And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.
A little one-liner that had everyone laughing one Sunday was when my pastor started his sermon with: “Can we all agree that whenever we see the word “therefore,” it is “there for” a reason?” I don’t think this made us laugh because it was necessarily funny, but more of the realization that we tend to undervalue a significant teaching moment.
This truth really stuck with me, and from that day forward, whenever I come across a conjunction or conjunctive adverb at the beginning of a verse I make it a point to stop and take notice of what is being repeated or magnified, for my benefit and understanding. It’s a word that will always bring together the work of God. What the Bible repeats, should be regarded as great importance! Let’s not miss it!
“And so he is the mediator….”
What is a mediator?
What is mediation?
Who needs it?
Unfortunately, I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about family law and the court system. I have spent my share of time with a mediator these past few years as I walked out a heartbreaking season of divorce. The purpose of a mediator is to attempt to resolve major conflict, while oftentimes resulting in compromises made by both parties in order to settle the dispute.
We all have a Mediator, and His name is Jesus.
This is a different kind of mediation and He’s a different kind of mediator than what you may have experienced in our broken world. Jesus is not negotiating a middle ground or looking for a comprise that a holy God and a sinful human can agree to disagree on.
Sin stands between us and God. Sin is a serious offense and we are the offenders. Without our Mediator, we are destined for eternal life in torment as salvation from our sins is impossible on our own. No amount of good works or head knowledge will ever make us righteous enough to stand before a holy God. The Christian life is not about the things we do, but the relationship we develop with Jesus.
The breaking of bread that we find in Matthew 26:26 is a foreshadow of the beating, piercing, and breaking of Christ’s body on the cross. He knew this sacrifice was necessary to fulfill the new covenant that would cover the sins of the world. Therefore, through the crucifixion, Jesus became the mediator between us and God. Jesus is the settlement, both the mediator and the mediation. He makes right of all of our wrongs. He is our covering, our defender, and without Him, we have no hope of eternal life with Him.
But there is hope!
“For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human” (1 Timothy 2:5).
“God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we have direct and instant access to our heavenly Father. Jesus offers us forgiveness of our sins. What a gift! We are seen as worthy and valuable because of the price He paid to reconcile us to Him. His death on the cross was worth it all. He is our salvation!
Have you purchased your Everlasting Covenant journal yet? Not only will you find all of the daily reading passages and SOAP journaling pages, but you’ll have each of the daily devotionals in printed form–no need to check the app on your phone while working through your study!
Don’t forget, the new Bridge Reading Plan is only available in the printed journals! The Bridge is a two-week long reading plan designed to bridge the gap between two studies. In the Everlasting Covenant journal you’ll find the Bridge Reading Plan along with two weeks worth of SOAP journaling pages and daily Scripture reading! Don’t miss this! Starting with Everlasting Covenant the Bridge reading plan will walk through the entire Book of Psalms during 2021. This plan is found only in the study journals, so grab one today! You don’t want to miss out!
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