A New Covenant

Therefore, he [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. - Hebrews 9:15 ESV

Lots to chew on in this verse. First, we’re told that Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. A covenant is a contract between two parties. In this case, those parties are God and all of humanity.

The fact that Jesus mediates a new covenant tells us there was an old (or first) covenant. This is the agreement of the Law in the Old Testament. The Law told people how to live in a way that pleased God and made them holy (set apart) for Him. (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7) The penalty for breaking the Law was to be cut off from God’s presence. Many, many incidents recorded in the Old Testament show us that we cannot keep the Law, no matter how sincerely we try. (Romans 3:20)

Under the first covenant, everyone dies and spends eternity apart from God.

That’s a big problem for us.

So, God the Father sent Jesus to be a mediator of a new covenant. A mediator is someone who acts to bring reconciliation between different parties. In this case, Jesus brought reconciliation between human beings and God through His death and resurrection. Jesus’ death fulfilled the requirement of the first covenant and everyone who accepts this will receive the promised eternal inheritance. That’s spending forever with God after our time on earth is done.

I am comforted and excited by this prospect. Life can be hard and wearying at times, but I have a promise from God, who is always faithful, that I have a beautiful life to look forward to. That confidence helps me to persist on hard days and always gives me reasons for joy.

Think About: Do you have confidence that you will receive the promised eternal inheritance of the new covenant?