Tuesday: The New Covenant Has a Better Mediator
Read Hebrews 8:1-6. Why is Jesus a better Mediator of the covenant?
The Greek term mesites (mediator) derives from mesos (“middle”) and denotes the one who walks or stands in the middle. It was a technical term that referred to a person who fulfilled one or more of the following functions: (1) an arbiter between two or more parties, (2) a negotiator or business broker, (3) a witness in the legal sense of the word, or (4) one who stands as a surety and, thus, guarantees the execution of an agreement.
Image © Linda Lovett from GoodSalt.com
The English term “mediator” is too narrow a translation for mesites in Hebrews because it focuses only on the first two or three uses of the Greek term. Hebrews, however, emphasizes the fourth function. Jesus is not conceived as “mediator” in the sense that He settles a dispute between the Father and humans, or as a peacemaker who reconciles parties in disaffection, or as a witness who certifies the existence of a contract or its satisfaction. Instead, as Hebrews explains, Jesus is the guarantor (or surety) of the new covenant (Hebrews 7:22). In Hebrews, the term “mediator” is equivalent to “guarantor.” He guarantees that the covenant promises will be fulfilled.
Christ’s death makes the institution of the new covenant possible because it satisfies the claims of the first covenant with Israel (and even with the first humans in Eden), which had been broken (Hebrews 9:15-22). In this sense, Jesus is the guarantor who took upon Himself all the legal obligations of the covenant that had been broken. In another sense, Jesus’ exaltation in heaven guarantees that God’s promises to human beings will be fulfilled (Hebrews 6:19-20, ). Jesus guarantees the covenant because He has shown that God’s promises are true. By resurrecting Jesus and seating Him at His right hand, the Father has shown that He will resurrect us and also bring us to Him.
Jesus is a greater Mediator than Moses because He ministers in the heavenly sanctuary and has offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for us (Hebrews 8:1-5, Hebrews 10:5-10). Moses’ face reflected the glory of God (Exodus 34:29-35), but Jesus is the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3, John 1:14). Moses spoke with God face to face (Exodus 33:11), but Jesus is God’s Word personified (Hebrews 4:12-13, ; John 1:1-3, John 1:14).
| Yes, Christ has satisfied the demands of the covenant for obedience. In this light, what is the role of obedience in our life, and why is it still so important? |
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In our modern commercial world, many of us rely on escrow services when we make purchases on the Internet. Rather than paying the vendor directly the purchaser and vendor use an escrow service to hold the payment until the goods have been delivered. The escrow service acts as the guarantor that you will get the goods and that the vendor will be paid.
Now I don't see salvation in terms of a commercial transaction but it helps as part of our understanding to see how the role of mediator works in the modern world. It is our guarantee that things are being done right.
The book of Hebrews is really about taking the familiar ideas of the sanctuary and temple service and showing how they have been fulfilled in the work of Jesus. The author puts a lot of effort into showing that Jesus is a better sacrifice/offering being offered only once; that he is a legitimate (order of Melchizedek) priest but a better one because he enters the heavenly temple; that he is a better mediator because he guarantees the new covenant.
One of the issues I have with all of this is that most of this discussion is by the converted for the converted. For some of these ideas to be meaningful, we need to think what it means in our relationship with others. I maintain long-term friendships with atheists and I know that such discussions would be meaningless to them. Salvation, as a guaranteed place in heaven, is something that is outside their horizon of thinking. They see salvation in terms of putting things right now. Perhaps they are not all that far from the truth and maybe we should be applying what we are learning about "heavenly ministry and mediatorial work" to some good down-to-earth, "righting wrongs" within our horizon here.
We were unworthy became worthy. This is the “good news”, even we died we will be saved through His death, and I’m so thankful to our Creator was willing to sacrificed himself for our sins. I’m longing to live in the eternal home.
What is the role of obedience in my (or your) life?
What was it in terms of the Sinai version of the Everlasting Covenant?
Deu 10:12-13 ISV "Now Israel, what does the LORD your God desire from you? Only this: worship and revere Him, walk in all His ways, love Him, serve Him with all your heart and in all your life, and observe His commands and statutes for your own good.
What did Jesus Christ say?
Joh 14:6, 15 ISV "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you love me, keep my commandments.
After giving the modern expanded version of the Ten Instructions - Mat 5:1-48 ISV -
Jesus said: So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
But really what is obedience?
