Hebrews 9:15
Verse
Context
Redemption through His Blood
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!15Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Sermons
Art Katz
Leonard Ravenhill
Pat Kenney
Chip Brogden
G.W. NorthSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
And for this cause - Some translate δια τουτο, on account of this (blood.) Perhaps it means no more than a mere inference, such as therefore, or wherefore. He is the Mediator of the new testament - There was no proper reason why our translators should render διαθηκη by testament here, when in almost every other case they render it covenant, which is its proper ecclesiastical meaning, as answering to the Hebrew ברית berith, which see largely explained, Gen 15:10, and in other places of the Pentateuch. Very few persons are satisfied with the translation of the following verses to the 20th, particularly the 16th and 17th; at all events the word covenant must be retained. He - Jesus Christ, is Mediator; the μεσιτης, or mediator, was the person who witnessed the contract made between the two contracting parties, slew the victim, and sprinkled each with its blood. Of the new testament - The new contract betwixt God and the whole human race, by Christ Jesus the Mediator, distinguished here from the old covenant between God and the Israelites, in which Moses was the mediator. That by means of death - His own death upon the cross. For the redemption of the transgressions - To make atonement for the transgressions which were committed under the old covenant, which the blood of bulls and calves could not do; so the death of Jesus had respect to all the time antecedent to it, as well as to all the time afterward till the conclusion of the world. They which are called - The Gentiles, might receive the promise - might, by being brought into a covenant with God, have an equal right with the Jews, not merely to an inheritance such as the promised land, but to an eternal inheritance, and consequently infinitely superior to that of the Jews, inasmuch as the new covenant is superior in every point of view to the old. How frequently the Gentiles are termed οἱ κλητοι and οἱ κεκλημενοι, the called, all St. Paul's writings show. And they were thus termed because they were called and elected in the place of the Jews, the ancient called and elect, who were now divorced and reprobated because of their disobedience.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
for this cause--Because of the all-cleansing power of His blood, this fits Him to be Mediator (Heb 8:6, ensuring to both parties, God and us, the ratification) of the new covenant, which secures both forgiveness for the sins not covered by the former imperfect covenant or testament, and also an eternal inheritance to the called. by means of death--rather, as Greek, "death having taken place." At the moment that His death took place, the necessary effect is, "the called receive the (fulfilment of the) promise" (so Luk 24:49 uses "promise"; Heb 6:15; Act 1:4); that moment divides the Old from the New Testament. The "called" are the elect "heirs," "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Heb 3:1). redemption of . . . transgressions . . . under . . . first testament--the transgressions of all men from Adam to Christ, first against the primitive revelation, then against the revelations to the patriarchs, then against the law given to Israel, the representative people of the world. The "first testament" thus includes the whole period from Adam to Christ, and not merely that of the covenant with Israel, which was a concentrated representation of the covenant made with (or the first testament given to) mankind by sacrifice, down from the fall to redemption. Before the inheritance by the New Testament (for here the idea of the "INHERITANCE," following as the result of Christ's "death," being introduced, requires the Greek to be translated "testament," as it was before covenant) could come in, there must be redemption of (that is, deliverance from the penalties incurred by) the transgressions committed under the first testament, for the propitiatory sacrifices under the first testament reached only as far as removing outward ceremonial defilement. But in order to obtain the inheritance which is a reality, there must be a real propitiation, since God could not enter into covenant relation with us so long as past sins were unexpiated; Rom 3:24-25, "a propitiation . . . His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past." might--Greek, "may receive," which previously they could not (Heb 11:39-40). the promise--to Abraham.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament,.... See Gill on Heb 7:22, See Gill on Heb 8:6, See Gill on Heb 8:8. This may refer both to what goes before, and what follows after; for Christ, that he might offer himself to God, and by his blood purge the consciences of his people from dead works, that so they might serve the living God, became the Mediator of the New Testament, or covenant; and also he took upon him this character and office, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance; Christ became the Mediator of the New Testament, and assumed human nature that he might die, and by dying might obtain redemption for his people; not only for those that were then in the world, or should be in it, but also for all those that had been in it. "The first testament" is the first dispensation of the covenant of grace, reaching from the first promulgation of it to Adam after the fall, to the death of Christ; "the transgressions" that were under it are the sins of the saints who lived under that dispensation, froth Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Christ, and takes in all their iniquities of every kind: and the "redemption" of these, or from these, by Christ, at and through his death, does not suppose that there was no remission of sins, or justification from them, under that dispensation; or that the Old Testament saints did not go to heaven, but were detained in a prison, till redeemed by the death of Christ; or that their sins were only redeemed, not their persons; for transgressions may stand for transgressors; and so the Syriac version renders it, "that by his death he might be a redemption for them who transgressed the first testament"; so the Jews say, that the Messiah must die "to redeem the fathers" (b): but the sense is, that though legal sacrifices could not atone for sin, nor ceremonial ablutions cleanse from them; yet the sins of Old Testament saints were expiated, their iniquities pardoned, and they justified and saved, through the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; whose death is a redemption from transgressions past, present, and to come; whose blood is the ransom price for them, and was shed for the remission of them, even of sins that are past through the forbearance of God; who took the surety's word for the performance of all this, which in the fulness of time he strictly