Hebrews chapter 12, our text
will be verse 24. There the writer says, and to
Jesus, to whom coming, and to Jesus, the mediator of the new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better
things than that of Abel, that speaketh better things. Have
you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard
those better things? That we'll consider that the
blood of Christ speaks to God and to those He calls by His
grace. We'll just briefly consider the
verse in its context and then come to it. In verse 1, believers
are reminded that we're in a race. We're in a battle to fight, a
race to run, a battle with self. That's my own worst enemy. How
about you, Lord? We're in a battle with self,
with sin, the world, and the devil. It's not without good
reason that our Lord said to his disciples and all those that
follow him, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Deny himself. Do you find that
hard to do? Do you find that hard to do,
to deny yourself? Christ says, if any man follows
me, he has to deny himself. Take up his cross daily, every
day. Every day. There's no discharge
from this warfare as long as they're in this world. Take up
his cross daily, he said, and follow me. Deny himself, take
his cross, and follow Christ. Now that requires grace. There's no other way to do it.
There's no other way for a man to deny himself. He won't do
it. It's contrary to his old nature. Oh, but by God's grace and the
new nature implanted in his soul in regeneration, he denies himself,
takes up his cross, and follows Christ. Look at verse 2 of Hebrews
12. How do we do that? By looking
unto Jesus. Looking unto Jesus. We continue this race as we began
it by looking unto Jesus. That is the focus of the writer
of this epistle throughout. Looking unto Jesus. He begins
in chapter 1 and continues that same thought throughout the entire
epistle, the entire 13 chapters. In verses 18 through 21, he reminds
them, he reminds them, because he knew there was that tendency
to be attracted to the law from which we've been delivered, like
a fly flutters around a burning candle. It's dangerous, it'll
kill him, but some way or other, he's attracted to it. There is
something in our nature attracted to the law. And Paul says, verse
18, for ye are not coming to the mount, he's speaking of a
mount Sinai, where the law was given. That's not where you come. That's not where you come for
grace. That's not where we came for mercy. That's not where we
found forgiveness. It wasn't on that mount. That's
not where we received it. That's where God gave Moses the
law, the law that demands but cannot give us the ability to
do. It speaks of wrath, threatened
wrath that we could not endure. It exposes sin that we could
not remove. It curses but it gives no cure
whatsoever. What Paul refers to here in verses
18 through 20 It took place in Exodus chapter 20, where Moses
went up to the mount to receive the law. And God was there. God was there. The law represented
God's holiness, what God required. And he said, Moses, tell the
people, don't come near here. Don't come near. If so much as
an animal touches this mount that I've condescended to meet
you on, he'll be thrust through with a spear. You recall it. And Moses, as Paul says here,
he even said, I exceedingly fear and quake in the presence of
a holy God. And remember what the people,
the children of Israel asked Moses on that occasion? You talk
to God for us. We need a mediator. We dare not
do so. Or we're made aware somewhat
of His majesty and His holiness. Moses, you talk to Him and then
you tell us what He says. We dare not approach Him. Oh
yes, when a man's made aware of God's holiness, God's law,
God's justice. When God is pleased to make him
aware of that, oh, how much he'll rejoice in the fact that there's
a mediator. There's a mediator. That's the
mount we come to, the mount of grace and mercy, Mount Calvary,
where our Lord was made sin for you and I. Turn, if you will,
back to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. Just a reminder
of the purpose of the law. The law was never intended. When
God gave it to Moses in Exodus 20 on Mount Sinai, it was never
God's intent that the law should take away sin. Never. It was never God's intent that
the law should be a rule of practice for God's people. That never
was God's intent. Paul tells us plainly, and there's
many places that say this, but we'll just read here in Romans
3, verse 19 and 20. Now we know, I wish all men did
know, Now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, therefore, if that's
the purpose of the law, if that's how God uses the law, therefore,
by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight. Can't be. Why? For by the law
is the knowledge of sin. Oh yes, as Paul says in Galatians
3, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. That's
the lawful use of the law. But after we're brought to Christ,
Paul said, we're no longer under a schoolmaster. We've been delivered
from the curse of the law because Christ bore that curse for us. Oh, free from the law, the hymn
writer said, happy condition, happy condition. Jesus hath bled
and there is remission. That hymn that was written so
many years ago, Hail Sovereign Love, speaks of the feeling a
man has when God convicts him by his holy law in bringing him
to Christ. It says, enwrapped in thick Egyptian
night and fond of darkness more than light, madly I ran the sinner's
race, secure without a hiding place. But thus the eternal counsel
ran, O mighty love, arrest that man. I felt the arrows of distress
and found I had no hiding place. I wasn't aware of it. I didn't
even know it until God made me aware of it. He went on to say,
indignant justice stood in view. To Sinai's fiery mouth I flew,
but justice cried with frowning face, this mountain is no hiding
place. We've not come to that mount
for peace, not for mercy. It can only threaten and curse
and condemn. Oh, we must look elsewhere, as
Paul tells us down in our text in Hebrews 12. And the songwriter
speaks of that. He says, there along a heavenly
voice I heard, and mercy's angel form appeared. She led me on
with gentle pace to Jesus as my hiding place. That's how God uses the law,
to bring us unto Christ. Paul says, we've not come to
that mount. Oh no, but we've come, look at
verse 22, but ye are come unto Mount Zion. Ye are come. Now these eight blessings, that
Paul mentions in verses 22, 23, and 24 are the possession of
God's people right now. Do you notice what he says? But ye are come. You're there
now. These are yours now. They won't
be fully enjoyed until we get the glory, but they're your possession
now. Ye are come. How? How does one come to Christ? How does one come into the possession
of these blessings that he mentions? How does one come? They come
by faith. As Paul says, looking unto Jesus. That's an act of faith. That's
the only way a sinner can come to Christ. It's not an outward
act at all. It's not something done with
the feet. But it's an inward act. It's
a work of the heart. It's entirely spiritual. No man
can come to me, Christ said. And he was speaking to people
who had come to him with their feet. But he said, no man can
truly come to me in a saving way unless he's drawn spiritually
by God the Father. Everyone that has learned of
the Father, he said, comes to me. To whom? Coming. To whom? Coming unto Mount Zion. coming to Christ spiritually. Mount Zion, where the temple
of God was, where alone man could approach God at the mercy seat
in the temple. It was a picture of Christ. His church, because Christ is
the priest, and he's the mercy seat, and he's the sacrifice. That's what Paul was telling
us here. Then he says, the city of the living God. Look in verse
6 of chapter 7. Mount Zion, the church, is also
described as the city of the living God. Verse 16. I'm sorry, did I say verse 6?
