Christ: The Mediator’s Accomplished Work

Hebrews 9:15-28

Work. That may be an unpleasant word for us to think about, especially on the Lord’s Day. For many of us we do not want to think about Monday. A new work week and the weeds that come up in our work make it unpleasant at best. But, work is not the problem. Sin is. The consequences of sin bring the difficulty in our work. But, even despite this, getting work done is satisfying, isn’t it? Have you ever had those moments in your work that you look back on what you have done and for better or worse and the task was finished? Whether it is mowing grass or managing a large corporation, accomplished work is satisfying. While many of us see our sin and depravity represented in our everyday labors we can be encouraged this morning by looking at One who not only worked and did it perfectly, but we are recipients of His finished work. Christ worked establishing a new covenant through His death and resurrection. We now have a mediator of this new covenant through His accomplished work on our behalf. Let’s look at this in three ways in this text:

1. The Recipients and their Redemption (15)
2. The Redeemers Death (16-22)
3. The Results of His Finished Work (23-28)

The Recipients and their Redemption (15)

We ended our last time together last week looking at verse 14 and how the blood of Christ has the power to clear the conscience of the guilty that they can serve the living God. Verse 15 here now tells us that in light of that, Jesus “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

So, what does it mean that Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant? A mediator is one who arbitrates in order to bring the two parties together. In our case sinful man and a Holy God. In the context of Hebrews 9:15 it was through His death. Notice, who the recipients are. “Those who are called”. Who are called? Those He is redeeming! How humbling it is that God would pluck a brand from the fire! We do not deserve it folks, He willingly called us! How is it that God has taken our sins by dying in our place? 

John 10:11 – I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 3:16 – By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

The Holy innocent One, The Lamb of God, killed for our sake. This ought to leave us in awe that He called our name! This leaves us with one response only, to praise God! Paul writes it this way in Ephesians 1:3-10 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

So, the recipient’s of Christ’s grace are also given a promised eternal inheritance. An inheritance comes when someone dies. But, notice this is an eternal inheritance, why? The One who died is eternal! 

Again as Paul explains in Ephesians 1:11-14 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

Peter speaks of it as well: 

1 Peter 1:4 “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,…”

So while this inheritance is ours and is given by Christ guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, notice it is eternal. It is now, but it will continue! What practically is given to us now? Notice here at the end of verse 15 “since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Redemption! What does redemption mean? Simply put, “to buy back”. A while back I was drinking a soda out of a glass bottle and on the bottle it mentions several states where there is a redemption value applied to them. In other words they will buy the bottle back, or if you recycle it. Christ “bought us back” from sins committed under the first covenant. Sin is dreadful. Man cannot escape it, but for those who are called, those who are redeemed are redeemed from not just the consequences of past sin, but are delivered from sin itself! Is this not the glorious truth giving us hope in the Christian life? Brothers and sisters, He has saved us from the punishment of sin, is saving us from its power and one day will save us from its very presence. We can look back and rejoice that Christ has saved us and redeemed us from past sin, but what about present sin? He is redeeming us from that too! Is this not His purpose in sanctifying us? He points out our sin, He uses the issues of life to apply pressure to bring our disgusting rebellious hearts to the surface that He might save us from ourselves! The glorious news is that He will one day deliver from the very presence of sin. We cannot begin to imagine what that will be like. 

     So we see here the recipients of this redemption in the new covenant mediated by Christ and now let’s continue by looking at our second point:

The Redeemers Death (16-22)

^“16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. ¹⁷ For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” ²¹ And 

in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. ²²Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

The word translated “covenant” in verse 15 is the same word used here in verse 16,17 translated “will”. The reason the translators did it this way is because verse 15 refers more to the religious aspects of covenant where here in 16, 17 refers more to the legal aspects of covenant. In order for a will to take effect, the one who arranged it has to die. Even then, for it to take effect certain conditions have to be met. 

“In 1928, a donor left the British government half a million pounds to clear the national debt with. Due to the terms of the will, the government cannot actually use it unless the donation completely removes all of the nation’s national debt. By modern times, the bequest is now worth over £350 million, but the national debt is still over 3,000 times that amount. Barclay’s, who are the managers of the funds, are seeking a court order to change the terms of the will to allow them to use the money to pay off some of the debt or to convert it to charitable grants.”