Desire of Ages p 668.3
I believe that it was the pre-incarnate Son of God who gave the 10 commandments on Mt Sinai, but in any case Jesus Christ repeats and/or references them when He was here on earth. Mark 2:27,28, Mark 7:21-23, Mark 12:29-31, Matthew 22:37-40, John 14:15 is a direct quote from the heart of the 10 commandments Ex 20:6
When I let Jesus tell me what He means, I see the connection between love and obey, He said keep my words/teachings/commands in your heart because I love you and you love me. What is obedience? It is allowing the LORD through the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, minds and spirits to be like Jesus Christ.
John 15:10 MKJV If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
Here we are again in Hebrews 8. The Author of the lesson keeps going back to this passage of scripture as if he is trying to drill in my thick skull an important lesson that I keep missing!
I took the reading from the Message Bible Hebrews 8:1-6 " 1–2 In essence, we have just such a high priest: authoritative right alongside God, conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God.
Pardon my limited knowledge will you, because I was able to just touch on 2 verses.
Th part of the text that says "the sanctuary build by God" is this a physical structure or is it suggesting that it is the body temple?
Hi Ronald,
This is the physical sanctuary in heaven of which the earthly sanctuary was a model. Jesus is ministering on our behalf there. Tammy
Can you guess what King Solomon's perspective on this question might be? See I Kings 8:27.
Today's lesson raises a very significant point that is of direct relevance to Christian faith and practice - the risk of English translations too narrowly translating the ideas and concepts that the bible writers were attempting to help us understand. The lesson illustrates this point providing one example - use of the English word and concept “mediator” as too narrow a translation for the Greek word mesites. Note how the lesson also takes time to unpack what the Greek word can mean and consider which dimensions of that Greek word are applicable to what Paul is presenting and what dimensions are not (so) applicable.
But an English word being too narrow a translation of a biblical concept is not the only risk. I have previously mentioned how our brain essentially 'pre-fills' meanings of words as we read, without stopping and consciously and carefully reflecting upon how our mind is interpreting and assembling the ideas arising from the words we are reading. As a consequence of this default tendency, there is also the risk of us interpreting biblical concepts in light of human forms of those concepts shaped by our prior experience and/or the situation and circumstances we are within.
This is essentially what happened at the time of Jesus incarnation on earth where people, including His disciples, were interpreting Jesus as the kind of 'Saviour' and 'Messiah' who would liberate them from the Romans using the methods and means of human warfare. Though they had read and/or memorised the text of the Old Testament, they had misinterpreted the words and concepts that comprised that text. Hence Jesus was continually trying to help people see that what they thought the words and concepts of the texts were saying were reflective of humanity's lower ways rather than God's higher ways.
Paul, the writer of Hebrews, had previously - when known as Saul - suffered from this exact same problem despite being the star pupil in the Pharisee education system. Although he likely 'knew' the Old Testament scriptures word for word, he was interpreting according to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2) which led him to be fully convinced that hunting down and persecuting Christians was the will and way of God. After his conversion Saul, now known as Paul, began to see the exact same Old Testament words and concepts in a completely new way - God's higher way/s. Thus, Paul own transformation experience is reflected in what he says is essential for all believers in Romans 12:2 - the need to have their mind renewed so that they move from seeing God's ways as the lower ways of this world and instead grow in their ability to see God's higher ways (as per Isaiah 55:8-9).
I leave it to you to reflect upon. Is "mediator" the only word and concept we may be interpreting too narrowly or seeing in terms of our human ways of doing things? Or might there be other concepts we are misperceiving and misunderstanding without realising it?
Obedience means "compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority". When I obey the will of God for my own life I'm saying that He is the authority over it. The desires of the flesh mix freedom with rebellion! But true freedom is related to "not being imprisoned or enslaved". "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1)."Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17).
Thus, by being obedient (in Christ) to God I can achieve true freedom!
God’s laws were designed for the good of people and the universe. Obedience means a better world and better people. :). And my husband pointed out it is an opportunity for us to work together with God
The Law can be an inspiration to love, life and holiness if it opens our hearts to the heart of God and to the hearts of those the Lord puts in our lives. (Luke 10:25-37; Psalm 1:1-3.)
I believe that throughout the Word of the LORD He has been revealing His Ways and His thoughts progressively, and He finally sent His Son to make sure we understand the Good News of the Everlasting Covenant. We need to compare Scripture with Scripture, rembering that each part of the puzzle needs to fit with the other pieces to create the full picture, thus mediator is only one aspect of Jesus' character.
I absolutely agree with each aspect of your statement Shirley and those contained in the Patriarchs and Prophets quotation.