fulfilled, to the satisfaction of law and justice; see Rom 3:25 and the ultimate end of Christ's being a Mediator, and dying for such purposes, was, that called ones might receive the promised inheritance: by the "eternal inheritance", is meant heaven, which is by gift and bequest, belongs to children only, and comes through the death of Christ; and is a very substantial, plentiful, and glorious one; it is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, and as here, "eternal"; it was prepared from the foundation of the world, and will continue for ever; and it may be so called, to distinguish it from the inheritance of the land of Canaan, or any temporal one: "the promise" of this was made before the world began, and was put into the hands of Christ, the surety of the better testament, by whose death the heirs of it come to enjoy both the promise, and the thing promised; and they are such who are "called", not merely externally, but internally and effectually; by whom were meant, not Abraham and his natural seed, nor the Old Testament saints only, but all that are called with an holy calling, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who will enjoy both the promise of the inheritance, and that itself, in a way of "receiving": every word shows this affair to be all of grace; it is an "inheritance", and therefore the Father's gift; it is by "promise", and so of grace; and it is "received", and so freely given, and not merited; and only such who are "called" by grace possess it; and yet it is through the death of Christ, that so it might be received in a way consistent with the justice of God. (b) R. Moses Haddarsan apud Galatin. l. 8. c. 20.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses the apostle considers the gospel under the notion of a will or testament, the new or last will and testament of Christ, and shows the necessity and efficacy of the blood of Christ to make this testament valid and effectual. I. The gospel is here considered as a testament, the new and last will and testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is observable that the solemn transactions that pass between God and man are sometimes called a covenant, here a testament. A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties about things that are in their own power, or may be so, and this either with or without a mediator; this agreement takes effect at such time and in such manner as therein declared. A testament is a voluntary act and deed of a single person, duly executed and witnessed, bestowing legacies on such legatees as are described and characterized by the testator, and which can only take effect upon his death. Now observe, Christ is the Mediator of a New Testament (Heb 9:15); and he is so for several ends and purposes here mentioned. 1. To redeem persons from their transgressions committed against the law or first testament, which makes every transgression a forfeiture of liberty, and makes men debtors, and slaves or prisoners, who need to be redeemed. 2. To qualify all those that are effectually called to receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. These are the great legacies that Christ by his last will and testament has bequeathed to the truly characterized legatees. II. To make this New Testament effectual, it was necessary that Christ should die; the legacies accrue by means of death. This he proves by two arguments: - 1. From the general nature of every will or testamentary disposition, Heb 9:16. Where a testament is, where it acts and operates, there must of necessity by the death of the testator; till then the property is still in the testator's hand, and he has power to revoke, cancel, or alter, his will as he pleases; so that no estate, no right, is conveyed by will, till the testator's death has made it unalterable and effectual. 2. From the particular method that was taken by Moses in the ratification of the first testament, which was not done without blood, Heb 9:18, Heb 9:19, etc. All men by sin had become guilty before God, had forfeited their inheritance, their liberties, and their very lives, into the hands of divine justice; but God, being willing to show the greatness of his mercy, proclaimed a covenant of grace, and ordered it to be typically administered under the Old Testament, but not without the blood and life of the creature; and God accepted the blood of bulls and goats, as typifying the blood of Christ; and by these means the covenant of grace was ratified under the former dispensation. The method taken by Moses, according to the direction he had received from God, is here particularly related (1.) Moses spoke every precept to all the people, according to the law, Heb 9:19. He published to them the tenour of the covenant, the duties required, the rewards promised to those who did their duty, and the punishment threatened against the transgressors, and he called for their consent to the terms of the covenant; and this in an express manner. (2.) Then he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and applied this blood by sprinkling it. This blood and water signified the blood and water that came out of our Saviour's pierced side, for justification and sanctification, and also shadowed forth the two sacraments of the New Testament, baptism and the Lord's supper, with scarlet wool, signifying the righteousness of Christ with which we must be clothed, the hyssop signifying that faith by which we must apply all. Now with these Moses sprinkled, [1.] The book of the law and covenant, to show that the covenant of grace is confirmed by the blood of Christ and made effectual to our good. [2.] The people, intimating that the shedding of the blood of Christ will be no advantage to us if it be not applied to us. And the sprinkling of both the book and the people signified the mutual consent of both parties, God and man, and their mutual engagements to each other in this covenant through Christ, Moses at the same time using these words, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. This blood, typifying the blood of Christ, is the ratification of the covenant of grace to all true believers. [3.] He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the utensils of it, intimating that all the sacrifices offered up and services performed there were accepted only through the blood of Christ, which procures the remission of that iniquity that cleaves to our holy things, which could not have been remitted but by that atoning blood.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
9:15 the one who mediates: This term refers to an arbiter in a difficult legal dispute or political disagreement. In the old covenant, Moses and the angels were understood as mediators between God and the people (Gal 3:19-20). In the new covenant, Christ mediates the relationship between God and people by his sacrificial death (Heb 8:6; 12:24; Rom 6:23; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Pet 3:18) and ongoing intercession (Heb 7:25).
