“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).
If we seek to be accepted by God, it is crucial to approach Him in a manner that He approves. Since “Christ is the mediator of a new covenant” (NIV) as we read here in Hebrews 9:15, this passage reminds us that we must approach God through the mediator He has established.
Many of us are probably familiar with the role of a mediator as someone who arbitrates and reconciles the differences between two parties. However, Hebrews 9:15 tells us that Jesus’ intermediary role is exclusive and superior to that of any other purported mediator…
“The Greek word… (mesite, ‘mediator’) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.” (1)
The New Testament book of 1 Timothy 2:5 also makes an unequivocal statement in this regard: “there is… one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” This is important for those who seek to approach God through alternative means, such as the intercessory efforts of saints, ancestors, good works, and other types of religious activities.
Jesus is our mediator because He atoned for our sins through His sacrificial death. He accepted the death penalty associated with our sin and opened the way in which we might approach God and establish a relationship with Him. As Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The reference to “by means of death” also prepares us for the discussion that will follow in the next verse of Hebrews chapter nine. In that portion of Scripture, the author of Hebrews will use the example of a will to demonstrate how Jesus’ atoning death served as the vehicle to enact the New Covenant.
But first, we will take a closer look at this reference to “the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (CSB) in our next study. There, we will examine how Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection impacted the righteous individuals who passed from this life while living within the confines of the Old Covenant.
(1) NET Bible notes on Hebrews 9:15 https://classic.net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Heb&chapter=9&verse=15&mode=print