Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST (3)
Right after this verse, the writer quotes Jeremiah's famous prophecy of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). For hundreds of years Old Testament believers waited for the fulfillment of this promise. No doubt the writer of Hebrews was overjoyed to declare its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus.
The joy of this fulfillment is that it revealed another aspect that makes Jesus the greatest High Priest -- He is the Mediator of the New Covenant. In others words, Jesus has the right to dispense the blessings of the New Covenant, namely the forgiveness of sins. He is the Mediator between the Old and New Covenant because He is our Substitute -- the only One to fulfill the requirements of the Old so that the New could apply to us.
This makes Christ's ministry "much more excellent than the old" because He is the verification of our freedom. Jesus could emphasize completion and fulfillment instead of continued requirements all people would be obligated to pay to God. What good news we now can share with the world in the name of Jesus, our Savior!