Hebrews 9:15
Redemption through His Blood
14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!15Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Covenant Consciousness
By Art Katz2.1K53:47Covenant Of GodGEN 1:3JER 31:7MAT 6:33ACT 9:3ROM 8:22EPH 1:9HEB 9:15In this sermon, the preacher quotes from Karl Barth, a Swiss German theologian, who emphasizes the inseparable connection between creation and covenant. According to Barth, God's act of creation is a gift and an expression of His love, with the purpose of establishing a covenant with His people. The preacher highlights that Israel is the first nation chosen by God and that the terms of the covenant are stated by Him. The sermon also emphasizes the significance of light in creation, as it represents God's will and the declaration of life.
Ravenhill Humor - Our Inheritance
By Leonard Ravenhill1.9K00:19Ravenhill HumorEternal PromisesSpiritual InheritanceROM 8:17EPH 1:11COL 3:24HEB 9:151PE 1:4Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the incredible nature of our spiritual inheritance, which is incorruptible and undefiled, contrasting it with the fleeting and corruptible things of this world. He uses humor to engage the audience, likening their response to auctioneering to a deaf and dumb crowd, highlighting the importance of recognizing and valuing this divine gift. Ravenhill encourages believers to appreciate the eternal promise that awaits them, which is beyond comparison to earthly possessions.
Growing in the Grace of God #01 - the New Covenant Part 1
By Bob Hoekstra1.4K34:55MAT 6:33LUK 22:202CO 3:4HEB 9:15The video is an introduction to a biblical study on growing in the grace of God through the New Covenant. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the message of the law and its limitations. He explains that the law was never intended to fulfill certain things and using it inappropriately can lead to spiritual death. The purpose of the course is to explore how the grace of God enables believers to grow and serve effectively in Christ.
Hebrews 9 & 10
By Pat Kenney1.2K1:04:26HebrewsHEB 8:6HEB 9:15HEB 9:22HEB 9:27HEB 10:23HEB 10:25HEB 10:39In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the challenges faced by Christians in some countries, particularly in Muslim nations, where embracing Christ or preaching about Him can result in persecution and even death. Despite these difficulties, the speaker highlights the importance of following Jesus and not being swayed by worldly trends or fads. The speaker expresses gratitude for the Word of God, stating that it is perfect and needs no improvement. The sermon also emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant over the old covenant, highlighting the significance of Jesus' coming and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. The speaker encourages believers to walk in the light and allow their lives to be shaped by the teachings of the Bible, which will lead to growth and transformation.
Introduction to Hebrews
By Chip Brogden1.1K31:44ExpositionalHEB 1:1HEB 4:12HEB 8:6HEB 9:15HEB 10:19HEB 12:2HEB 13:8In this video, Chip Brogdon introduces a new study on the book of Hebrews. He highlights the importance of understanding the contrast and comparison between the old and new covenants. The purpose of the letter is to encourage the Hebrews to stand firm in their faith and not be tempted to return to Judaism. The book of Hebrews is about 13 chapters long, and Chip invites viewers to read through it to gain a deeper understanding of the new covenant and how to live in it.
Growing in the Grace of God #15 - Contrasts Between the Old & New Covenant Part 1
By Bob Hoekstra85955:28MAT 6:33ROM 6:142CO 3:62CO 3:14GAL 3:24HEB 8:6HEB 9:15In this sermon, the speaker discusses the difference between the old and new covenants in relation to the ministry of death and the ministry of life. He emphasizes that the old covenant serves up spiritual death, while the new covenant is a life-giving ministry. The speaker highlights the importance of living by the spirit of God and applying His grace in our daily lives. He also emphasizes the role of faith in accessing God's grace and the sufficiency that comes from trusting in Him.
