Hebrews 9:15

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And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV)

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 (NIV)

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15 (KJV)

That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Hebrews 9:15 (NLT)

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:15 (ESV)

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant [that is, an entirely new agreement uniting God and man], so that, since a death has taken place [as the payment] for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the obsolete first covenant, those who have been called [by God] may receive [the fulfillment of] the promised eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

[Christ, the Messiah] is therefore the Negotiator and Mediator of an [entirely] new agreement (testament, covenant), so that those who are called and offered it may receive the fulfillment of the promised everlasting inheritance, since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the [old] first agreement.

Hebrews 9:15 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

He's the Mediator of a better covenant enacted on better promises.

Hebrews 9:15 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Mesites: What a Mediator Does

The Greek word mesites comes from mesos, meaning middle. A mediator stands between two parties who cannot directly transact with each other. The reason they cannot transact directly is the problem of sin: humanity's sin creates a breach between the holy God and the human being that cannot be crossed without a representative who satisfies both sides. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant not merely as a negotiator or go-between in the diplomatic sense. He satisfies the just requirement of God against sin through His own death and simultaneously brings the sinner into the inheritance that God promised. He does not just broker the deal. He pays the price that makes the deal possible.

The Death That Covers Both Covenants

The writer makes a remarkable statement: the death of Christ redeems transgressions committed under the first covenant. The animal sacrifices of the Mosaic system never actually removed sin. They covered it provisionally, pointing forward to a sacrifice that would accomplish what they represented. Christ's death is retroactive: it reaches back and accomplishes the full redemption that the old sacrifices pointed toward but could not produce. This is why Abraham is justified by faith (Romans 4) before the Mosaic law was given. The death of Christ is the one sufficient payment that covers all covenant history, not just the post-cross period.

The phrase "those who are called" refers to those who respond to the divine call of the gospel and are brought into the covenant community through faith. The inheritance is described as eternal, aionios in Greek, meaning belonging to the age to come, permanent, not subject to decay or revocation. What the old covenant could promise but not secure, the new covenant delivers through the mediation of Christ. The called receive not a temporary arrangement that depends on their ongoing performance but a permanent inheritance that rests on the permanent work of the mediator.

Application for Your Life

Your Access to God Is Not Based on Your Performance

A mediator removes the obstacle between two parties and creates access where access was impossible. Christ as mediator means that your standing before God is not determined by your own record but by the work of the one who stands between you and God. The inheritance is received, not earned. The called do not qualify themselves. They are qualified by the mediator. This means that on your worst day, you are not further from God than on your best day. The mediator's work is constant, complete, and sufficient regardless of the variation in your spiritual experience.

The Eternal Inheritance Is Already Guaranteed

The writer calls the inheritance "the promise of the eternal inheritance," and it belongs to those who are called. This is not a hope that might be fulfilled. It is a promised certainty secured by the death of the mediator. In legal terms, when a testator dies, the will goes into effect. The mediator's death activates the inheritance. The believer's portion is not waiting to be determined at the end of life based on spiritual performance. It was guaranteed the moment the mediator died. You are already an heir. The inheritance is already yours in principle, and the full reception is the certain future toward which you are living.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I thank You that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. He stands between Your holiness and my need, and through His death He has opened the way. I receive the eternal inheritance as one who has been called. My past transgressions are covered by His death. My standing before You is secured not by my record but by His. I do not approach You on the basis of my own worthiness. I approach You through the mediator, through the one whose death satisfied every requirement and opened the promise of eternal inheritance to me. I receive it. I live from it. In Jesus name. Amen.