Who is Jesus? Fix our eyes on him!
MEDIATOR OF THE NEW
COVENANT (HEBREWS
8:1-9:28)
Penge Baptist Church
9th March 2014
Recap
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“Who is Jesus? He is God’s final word” (Hebrews
1:1-4)
“Who is Jesus? He’s higher than the angels: he’s the
Son of God” (Hebrews 1:1-2:4)
“Who is Jesus? He’s our Brother, he’s the Son of
Man (Hebrews 2:5-3:6)
“Who is Jesus? He’s the only way to God’s rest”
(Hebrews 3:7-4:13)
“Who is Jesus? He’s the only one worthy of our
faith” (Hebrews 5:11-6:20)
“Who is Jesus? He’s the true Priest” (Hebrews 4:145:10 & 7:11-28)
Jesus’ words at the Last Supper
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In the same way, after supper he took the
cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant
in my blood; do this, whenever you drink
it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians
11:25)
“But the ministry Jesus has received is as
superior to theirs as the covenant of which
he is mediator is superior to the old one,
and it is founded on better promises.”
(Hebrews 8:6)
What is a covenant?
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A binding agreement between two parties
In the Bible, God’s promises to humanity
May be unconditional or conditional
Sealed by blood - sacrifice
Key Covenants of the Old
Testament
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Noah – to no longer destroy all life by flooding
(unconditional)
Abraham – to grant the promised land
(unconditional) and to be Abraham’s and his
descendents’ God if they are consecrated to him
as shown by circumcision (conditional)
Moses in Sinai – to bless Israel and be their God,
if they live by his law and consecrate themselves
to him (conditional)
David – that he would always have a descendent
on the throne of Israel (unconditional)
Why was a new covenant needed?
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“For if there had been nothing wrong with that
first covenant, no place would have been sought
for another. But God found fault with the people
and said : “The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not
be like the covenant I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of
Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to
my covenant, and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.” (Hebrews 8:7-9 quoting
Jeremiah 31:31-32)
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The rebellion of Israel in the desert
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Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they
not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with
whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with
those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the
wilderness? (Hebrews 3:16-17)
Ineffectiveness of the sacrificial system in Israel
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the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been
disclosed…..the gifts and sacrifices being offered
were not able to clear the conscience of the
worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink
and various ceremonial washings—external
regulations applying until the time of the new order.
(Hebrews 9:8, 9-10)
What form was the New
Covenant expected to take?
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“This is the covenant I will make with the house
of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will
put my laws in their minds and write them on
their hearts.I will be their God, and they will be
my people. No longer will a man teach his
neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the
Lord,’ because they will all know me,from the
least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive
their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more.” (Hebrews 8:10-12, quoting Jeremiah
31:33-34)
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Based on inner principles
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Deep fellowship of the individual with God
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“I will be their God, and they will be my people”
No more ignorance
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“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on
their hearts”
No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his
brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will
all know me,from the least of them to the greatest
Forgiveness forever
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For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more.
Jesus mediator of the New
Covenant
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Jesus the foundation of our faith and our great
high priest
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Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has
ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold firmly to the faith we profess (Hebrews 4:14)
A sanctuary in heaven and not on earth
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When Christ came as high priest of the good things
that are already here, he went through the greater and
more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is
to say, not a part of this creation. (Hebrews 9:11)
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Sacrificing with his own blood not that of animals
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He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and
calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for
all by his own blood, having obtained eternal
redemption. (Hebrews 9:12)
Providing true cleansing from sin
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without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness
(Hebrews 9:22)
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean
sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How
much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself
unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from
acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the
living God! (Hebrews 9:13-14)
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On only one occasion
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“…now he has appeared once for all at the
end of the ages to do away with sin by the
sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment, so
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the
sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:26-29)
The mediator of the new covenant
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“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new
covenant, that those who are called may receive the
promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as
a ransom to set them free from the sins committed
under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15)
But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a
smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and
passed between the pieces. (Genesis 15:17)
So let us remember
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“Just as man is destined to die once, and
after that to face judgment, so Christ was
sacrificed once to take away the sins of
many people; and and he will appear a
second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for
him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)