[Hebrews 9:15] "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."

In referring back to verse 14, the writer says that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that makes the new contract binding (and which promises salvation for anyone who will accept the conditions of receiving it, by grace through an enduring faith in Christ). God’s standard of righteousness and justice is, the soul that sins must die (Ezekiel 18:4). The only way to have access to God is to have our penalty of sin paid. Jesus made this payment (for all who believe in Him).

When He sacrificed Himself on the cross, He became the [only] Mediator [Negotiator] and the [only] bridge that gives access to God. He accomplished in one act, what the first covenant priests could not accomplish in many sacrifices. We all need access to God and to have a personal relationship with Him, but sins committed prevent this. We should be punished and denied access to God for what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done, the debt is wiped out and the passageway opened. The burden of past sins is rolled away, because the sacrifice of Christ gives forgiveness of past sins.

We know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are already in heaven (Luke 13:28). Three verses (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, and James 2:23) explain that, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Acts 4:12 says that "Salvation is found in no one else" [but Christ], nevertheless, Old Testament believers could obtain salvation in the same way as New Testament believers (on the finished work of Christ).

God is satisfied when we place our faith in the blood of Christ. Because His blood was not shed until thousands of years after many Old Testament believers died, their salvation was [in a manner of speaking] on credit. Christ’s atonement was retroactive for believers under the old Covenant. By their obedient faith and trust in God, they were credited with what Christ would one day do on their behalf (and on behalf of all sinners). (Hebrews 4:3), "We who have believed enter that rest. And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world;" (Revelation 13:8).

Many Old Testament Hebrews stumbled over this truth of a coming Messiah (predicted in Scripture in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53). The eternal inheritance that Old Testament Hebrews would not be able to receive without the death of Christ, was eternal salvation (which is the total forgiveness that alone could bring total access to God). The New Covenant was ratified (put into effect) by the death of Christ and which provided the full salvation that Israel had been looking for since the beginning.

[Hebrews 9:16-17] "In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living."

The Greek word diatheke [for covenant] is today called a will [or testament]. A legal will does not take effect until the one who made it dies. Until that time, the benefits and provisions of the will are only promises (and future). The point is that God gave a legacy [eternal inheritance] to Israel in the form of a covenant (a will, an agreement, or a contract). As with any will or testament, it was only a promissory note until the provider of the will died.

[Hebrews 9:18] "This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood." The primary reason for the death of Christ was that salvation demands blood. The shedding of blood is a reference to death, so this follows the idea of a testator having to die for a will to become effective. Under the Old Covenant, the death of animals looked forward to the death of Christ under the New Covenant. Even before the priests offered sacrifices in the Old Testament, the covenant was ratified [authorized, endorsed, confirmed] with blood.

[Hebrews 9:19-20] "When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’"

On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus ate the Last Supper with His disciples in the Upper Room. He picked up the cup and said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus would confirm and ratify the New Covenant through His own blood, just as the Old Covenant was confirmed by Moses with animal blood.

[Hebrews 9:21-22] "In the same way, he [Moses] sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

The Tabernacle was not yet built, so Moses confirmed the covenant with blood that [in the future] was to be continued by the priests in the Tabernacle and Temple (as long as the covenant stood). The blood symbolized a sacrifice for sin (which gave forgiveness of sin). There had to be a death, because if sinners could be saved by blood (without death), the animals would have been bled (not killed). It would be the same with Jesus because without the shedding of blood [leading to death], there can be no forgiveness of sins [leading to salvation].

[Hebrews 9:23] "It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." The copies on earth just represented the reality in heaven. If the copy needed a sacrifice, then the reality would need a better sacrifice. The animal blood of the Old Covenant was a copy of the real shed blood of Christ of the New Covenant.

The Father fully approved of the Son’s sacrifice and therefore He "exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father," (Philippians 2:9-11).