The Reluctant God - Part 6
By G.W. North6351:30:58MosesEXO 17:1EXO 24:7MAT 6:33JHN 6:31JHN 7:37HEB 9:15In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of leaders inspiring others to move forward in difficult times. He uses the example of Moses leading the Israelites through the wilderness, highlighting how Moses did not rely on lengthy sermons or pep talks to motivate the people. Instead, Moses showed his commitment by going ahead of the people and demonstrating his trust in God. The speaker also references the moment when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to meet with God, and how the people became anxious and uncertain about his return. Overall, the sermon emphasizes the need for leaders to lead by example and inspire others to keep moving forward, even in challenging circumstances.
A New Covenant
By Paris Reidhead38122:20New CovenantISA 43:18JER 31:31EZK 36:26MAT 26:26HEB 8:5HEB 8:13HEB 9:15In this sermon, the preacher talks about his experience in a village where he encountered people who had been prepared to receive the message of Jesus. He emphasizes the importance of sharing the story of Jesus with those who have not heard it before. The preacher also highlights the pride of the Israelites in their covenant and revelation, but their lack of action. God, however, promises to do a new thing and bring salvation to nations considered unclean and pagan. The preacher connects this promise to the new covenant established by Jesus, as mentioned in 1 Peter chapter 2.
The Great Inheritance
By T. Austin-Sparks0Spiritual WarfareInheritanceJOS 1:6LUK 12:32ACT 20:32ACT 26:18ROM 6:4EPH 3:20COL 1:12COL 3:1HEB 9:151PE 1:4T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the significance of the inheritance in the life of believers, drawing parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He explains that the inheritance is not merely a reward but the very essence of redemption, which encompasses past, present, and future salvation. Sparks warns that many may miss this inheritance, just as the majority of Israel did in the wilderness, and stresses the necessity of a circumcised heart and spiritual readiness to claim it. He highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to overcome spiritual battles and take possession of their inheritance. Ultimately, he encourages the congregation to be strong and courageous in their pursuit of God's promises.
Mediatorship of Christ
By Charles Finney0Reconciliation with GodMediatorship of ChristJHN 3:16JHN 14:6ACT 4:12ROM 5:1ROM 10:92CO 5:18EPH 2:18COL 1:201TI 2:5HEB 9:15Charles Finney emphasizes the vital role of Christ as the sole mediator between God and humanity, explaining that a mediator reconciles conflicting parties and is essential when a controversy exists. He outlines the qualifications necessary for a mediator, including understanding the controversy, possessing the confidence of both parties, and being willing to fulfill the conditions for reconciliation. Finney applies these principles to Christ, illustrating how His dual nature as both God and man uniquely qualifies Him to mediate between the offended God and sinful humanity. He urges listeners to accept Christ's mediatorial work and fulfill the conditions of repentance and faith for salvation, highlighting the urgency of making a decision regarding their relationship with God.
The Better Covenant
By Watchman Nee0New CovenantGrace Of GodJER 31:31LUK 22:20JHN 1:16ROM 5:202CO 3:6GAL 3:13EPH 2:8HEB 8:6HEB 9:151PE 1:10Watchman Nee emphasizes the significance of the New Covenant, which is abundant in God's grace. He expresses concern that many believers do not fully appreciate or understand this covenant, leading to a burden to share messages about it. Nee acknowledges the vastness of the New Covenant's richness, recognizing that human understanding is limited. He prays for God's grace to help believers grasp the essence of the New Covenant and experience its spiritual reality. The sermon serves as an invitation to delve deeper into the transformative power of God's grace through the New Covenant.
Fact, Faith, and Experience
By Watchman Nee0Spiritual InheritanceGraceFaithROM 4:4EPH 2:8HEB 9:15Watchman Nee emphasizes the relationship between fact, faith, and experience in the context of God's grace. He explains that salvation and all spiritual blessings are accomplished by God and are facts that believers must acknowledge through faith. Faith acts as a means to 'cash in' on these facts, allowing believers to experience the fullness of what God has provided. Nee illustrates this with the example of an inheritance, where the ownership of the inheritance is a fact, but the enjoyment of it requires active faith and participation. Ultimately, he calls believers to recognize their position in Christ and to actively utilize their spiritual inheritance through faith.
Of Christ, the Testator of the Covenant.
By John Gill0Covenant of GraceChrist as TestatorMAT 26:28HEB 9:15John Gill expounds on Christ as the Testator of the Covenant, emphasizing that the covenant of grace is akin to a testament, established by God's sovereign will and not by obligation. He illustrates that Christ, as both the testator and executor, has the authority to dispense blessings to His people, which are secured through His death. The sermon highlights the eternal nature of this covenant, its unalterable promises, and the significance of Christ's sacrifice in validating the testament. Gill also notes that the Holy Spirit serves as a witness to this covenant, ensuring believers' assurance of their inheritance. Ultimately, the covenant is a testament of grace, freely given to the elect without any merit on their part.
