will, make a testament

b.      A will can be made out long before it goes into effect.  It can also be changed and altered numerous times before the death of the testator.  It does not become operative as law until the testator dies.

c.       The death of the testator is necessary.

1)      Necessity

a)      Strong (318):  constraint

b)      Thayer:  necessity, by law of duty…

2)      The death of the testator makes the will operative, that is, effective.

2.       Death brought efficacy (Heb. 9:17)

 

For a testament is of force after men are dead:  otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

 

a.      For a testament is of “force” after men are dead.

1)      Strong (949):  stability

2)      Thayer:  stable, fast, firm

b.      Otherwise it is of no “strength” at all while the testator liveth.

1)      Strong (2480):  to have or exercise force

2)      Thayer:  to be strong, to have power, to be a force, to wield power, to be able

3.      LESSON:  There is absolutely no doubt when the New Testament came into force.  It became operative when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary (See Col. 2:14).

 

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

 

4.      NOTE:  There are commentators who do not believe that the writer is referring to the example of a last will and testament.  They argue from the standpoint of two words: testament and testator.  We will not go into their lengthy arguments on these two words.  They believe that is refers to the practice of confirming a covenant between two individuals with a sacrifice.  As long as the sacrifice is alive, the covenant is null and void.  After the covenant was sacrificed, the covenant was operative. 

a.      The word for testament can be translated either covenant or testament and is in our New Testaments.

b.      Although he has used the word as “covenant” previously in Hebrews, he can also use it as testament if the context necessitates it.  Coffman explains:

 

“The author of Hebrews is well within his rights to make a digression of the     

noted here.  His doing so strongly reminds one of Paul and his custom of

seizing upon a word or a phrase for a parenthetical development of it apart

from his main line of thought.  This appears to be exactly the case here.  The

parenthetical thought that flashed upon the author’s mind came as a result

of the word for “covenant’ which he had been using; and it was suggested by

the mention of a death that had ‘taken place’ for the redemption of the sins

under the law.  Then departing for the moment from his main argument, and

seizing upon the alternate meaning of the word, which is, ‘testament,’ he made

an independent argument for the absolute necessity of Christ’s death within

the framework of the alternate meaning” (Coffman, 202-203).

 

II.                THE DEDICATION OF THE TESTAMENTS (Heb. 9:18-23)

 

A.    The blood that dedicated the first testament (Heb. 9:18-22)

B.      The blood that dedicated the new testament (Heb. 9:23)