God does not fully approve of us, however, so we can approach Him only through Christ. We are totally unworthy as we are, but Jesus presents us to the Father as He is. When we enter God’s presence, He sees His Son’s righteousness (instead of our unrighteousness), the Son’s sacrifice (instead of our sin), and He sees the payment for our sin (instead of the penalty for our sin).

[Hebrews 9:24] "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence." Jesus did not go into the Holy of Holies on earth, but He went into the very presence of God in heaven (the real and true Holy of Holies). When Jesus does this, He takes us with Him and presents us before the Father’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) to receive mercy and forgiveness whenever we need them.

[Hebrews 9:25-26] "Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."

If the sacrifice of Christ had not been once and for all, He would have had to suffer and die continuously from the time Adam sinned, and like the Levitical priests, His work would never be finished. But to the praise and glory of God, the work of His Son Jesus, does not have to be repeated (not even once). It is perfect, complete, and finished (one-time for all-time and for all people).

Jesus made the once for all sacrifice not to temporarily cover sin (as the Old Covenant sacrifices did), but to completely do away with sins (under the New Covenant). The end of the ages was the cross of Calvary which is confirmed by (1 John 2:18) "Dear children, this is the last hour," and (1 Peter 4:7) "The end of all things is near." The apostles expected Jesus to return at any time and to set up His kingdom (Matthew 12:32), but until that time, Jesus promised to be with us through this present age, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age," (Matthew 28:20).

[Hebrews 9:27-28] "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

If the Lord tarries we will all face death. It is one appointment everyone will keep. But the grave is not the end. After death comes judgment, and since we are not able to atone for our own sins (because God’s justice demands payment), we need someone else to pay for us. Like us, Jesus was divinely appointed to die once, but unlike us, He will never face judgment.

Because He took our sins upon Himself, He also took our judgment upon Himself. The judgment was for our sins, because He had no sin. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God," (2 Corinthians 5:21). (NLT) "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

On the day of Atonement, the people outside waited patiently for the high priest to exit the Holy of Holies. If he failed to follow God’s instructions in any way, he would die. There was always a sigh of relief when the high priest reappeared. This, appear a second time, is alluded to in verse 28. If the Hebrews were eager to see the former high priests reappear from the earthly tabernacle, how much more should true Christians look eagerly for Christ to appear from the heavenly sanctuary! This will occur at the return of Christ (Revelation 19).

When the high priest walked out of the Holy of Holies, the people knew that the sacrifice had been accepted. He had done everything right, so God approved of the sacrifice. Jesus’ reappearing a second time on earth, will be one more confirmation that He did everything right and that His Father is well pleased with Him. Because the Father is pleased (or well satisfied) with Him, God is satisfied with us (when we are in Christ, which we are when we hold steadfast in the faith). When Christ returns a second time, it will not be to deal with sin, because sin only needs to be dealt with one time (which He did on the cross of Calvary).

Three appearings of Christ are mentioned. Verse 26 speaks of Christ’s appearing at the end of the ages (which is when He came to be crucified). Verse 24 mentions His appearing in heaven to appear for us in God’s presence. And verse 28 says He will appear on earth again. It is His third appearing, but only the second on earth. Christ is bringing salvation for all who are waiting for [or expecting] Him, and they would be waiting for Him if they are believing in Him (and His perfect work of atonement).

[Conclusion] At the end of the eventful Passover week (when Jesus was finishing His earthly ministry), the Romans has prepared three crosses for three criminals. On two of the crosses, thieves would be crucified, but the third was for an insurrectionist named Barabbas. He had been convicted and found guilty of treason against the Roman government.

But Barabbas never made it to the cross. He was guilty and condemned to die, but he was not executed (because someone took his place). On the center cross that day was not a guilty criminal, but the sinless Son of God. Barabbas went free (not because he was innocent), but because Jesus was. Jesus was crucified (not because He was guilty), but because Barabbas (and everyone else) was. Jesus took the place of every sinner who ever lived because salvation demands sacrifice!

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