Thou Shalt Eat Bread at My Table Continually.
By F.B. Meyer0Covenant RelationshipGod's Grace1SA 20:142SA 9:7PSA 23:5LUK 14:15JHN 1:12ROM 5:1GAL 3:26EPH 2:8HEB 9:151PE 2:9F.B. Meyer emphasizes the profound blessings of God's love through the story of Mephibosheth, who, despite his lameness and perceived worthlessness, is invited to eat at King David's table. This invitation is not based on Mephibosheth's merit but on the covenant between David and Jonathan, illustrating how believers are welcomed into God's presence through their faith in Jesus Christ. Meyer encourages listeners to recognize their own spiritual lameness and to rely on the covenant established by Christ, which grants them a place at God's table as heirs of His kingdom. The sermon highlights the importance of faith and the grace that allows us to partake in God's blessings.
Better Than Gold
By A.W. Tozer0Faith in GodDivine InheritanceMAT 5:12ROM 8:171CO 2:92CO 5:1GAL 4:7EPH 1:11HEB 9:15JAS 1:121PE 1:4REV 21:4A.W. Tozer emphasizes that every Christian should recognize the incredible promises of an eternal inheritance from God, which is not based on personal merit but on our faith and relationship with Him. This divine inheritance is a gift from the One who owns everything, given to those He delights to honor. Tozer reminds us that our status as children of God grants us rights to this inheritance, which is recorded in heaven. He highlights that the blessings prepared for those who love God are beyond human imagination, encouraging believers to trust in God's generous promises.
God's New Israel - Part 5
By T. Austin-Sparks0Spiritual WarfareInheritanceJOS 1:6LUK 12:32ACT 20:32ACT 26:18ROM 6:4EPH 3:20COL 1:12COL 3:1HEB 9:151PE 1:4T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the significance of the inheritance in God's New Israel, drawing parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He explains that the inheritance is central to understanding redemption and salvation, highlighting that many who left Egypt did not enter the promised land due to disobedience. Sparks urges believers to recognize their identity as heirs and the importance of a circumcised heart for entering into their inheritance. He stresses that spiritual battles will arise as believers pursue their inheritance, but they must remain courageous, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the inheritance represents the Kingdom of God, which believers are called to inherit and reign with Christ.
The Everlasting Covenant
By A.W. Pink0Grace and SalvationCovenant TheologyGEN 3:152SA 23:5ISA 42:6MAL 3:1JHN 8:56EPH 2:12PHP 4:19HEB 8:10HEB 9:15REV 13:8A.W. Pink expounds on 'The Everlasting Covenant,' illustrating how God's plan for salvation was established before the foundation of the world, with Christ as the mediator. He emphasizes that the covenants made with figures like Noah, Abraham, and David were manifestations of this eternal covenant, revealing God's grace and mercy. Pink highlights that these covenants were unconditional promises from God, fulfilled through Christ's sacrificial work, ensuring the salvation of the elect. The sermon underscores the significance of understanding the covenant relationship between the Father and the Son, which is foundational to grasping the fullness of God's redemptive plan. Ultimately, Pink calls believers to appreciate their inclusion in this everlasting covenant of grace.
God the Son: His Substitutionary Death
By Lewis Sperry Chafer0ISA 53:6MAT 20:28JHN 3:16ROM 3:25ROM 4:25ROM 5:82CO 5:152CO 5:21HEB 9:15HEB 9:28Lewis Sperry Chafer delves into the concept of substitution in the death of Christ, emphasizing that through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, He bore the righteous judgments of God against sinners, fully satisfying God and leaving nothing for sinners to do but to believe in this good news and claim Christ as their personal Savior. The death of Christ is multifaceted, serving as a redemption, a necessary penalty, an offering for sin, an act of obedience, and a priestly mediation that reconciles the world to God, removing all moral hindrances to saving sinners. Christ's death as a substitute for sinners is the ground of assurance for salvation, requiring a personal conviction that one's own sin has been borne by Christ, leading to relief, joy, and appreciation.
The One Mediator!
By James Smith0JHN 14:6ROM 5:1GAL 3:19EPH 2:18COL 1:191TI 2:5HEB 9:15HEB 12:241JN 2:1James Smith preaches on the essential role of Jesus Christ as the one and only Mediator between God and humanity. Sin has separated God and man, and only through a Mediator can reconciliation and unity be achieved. Jesus, being both God and man, is the perfect Mediator who can approach God on behalf of humanity and reconcile them through His obedience, death, gospel, and Holy Spirit.
