Jesus... Savior and Mediator

Hebrews 8

Under the New Covenant, God will put His laws in the mind and on hearts of His people. They will both want to obey and be given power to obey. Thus, they will have an intimate fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. This change of heart promised in the Old Testament is now made possible only by the sanctifying work of Christ the Mediator between humanity and God the Father.

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” Hebrews 8:1-6 (ESV)

Warren Wirsebe states, "We have much reason to rejoice because, “there were no chairs in the Jewish tabernacle or temple because the priests’ work was never finished. But Jesus finished the work of redemption and sat down on the throne. The Jewish priests in the temple ministered with copies and shadows, but Christ in heaven ministers in the original sanctuary from which the things on earth were copied. When you trust Christ, you enter a life of reality, and you are forever finished with substitutes.”

The system that Moses established was good and was done in obedience to God, but it was all preparatory. It was a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. It pointed forward to Jesus who obtained a superior ministry, mediating a better covenant, which is established on better promises. Readers couldn’t go back to Judaism because everything behind them was inferior to Jesus. Their only option was pursuing Christ.

Dr. Tony Evans writes, “A covenant is a special agreement that God makes with his people. It is a divinely created, relational bond through which God reveals himself and administers his kingdom program. The old covenant made with the people of Israel was good, but it was also temporary and weak because God had something better in store.”

“God promised that under the new covenant he would put [his] laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. Therefore, you as a follower of Jesus now have the capacity to experience God and obey him. But while every Christian has this ability, not every Christian has developed it.” (Dr. Tony Evans)

Dr. Harold Wilmington shares the Old vs. the New Covenant and lists why the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ is so much better. He writes in his Handbook to the Bible, “The earthly priests of Israel were a mere shadow of Christ, our eternal Priest in heaven, who has offered up himself. God’s first covenant with Israel was imperfect, thus the need for a new one, as predicted by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31–34). God led Israel by the hand-out of Egypt, only to see them rebel against him. Now he writes his laws on hearts, resulting in total obedience.”

The Old Covenant
•​was mediated by Moses (see Exod. 19)
•​was conditional (see Deut. 28)
•​was written on dead stones (see Exod. 32:15)
•​didn’t produce righteousness (8:8–9; see Rom. 3:20 and exposition on Rom. 7:7–25)

The New Covenant
•​is mediated by Christ (see 9:15; John 1:17)
•​is unconditional (8:9–10)
•​is written on living hearts (8:10)
•​does produce righteousness (8:11; see exposition on Rom. 3:21–26)

Who are the recipients of this New Covenant? There are at least four theories:
•​The church has replaced Israel in God’s plan and is the sole recipient of the New Covenant.
•​The New Covenant is with the nation of Israel only.
•​There are two New Covenants, one for Israel and the other for the church.
•​There is one New Covenant, which applies in different ways to Israel and the church.
Of these four views, the third is possible, but the fourth seems most probable (Jer. 31:31–34 and Rom. 11:11–32)”

Wiersbe continues to call us to rejoice exceedingly because, “the law of Moses was given to the children of Israel as a tutor to help them grow up and be prepared for their Messiah’s coming.

“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Gal. 4:1–7 (ESV)

They were like children; God had to take them by the hand and lead them. But the new covenant, with its heavenly priesthood, leads us to spiritual maturity: God puts His Word in our hearts and transforms our character.

“Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:1–3 (ESV)

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

Dr. Evans writes, “If no one’s life is being changed at a local church, then the ministry taking place there lacks validation. A church’s goal is not the installation of nice carpets and comfortable pews, but the life-transforming work of producing kingdom disciple.”

Are you being transformed into the image of Jesus day by day? Is the Word of God being written on your heart as you study and meditate on His preserved Word? How are you discipling others from the validation of His penmanship?

Today, know that the New Covenant is perfect for the church, for you. It secures eternal freedom and it’s validated by Jesus Christ’s perfect sinless sacrificial life, death on the Cross, resurrection from the dead, and ascension to the right hand of the Throne of God.

---