A Better Mediator

A story is told of a soldier during the Civil War trying to see President Lincoln. The soldier's mother was dying, and the young man wanted to leave to visit her. But, despite his persistence, the guards would not let him through to the president. As the man stood crying outside the White House, a boy came up and asked him what was the matter. After hearing his story, the boy led him by the hand, past the guards, and straight into Lincoln's personal library. The boy said, "Father, I have brought someone to see you." Lincoln listened to the soldier's request and granted him a leave of absence, all because of the intercession of his son, Tad.

Whether this story is true or not, it demonstrates that young Tad Lincoln served as a mediator between the soldier and his father, the President of the United States. This evening, we examine Jesus as a Better Mediator. He serves as a mediator between humanity and his heavenly Father, the Creator of the Universe.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, "To Jesus, the mediator of a new testament; and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24). This is the last of twelve times that the author uses the word "better." This time the author uses it to describe the blessed gospel message of forgiveness spoken by Jesus' blood. The author makes the comparison that Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain, has blood that calls out for vengeance from God. Yet Christ, who was murdered by the brothers and sisters he had come to save, brings pardon and peace from God. The hymn, "Glory Be to Jesus" says it well: "Abel's blood for vengeance, pleaded to the skies; but the blood of Jesus, for our pardon cries."

The author writes, "For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. A death took place as payment for the trespasses committed under the first covenant, so that those who are called would receive the promised eternal inheritance. For where a will exists, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made the will. For a will takes effect at the time of death, since it is never in force when the one who made the will is still living" (Hebrews 12:15-17). A mediator provides access.

One day, a stranger in a fancy suit and with a foreign accent shows up at your door. He tells you about your Uncle Lawrence -- whom you've never met -- has been involved in foreign businesses for your entire life. Uncle Lawrence is extremely wealthy. He just died. You are named in the will. You are going to receive a rather large inheritance. Your new friend at the door has been chosen by Uncle Lawrence to be both the testifier of the will -- telling you about it -- and he also serves as the mediator of the will -- working on your behalf.

Our sins had barred us from God's inheritance and from God himself. Because of inborn sinful nature, we didn't know God, we didn't look for God, and we didn't have any use for God.

God had made a covenant -- a one-sided promise -- with us. He would love us unconditionally. By our nature, we were blinded to this covenant. We hadn't heard of it. If someone told us about it, we didn't want anything to do with it.

That's why the Father sent his Son Jesus as the mediator of this new covenant. One day, Jesus showed up in our lives through the waters of Baptism or through the hearing and believing of his words. By God's grace, we were converted. By faith in Jesus Christ, we were adopted into God's family of believers. We believed in God's one-sided covenant promise. We became heirs of "the promised eternal inheritance."

With earthly wills and inheritances death is always necessary. It is a general principle that, as long as a man lives, the provisions of his last will and testament do not go into effect. He may have that will drawn up for years and locked securely away, but it does not go into effect until he dies. Then, when evidence has been produced of the patriarch's death, the heirs receive their inheritance.

Don't miss the author's point. Christ is the testifier of the will, telling us about what our heavenly Father has written for us. And he serves as the mediator of this new covenant of salvation. As the "heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:2), he also has the eternal inheritance in his hands and wills it to us. As the mediator, he steps onto the cross and with his death puts this blessed covenant into effect. Without Christ's cross and blood we have nothing to inherit.

"For this reason, the first covenant was not ratified without blood. Indeed, after every command was spoken by Moses to all the people, in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool and a hyssop branch, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people" (Hebrews 9:18-19). Apparently, the Jewish Christians to whom the author was writing were questioning the necessity of Christ's death. The author has already reminded them that wills and inheritances involve death. Now he answers by urging them to look back at the old covenant.

Had they forgotten about how much blood was involved in the Mosaic covenant? Since a death was necessary to put a will into effect, the Old Testament covenant also had to be put into effect with the death of animals, whose blood was then sprinkled on the book, the tent, all the objects of worship, and on the people. In the Old Testament, official agreements were customarily ratified by the shedding of blood, signifying in part the deathly consequences of breaking the covenant for either party.

When God gave the old covenant at Mt. Sinai, Moses proclaimed all its requirements to the people so that everyone understood. Then he took sacrificial blood, mixed it with water, and with a sponge of hyssop, wrapped with scarlet wool, sprinkled it on the book and all the people. "He said, 'This is the blood of the covenant that God established for you. In the same way he sprinkled blood on the tent and all the objects for worship. And nearly everything is cleansed with blood according to the law. And, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:20-22). When the blood was sprinkled on the book, it put the Mosaic covenant into effect. When the blood was sprinkled on the people, it bound them to the regulations of the old covenant and promised blessings for their obedience.

The author repeats the thought to emphasize it, "without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." All the animal blood connected with the old covenant reminded Israel that they and everything they touched were sinful and needed cleansing. Even more important, all that blood pointed ahead to the greatest sacrifice ever -- the pouring out of the blood of God's Son which alone can remove spots and stains. We Christians love to sing about this blood!

We may think we're pretty good Christians. We watch our language ... most of the time. We are moral people who help our friends and donate to assist the poor. We show up in church and support the ministries with our offerings. Yet the author reminds us that everything we touch is tainted by sin. Though we pray, our mind wanders during the prayers. Though we enjoy God's Word, we set aside for entertainment. Though we help others and support ministry, we are stingy with our gifts and time. Though we love our family, we complain about our parents, are impatient with our children, and are passive aggressive with our spouse. Though we want to appear as Christians, we know people often see us act like hypocrites.

Even our good thoughts, words, and actions are tainted by sin. That sin should disqualify us from being counted as God's children. It should close us off from God listening to our prayers. It should silence God's voice to us. It should shut the doors of heaven to us. It should remove our names from God's promised inheritance.

Sin should do all this to us ... but it doesn't. That's because Jesus shed his blood as our mediator. His blood is sprinkled on you -- everything you think, say, do, and touch -- and cleanses them. He makes you holy. He makes your thoughts, words, actions, and activities holy.

As the mediator, Jesus makes your prayers acceptable for his Father to hear. That's why we pray, "in Jesus' name." As the psalmist prayed in Psalm 130 this evening, "Out of the depths I have called to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the sound of my cry for mercy" (Psalm 130:1-2).

As the mediator, Jesus makes your actions sanctified. That's why Jesus says to you, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

As the mediator, Jesus offers you the forgiveness he won on the cross. As we heard from the Psalmist, "If you, Lord, kept a record of guilt, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is pardon, so you are feared" (Psalm 130:3-4).

As the mediator, Jesus gives you access to the Creator of the universe and all his blessings. That's even greater than having access to the President of the United States. We can confidently say with the psalmist, "I wait for the Lord. My soul waits, and in his word I have put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 130:5-6).

As the mediator, Jesus makes you his brother or sister in the faith. As great as your inheritance from your fictitious Uncle Lawrence could be, your very real inheritance from your heavenly Father will be magnificent. All through Jesus Christ, your Better Mediator. Amen.