Warrant of Scripture for the Mystical View of Things Natural
By J.H. Newman0GEN 17:27PSA 139:23JHN 14:1ROM 1:20HEB 9:15In 1631, a preacher delves into the deep mystical import attributed by Christian Antiquity to the entire material world and all its parts, drawing inspiration from the Bible and early Christian Fathers. The sermon explores the use of external things as symbols of spiritual truths, supported by scriptural references and the intricate symbolism found in the Mosaic Ritual. It highlights the complex and fixed nature of sacred symbols, the direct encouragement from the Bible for symbolical interpretations of nature, and the indirect support from the preference for poetic forms of language in divine revelation.
Hebrews 9:15-23
By St. John Chrysostom0MAT 26:28JHN 8:18JHN 13:34JHN 14:23JHN 15:26JHN 17:24ROM 8:382CO 6:16EPH 6:11PHP 3:20HEB 9:15John Chrysostom preaches about the significance of Christ as the Mediator of the New Testament, emphasizing how His death brought redemption and the promise of an eternal inheritance to believers. He explains the concept of a testament, illustrating how Christ's death secured the New Testament and purified believers. Chrysostom highlights the heavenly nature of believers and the need to rise above earthly concerns to dwell in spiritual heights. He encourages the congregation to pursue virtue and willfully choose the path to heavenly inheritance through Christ.
Notes on the Book of Ruth - Part 2
By T. Austin-Sparks0DEU 23:3ROM 3:24ROM 5:8ROM 8:111CO 1:30GAL 2:20EPH 1:14COL 1:27HEB 9:151PE 1:3T. Austin-Sparks preaches on the importance of embracing the resurrection by faith and leaving behind the cursed land of Moab, symbolizing a life under judgment and hopelessness. Through the story of Ruth, he illustrates the journey from a state of lost inheritance and hopelessness to redemption in Christ Jesus, emphasizing the vital union with the Redeemer as the core of salvation. He highlights the need to let go of self-efforts and allow the Redeeming Kinsman, Jesus Christ, to take over, waiting patiently for us to acknowledge His sole ability to save and redeem.
What Is So Good About Good Friday
By Bishop M.A. Lalachan0MAT 27:46LUK 23:34JHN 14:6JHN 19:26JHN 19:30ROM 5:8HEB 9:151JN 4:19Bishop M.A. Lalachan reflects on the significance of Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross, emphasizing the profound sacrifice and love demonstrated by Jesus in facing God's wrath for the sins of humanity. Through the seven powerful statements Jesus made on the cross, we witness His unconditional love, grace, forgiveness, and ultimate trust in God, culminating in the victory over evil and death. Jesus' crucifixion serves as a beacon of light, calling us to choose compassion, forgiveness, and love over darkness, resentment, and revenge, ultimately showing us the way to conquer evil through good.
Of Christ, the Mediator of the Covenant.
By John Gill0ReconciliationMediation of ChristJHN 3:16ACT 20:28ROM 5:102CO 5:19EPH 2:18COL 1:211TI 2:5HEB 8:6HEB 9:15HEB 12:24John Gill expounds on Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant, emphasizing His unique role in reconciling God and humanity. He explains that Christ, being both fully divine and fully human, is the only suitable mediator who can bridge the gap caused by sin. Gill highlights that Christ's mediation involves not only intercession but also the satisfaction of divine justice through His sacrifice. He asserts that this reconciliation restores the relationship between God and the elect, who were once alienated due to sin. Ultimately, Gill underscores the necessity of Christ's dual nature for His mediatorial work, affirming that He is the sole mediator for both Jews and Gentiles.
