Recall in 1-14 we saw the better sacrifice , now we will dig more into the Better Mediator.

1. The necessity of death

2. The Validation of the Mosaic covenant

3. The Validation of the New Covenant

Heb 9:15 And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.

Sin put up a death barrier between mankind and God. Jesus Christ removed that barrier with his death so that we can pass through, have access to God. The basis of Jesus mediatorship is plainly spelled out; it is by means of his sacrificial redeeming death.

NOTE: verse 15 says “ a death took place for the redemption of transgressions,(get this) under the first covenant! So that the blood Christ shed at his death on Calvary is sufficient for every sin PAST as well as present and future.

That is: All who had faith in God before Christ are also cleansed by his sacrifice.

Without the New Covenant The Jews could never receive the promises of the Abrahamic covenant because sin was not expiated by the old covenant. Look at Romans 3:25-26 ( Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; )

The death of animals only covered sins., but in Jesus Christ our sins are gone.

Verse 16 continues: For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

For, goes back to the thought “by means of death” in verse 15 and he is explaining why he said death was the means of inaugurating the new covenant. For/ because where there is a testament there must also be a death.

That is the movie theme that brings about so many murders. A hoard of greedy relatives waiting for the old man to pass on so they can get what’s coming to them. But they can’t have it until he’s dead.

A death has to take place to validate a will.

So, verse 17 ( For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive)

When A testator dies the will becomes valid, you can’t get aunt Tillie’s Afghan until she leaves them for you after she dies. Try 17 before 16 and the relatives will tear you to shreds.

But a properly made will to rightful heirs will stand.

So we see that to have a valid will 1.that a death is necessary.

Secondly note the validating of the Mosaic Covenant 18-22.

Heb 9:18 So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

Verse 18 points out that even the old covenant had this aspect, it also took bloodshed, or death to be validated. Turn back with me to Exodus 24:3-8 and see this. ( Moses came and told the people all the LORD's words and all the decisions. All the people answered together, "We are willing to do all the words that the LORD has said," and Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones — according to the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls for peace offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he splashed on the altar. He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, "We are willing to do and obey all that the LORD has spoken." So Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." )SO death preceded validation.

A note: when this letter speaks of death it refers to bloodshed or blood, just any death wouldn’t do, wouldn’t fit God’s plan. It had to involve bloodshed if it was to result in the remission of sins.

In verses 19-21 He summarizes what we read in Exodus 24, but verse 19 includes features NOT IN Exodus 24. In this summary, Moses sprinkles NOT on the altar or the people, but on the book and on the people as well. In Exodus he only mentions blood but here it is further said to be with water, scarlet wool and hyssop.

Now Hyssop (Marjoram) is generally how they applied blood.

If you recall Passover in Exodus 12:22.

The water and the red wool came from the ritual of the red heifer in Numbers 19 and it looks as though the features of that ritual cleansing are associated with the ratification of the ancient covenant.

We do not know exactly how the writer got this information, oral tradition or what, but we do know that God is sanctioning it here. Besides the main point is that blood was needed to inaugurate the old covenant.

Now verse 22 is a parenthetical statement broadened out to more than one occasion of sacrifice. Shows that the blood was needed not only for the inauguration of the covenant but for continual cleansing as well.

Note that it says “Almost all things?” There were some times grain offerings for poor people, but he closes verse 22 saying, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission, no forgiveness of sin.”

So we see that for a covenant, a testament, a death is necessary, that the validation of the old covenant was with blood, Thirdly we’ll see the validation of the New covenant in verses 23-28.

23: THEREFORE: Since testaments must have blood, Since without] the shedding of blood is no forgiveness, therefore it was necessary that the Pattern of the Heavenly ,That is, the Old covenant, Old sacrifices, Old Priesthood, the shadow was purified by these (reference verses 19-21 THE VARIOUS BLOOD SACRIFICES) But the real, the heavenly things, sanctuary, covenant and priest had to be inaugurated by a better sacrifice.

Verse 24: Why? Because Christ isn’t entered into an earthly sanctuary, the shadow or figure of things to come, the anti type of the real, but Christ entered the real, heaven itself, standing in the very presence of God for us (1 jn 2:1) OUR advocate, Jesus the son.

V 25: The Old Testament priests didn’t offer their own blood, they offered animal blood. They entered year after year with these less than adequate sacrifices. But not so Jesus Christ. HE is NOT continually offering himself up. Look at verse 26 If he had to do that then it would have had to be continually since the founding of the world. But not so’ for in these last days he came ONCE! Why? To cover sin? NO! to PUT AWAY sin. Not by the inferior sacrifices of verse 25, but by his sinless self offered to God in our behalf.

What the death of multitudes of other sacrifices couldn’t do, Jesus Christ alone, by himself , did once for all, purging is from sin occasioned by man’s fall. The blood of bulls and goats could not forgive, but the precious blood of Jesus gave us freedom form the curse. If you have heart faith, not just intellectual assent, but abiding faith in this sacrifice, you are forever forgiven.

In verses 27-28 is an analogy, a comparison and contrast. Men die once and appear a second time for their own judgment, but verse 28 says Jesus was offered once not to just die, but to bear the sins of many. He too will appear a second time , not for the purpose of bearing sin, but to take us away with him.

So, we die, we are judged. HE died to take the penalty for that judgment and to save us.

Let’s sum up what we have covered.

1. To have a valid will a death has to take place.

2. Since a death is necessary, the Old Covenant had to be validated with bloodshed, animal sacrifices, temporary coverings for sins.

3.But the New Covenant, being better and permanent cost the blood of God in the flesh, the Son, who alone among men walked a sinless path and died once to be your savior.

The Heart is the seat of faith. The mind is the seat of rhetoric and logic. As God himself lets you know what is and isn’t true, it is up to you to respond.

　

Amen

Nealley's Corner Church
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