A Superior Mediator (9:15-10:18)

In the letter to the Hebrews  we discover a third aspect of Jesus’ superiority: that of the superior Mediator.  What does that mean for us; how is it applied to our lives?  How does it make us fit for the Kingdom, able to endure to the end?

Jesus came as the mediator of a new covenant so that “those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (9:15).  In order for us to be fit for the Kingdom, and to persevere on the road marked out for us, we need to be confident in what Jesus comes to mediate on our behalf.

A mediator speaks of conditions and promises (9:16-17), and, in our case, specifically our conditions toward God and His promises toward us.  Our conditions toward God could not be kept through the Law, and because our conditions could not be met, God couldn’t open His promises to us.  Christ came to make a way so that our conditions could be met, and so that God’s promises to us could be fulfilled.

As the Mediator, He mediates our presence.  Christ enters heaven into God’s presence and so makes a way for us (9:24).  Without Christ’s blood God does not open heaven to us and does not accept our living sacrifices.  Now though, the mediating shed blood of Christ makes us more delightful than angels!

He mediates our purity.  Throughout the letter the writer shows that any outward regulated worship fails to make the worshipper holy (10:1-4).  It wasn’t that there was something essentially wrong with the Law, but it was the sacrifices that were not efficacious enough to make anyone holy.  The annual return of the high priest proved their ineffectiveness, and worshippers continued to feel their guilt.  To live in the guilt of not having sins forgiven is a heavy burden.

This results in a vocabulary of, “I must try better next time”.  But the next time we will still fall short!  Our sacrifice would not be sufficient.  Now, however, “we have been sanctified” (10:10) indicates that at a given moment someone acted on our behalf to sanctify us, and we have become pure.  His sacrifice removes sin and breaks the power of sin.  A “next time” is not necessary.  After He removed our sin, He sat down - as God did at Creation - to allow us to live as God intended and designed us.  Christ’s sacrifice covers what has gone before, even to the creation of the world (9:26), and covers what is to come.  When He returns He will not come to remove sin - He did that the first time (9:27-28) - but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

He mediates our promises.  Every believer now receives the promised benefits (10:14-18) of right standing with God: forgiveness, a cleansed conscience, peace with God, assurance of salvation, fellowship with God and eternal life.  What amazing promises Christ mediates on our behalf!

Christ, the mediator of a new and better covenant, cleanses the conscience of those receiving salvation in order “to serve the living God” (9:14).  To be fit for the Kingdom we must learn to live in what has been mediated.  What Christ has achieved must move us from intent to action.  Intent shows desire, but action reveals commitment (cf. Jas.1:22).

The letter to the Hebrews up to this point (10:18) is the backdrop for all the specific teachings that follow.  If one were to teach of love, good works, fellowship, leadership or finances on their own, they would just blend into the surrounds of culture and life.  After all, it is not the sole mandate of Christians to talk of love or generosity or leadership.  Instead, each of the specific teachings needs to be seen, and practiced, in silhouette against the superiority of Jesus Christ - the superior originator, High Priest, and mediator.