Christ Did Not Die in Vain
By Robert Traill0JHN 1:17ROM 3:20ROM 8:3GAL 2:21GAL 3:10GAL 3:21GAL 5:2HEB 7:18HEB 9:15Robert Traill preaches on the significance of not seeking righteousness through the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that seeking righteousness through the law frustrates the grace of God and renders Christ's death meaningless. Traill delves into the impossibility of attaining righteousness through the law due to the law's condemnation of sin and the inability of man to fulfill its requirements. He highlights the necessity and purpose of Christ's death in fulfilling God's decree, covenant, and scriptures, bringing everlasting righteousness and purchasing grace and glory for believers.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
And for this cause - Some translate δια τουτο, on account of this (blood.) Perhaps it means no more than a mere inference, such as therefore, or wherefore. He is the Mediator of the new testament - There was no proper reason why our translators should render διαθηκη by testament here, when in almost every other case they render it covenant, which is its proper ecclesiastical meaning, as answering to the Hebrew ברית berith, which see largely explained, Gen 15:10, and in other places of the Pentateuch. Very few persons are satisfied with the translation of the following verses to the 20th, particularly the 16th and 17th; at all events the word covenant must be retained. He - Jesus Christ, is Mediator; the μεσιτης, or mediator, was the person who witnessed the contract made between the two contracting parties, slew the victim, and sprinkled each with its blood. Of the new testament - The new contract betwixt God and the whole human race, by Christ Jesus the Mediator, distinguished here from the old covenant between God and the Israelites, in which Moses was the mediator. That by means of death - His own death upon the cross. For the redemption of the transgressions - To make atonement for the transgressions which were committed under the old covenant, which the blood of bulls and calves could not do; so the death of Jesus had respect to all the time antecedent to it, as well as to all the time afterward till the conclusion of the world. They which are called - The Gentiles, might receive the promise - might, by being brought into a covenant with God, have an equal right with the Jews, not merely to an inheritance such as the promised land, but to an eternal inheritance, and consequently infinitely superior to that of the Jews, inasmuch as the new covenant is superior in every point of view to the old. How frequently the Gentiles are termed οἱ κλητοι and οἱ κεκλημενοι, the called, all St. Paul's writings show. And they were thus termed because they were called and elected in the place of the Jews, the ancient called and elect, who were now divorced and reprobated because of their disobedience.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
for this cause--Because of the all-cleansing power of His blood, this fits Him to be Mediator (Heb 8:6, ensuring to both parties, God and us, the ratification) of the new covenant, which secures both forgiveness for the sins not covered by the former imperfect covenant or testament, and also an eternal inheritance to the called. by means of death--rather, as Greek, "death having taken place." At the moment that His death took place, the necessary effect is, "the called receive the (fulfilment of the) promise" (so Luk 24:49 uses "promise"; Heb 6:15; Act 1:4); that moment divides the Old from the New Testament. The "called" are the elect "heirs," "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Heb 3:1). redemption of . . . transgressions . . . under . . . first testament--the transgressions of all men from Adam to Christ, first against the primitive revelation, then against the revelations to the patriarchs, then against the law given to Israel, the representative people of the world. The "first testament" thus includes the whole period from Adam to Christ, and not merely that of the covenant with Israel, which was a concentrated representation of the covenant made with (or the first testament given to) mankind by sacrifice, down from the fall to redemption. Before the inheritance by the New Testament (for here the idea of the "INHERITANCE," following as the result of Christ's "death," being introduced, requires the Greek to be translated "testament," as it was before covenant) could come in, there must be redemption of (that is, deliverance from the penalties incurred by) the transgressions committed under the first testament, for the propitiatory sacrifices under the first testament reached only as far as removing outward ceremonial defilement. But in order to obtain the inheritance which is a reality, there must be a real propitiation, since God could not enter into covenant relation with us so long as past sins were unexpiated; Rom 3:24-25, "a propitiation . . . His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past." might--Greek, "may receive," which previously they could not (Heb 11:39-40). the promise--to Abraham.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament,.... See Gill on Heb 7:22, See Gill on Heb 8:6, See Gill on Heb 8:8. This may refer both to what goes before, and what follows after; for Christ, that he might offer himself to God, and by his blood purge the consciences of his people from dead works, that so they might serve the living God, became the Mediator of the New Testament, or covenant; and also he took upon him this character and office, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance; Christ became the Mediator of the New Testament, and assumed human nature that he might die, and by dying might obtain redemption for his people; not only for those that were then in the world, or should be in it, but also for all those that had been in it. "The first testament" is the first dispensation of the covenant of grace, reaching from the first promulgation of it to Adam after the fall, to the death of Christ; "the transgressions" that were under it are the sins of the saints who lived under that dispensation, froth Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Christ, and takes in all their iniquities of every kind: and the "redemption" of these, or from these, by Christ, at and through his death, does not suppose that there was no remission of sins, or justification from them, under that dispensation; or that the Old Testament saints did not go to heaven, but were detained in a prison, till redeemed by the death of Christ; or that their sins were only redeemed, not their persons; for transgressions may stand for transgressors; and so the Syriac version renders it, "that by his death he might be a redemption for them who transgressed the first testament"; so the Jews say, that the Messiah must die "to redeem the fathers" (b): but the sense is, that though legal sacrifices could not atone for sin, nor ceremonial ablutions cleanse from them; yet the sins of Old Testament saints were expiated, their iniquities pardoned, and they justified and saved, through the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; whose death is a redemption from transgressions past, present, and to