In the case of Christ, when Christ in His famous words from the cross said, “it is finished” (John 19:30) He ushered in this new covenant. No waiting! It was accomplished. The payment of sin was atoned for. How do we know? The veil was torn in two! There is a new covenant in His blood! Is this not what he taught the disciples at the last supper? The Institution of the Lord’s Supper with bread and wine was to remind His disciples till He returns of this New Covenant! Verse 18 says that even the first covenant had to be inaugurated by blood. The word blood is used 6 times in the next few verses narrowing our focus on the necessity of Christ’s death to accomplish God’s will. Ex. 24 is what the author of Hebrews is referencing in regards to this sprinkling of blood. Literally, everything was dripping with blood! This issue of human sin and depravity is deadly serious! It is not something to play around with. God will not be mocked, ignored, set aside, abandoned or forgotten. His holiness, perfection, greatness and sovereignty must be known and will be known. As Is. 45:23 states, …‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’  Sin is so awful and so horrible that death is required. This is why this is so serious, all have sinned! (Romans 3:23) All are sentenced to death (Romans 6:23). Knowing intellectually that Christ died to take away sin so that many could be made righteous is not the same as understanding that Christ died for you personally shedding His blood in your place. As verse 22 states, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” So, let us not take our sin lightly. Tens of thousands of people die daily going into a Christless eternity where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth forever! If the blood has not been applied, they are in their sins before a Holy God. This is something to fear! Further, Christ’s atoning work on your behalf must not be taken flippantly. How many times we have heard “Christ died for me” but how many times these words just become words. Faith activates these words in the human heart as one believes upon the Lord Jesus Christ to salvation. How great it is to know and understand the gravity of our sin, call it what it is, and then know that our Redeemer is greater. He can save, He is the only One able, will you trust Him? If Christ had not died and rose again we would still be in our sin. Praise be to God that He has indeed delivered us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son. 

Lastly, let’s look at our third and final point:

The Results of His Finished Work (23-28)

We have seen this continued theme of the earthly aspects of the tabernacle and its rites and practices being a copy of the heavenly. The heavenly things however have better sacrifices as we see in verse 23, but how so? Verse 24 says, “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” 

You see, Christ did not physically go into the temple, go behind the veil and die on the mercy seat. He went into heaven itself! This is the gospel that there is a man in heaven! Seated at God’s right hand is our Lord and Savior with nail scarred hands and a scarred side and yet He is very much alive interceding on our behalf! This is a glorious truth for those of you who struggle to understand why the Lord Jesus cannot appear to you and give you a hug in your times of grief, but He will one day! He is very much approachable and able to meet your every need. The old system required continual offering of sacrifices and this is something that Christ did not do, for His sacrifice was good once and for all. As verse 25-26 show us: “Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”  

Christ died once for all. From Adam to now and on into the future, those who look by faith unto Christ and His finished work it will be accounted to him as righteousness. This is what we call the great exchange. Our sin for His righteousness. Notice it is not just your past sin, or present sin, but your future sin. Think about that for a week or two! He knows your great future sin! In this way we experience His grace daily as we are encouraged at the work He is accomplishing. We do not look to the future with dread but with hope! Be not discouraged but encouraged as you see Christ working His grace in your life redeeming you from yourself. One day at a time, till you see Him face to face. What a thought that knowing beforehand the sin you would commit for a lifetime, He chose you in Christ! Humbling truths for our hearts to ponder. He died for you and in this sense we realize the greatness of that sacrifice each day we live as we see what He has accomplished in redeeming us. The cross seems to get bigger in our eyes the closer we get to seeing Him face to face, does it not? Each day we realize more of our great need for Him and His great redemption. Christ died once to pay the penalty for your sins and mine and yet rose from the grave and entered heaven as our high priest. Further, look at verse 27: 

²⁷ And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,…”

For the unbeliever, sin ought to bring terror as you approach God with your sin still on your head. What a fearful thing. Christians too will die, but judgement now looks different as Christ has taken up our account. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” So, scripture teaches that believers will still have a day of accounting for their lives in Christ at His judgement seat where rewards will be given and even the context of the Corinthian passage tells us that there can be a sense of loss for what we did not do. He has given His Holy Spirit in order to empower Christian living till He returns. You only have one life! How are you spending it? Are you living intentionally to see Christ glorified through you and in you? What does this look like on a daily basis? How are you advancing the gospel in ordinary ways like teaching your children or grandchildren? Are you using your influence through your work or business to make Him known? Have you kept your mouth shut when maybe it should be open? Or have you opened your mouth when it should have stayed shut? As Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Finally, verse 28: “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” 

Christ’s first coming was to deal with sin, His second to save us who are expectantly waiting on Him. Two applications here: 

1. We ought to have a fresh appreciation for Christ’s accomplished work and His daily grace seen in our lives delivering us from ourselves, sin and Satan.
2. We ought to not lose heart waiting on the Lord’s return. 

We live between two tensions. Wanting to be with the Lord and yet stay faithful in living the Christian life until He returns. Many speak of His coming soon, and indeed it is as scripture says He is coming quickly. Yet it has been 2,000 years! How much sooner is it! On the other hand, this is in God’s timing. He may wait another 1,000 years or more! How much more ought we to give ourselves to advancing the gospel in our generation. But it starts with our own hearts before Him considering afresh the great sin debt He forgave on the cross. 

       What a mediator we have of this new covenant in His accomplished work on our behalf! May the reminder of His work motivate us towards the disciplines of repenting and resisting sin, cultivating our hearts for the equipping ministry, and for gospel advancement in our community and around the world. In what ways would God be applying these truths afresh to your heart this morning? May He faithfully convict, prod, and draw each of us to Himself as made possible through His atoning work. Lets pray.