come; whose blood is the ransom price for them, and was shed for the remission of them, even of sins that are past through the forbearance of God; who took the surety's word for the performance of all this, which in the fulness of time he strictly fulfilled, to the satisfaction of law and justice; see Rom 3:25 and the ultimate end of Christ's being a Mediator, and dying for such purposes, was, that called ones might receive the promised inheritance: by the "eternal inheritance", is meant heaven, which is by gift and bequest, belongs to children only, and comes through the death of Christ; and is a very substantial, plentiful, and glorious one; it is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, and as here, "eternal"; it was prepared from the foundation of the world, and will continue for ever; and it may be so called, to distinguish it from the inheritance of the land of Canaan, or any temporal one: "the promise" of this was made before the world began, and was put into the hands of Christ, the surety of the better testament, by whose death the heirs of it come to enjoy both the promise, and the thing promised; and they are such who are "called", not merely externally, but internally and effectually; by whom were meant, not Abraham and his natural seed, nor the Old Testament saints only, but all that are called with an holy calling, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who will enjoy both the promise of the inheritance, and that itself, in a way of "receiving": every word shows this affair to be all of grace; it is an "inheritance", and therefore the Father's gift; it is by "promise", and so of grace; and it is "received", and so freely given, and not merited; and only such who are "called" by grace possess it; and yet it is through the death of Christ, that so it might be received in a way consistent with the justice of God. (b) R. Moses Haddarsan apud Galatin. l. 8. c. 20.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses the apostle considers the gospel under the notion of a will or testament, the new or last will and testament of Christ, and shows the necessity and efficacy of the blood of Christ to make this testament valid and effectual. I. The gospel is here considered as a testament, the new and last will and testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is observable that the solemn transactions that pass between God and man are sometimes called a covenant, here a testament. A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties about things that are in their own power, or may be so, and this either with or without a mediator; this agreement takes effect at such time and in such manner as therein declared. A testament is a voluntary act and deed of a single person, duly executed and witnessed, bestowing legacies on such legatees as are described and characterized by the testator, and which can only take effect upon his death. Now observe, Christ is the Mediator of a New Testament (Heb 9:15); and he is so for several ends and purposes here mentioned. 1. To redeem persons from their transgressions committed against the law or first testament, which makes every transgression a forfeiture of liberty, and makes men debtors, and slaves or prisoners, who need to be redeemed. 2. To qualify all those that are effectually called to receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. These are the great legacies that Christ by his last will and testament has bequeathed to the truly characterized legatees. II. To make this New Testament effectual, it was necessary that Christ should die; the legacies accrue by means of death. This he proves by two arguments: - 1. From the general nature of every will or testamentary disposition, Heb 9:16. Where a testament is, where it acts and operates, there must of necessity by the death of the testator; till then the property is still in the testator's hand, and he has power to revoke, cancel, or alter, his will as he pleases; so that no estate, no right, is conveyed by will, till the testator's death has made it unalterable and effectual. 2. From the particular method that was taken by Moses in the ratification of the first testament, which was not done without blood, Heb 9:18, Heb 9:19, etc. All men by sin had become guilty before God, had forfeited their inheritance, their liberties, and their very lives, into the hands of divine justice; but God, being willing to show the greatness of his mercy, proclaimed a covenant of grace, and ordered it to be typically administered under the Old Testament, but not without the blood and life of the creature; and God accepted the blood of bulls and goats, as typifying the blood of Christ; and by these means the covenant of grace was ratified under the former dispensation. The method taken by Moses, according to the direction he had received from God, is here particularly related (1.) Moses spoke every precept to all the people, according to the law, Heb 9:19. He published to them the tenour of the covenant, the duties required, the rewards promised to those who did their duty, and the punishment threatened against the transgressors, and he called for their consent to the terms of the covenant; and this in an express manner. (2.) Then he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and applied this blood by sprinkling it. This blood and water signified the blood and water that came out of our Saviour's pierced side, for justification and sanctification, and also shadowed forth the two sacraments of the New Testament, baptism and the Lord's supper, with scarlet wool, signifying the righteousness of Christ with which we must be clothed, the hyssop signifying that faith by which we must apply all. Now with these Moses sprinkled, [1.] The book of the law and covenant, to show that the covenant of grace is confirmed by the blood of Christ and made effectual to our good. [2.] The people, intimating that the shedding of the blood of Christ will be no advantage to us if it be not applied to us. And the sprinkling of both the book and the people signified the mutual consent of both parties, God and man, and their mutual engagements to each other in this covenant through Christ, Moses at the same time using these words, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. This blood, typifying the blood of Christ, is the ratification of the covenant of grace to all true believers. [3.] He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the utensils of it, intimating that all the sacrifices offered up and services performed there were accepted only through the blood of Christ, which procures the remission of that iniquity that cleaves to our holy things, which could not have been remitted but by that atoning blood.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
9:15 the one who mediates: This term refers to an arbiter in a difficult legal dispute or political disagreement. In the old covenant, Moses and the angels were understood as mediators between God and the people (Gal 3:19-20). In the new covenant, Christ mediates the relationship between God and people by his sacrificial death (Heb 8:6; 12:24; Rom 6:23; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Pet 3:18) and ongoing intercession (Heb 7:25).