Verse 16 of Hebrews 11. But now they desire a better
country, that is, a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city."
And what did our mediator say? I go to prepare a place for you. I do all the preparing. for you,
and where I go, there ye shall be also." The city of the living
God. Our citizenship is in heaven
for whence we look for our Savior. And then Paul says, to an innumerable
company of angels. Remember what we read last week
in Hebrews 1, that the angels are ministering spirits. sent
forth the minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Verse 23, the church of the firstborn. All God's children are firstborn
sons. They inherit the blessing of
the firstborn. They're joint heirs with Jesus
Christ and to God the judge of all. We come under his defense
and protection. And the General Assembly, he
says in verse 23, the General Assembly, the church of the firstborn,
to the spirits of just men made perfect, one church. He speaks of the church on earth,
but the church in heaven. But it's one church. And what they have in heaven
is what we have here. We are all trusting the same
Savior, washed in the same blood, saved by the same grace. Yes,
they're in glory, but they're in glory on the same foundation
that you and I right now rest on. Jesus Christ the Lord. That brings us to verse 24, our
text. You are come to Jesus, the mediator. The mediator. Again, our message
last Sunday morning was from Hebrews 2, verse 9. But we see
Jesus. Here in verse 2 of Hebrews 12,
The apostle is closing his epistle and he echoes that same theme
again, looking unto Jesus. The key word to this understanding
of this book is the word better. And the book begins with Christ
and it ends with Christ and there's a good reason for that. There's
nothing better. There's nothing better. In every
instance, in every comparison, whether to angels, whether to
the earthly priest, or tabernacle, or animal sacrifice, the writer
always concludes Christ is better, a better covenant, better promises,
a better resort, a better sacrifice, a better hope, established upon
that everlasting better covenant of God's eternal grace. Nothing better than Jesus Christ. Paul in another place said, Christ
is all. Jeff, Christ is all. Christ is all. If Christ is all,
why need I look to anything else or to anyone else? In 1 Corinthians,
Paul said, God had made him, that is Christ, to be unto you,
all believers, righteousness and wisdom and sanctification,
everything. God had made Christ to be everything
that we need, every blessing. Here in Hebrews 12, that's mentioned
in verses 22 and 23, can be traced up the Jesus Christ, the mediator
of the new covenant. They can all be traced up to
him. They would not be possible otherwise. Brother Law, I don't imagine
he'll mind me telling this. Told me the other day that his
daughter was following her husband, Doc, home after he got out of
the hospital and went back to work and she was concerned, so
she was following him rather closely and a little bit too
close. She rear-ended him. That never
happens with Christ. You cannot follow Christ too
close. Trace every blessing. Every mercy,
every grace from the hand of a holy God comes through, can
only be realized, can only be had through that one and only
mediator between God and man, and that's the man Christ Jesus. God doesn't deal with any sinner
except through Christ. And no sinner can approach God
except through Jesus Christ. Every blessing. Every divine
blessing from God to his people comes through that one mediator,
our Joseph. You remember what Pharaoh said?
To those in Egypt, if you want anything, don't come to me. I've put Joseph in charge. If you need grain during this
time of famine, you've got to go to Joseph. He's in charge. And Jesus Christ, brother of
the Lord, is our Joseph. God's put everything into His
hands and every blessing that we receive flows to us through
Jesus Christ, our blessed Mediator. This is what Paul says here.
None of those things spoken of here or any place else in God's
Word can be realized or enjoyed without this, Jesus, the Mediator
of the New Covenant. Oh, there's another rich word.
A blessed truth. The covenant. The everlasting
covenant. The testament. It's the same
word. Entered into by the triune God. The Bible speaks much about that
covenant. It was entered into by the triune
God before the world was. Concerning the salvation of sinners. God chose sinners before the
world was and gave them to Christ. In the fullness of time, Christ
came to redeem those same sinners that were given unto him by the
Father. This is the teaching of Scripture.
And then in time, The Holy Spirit comes and regenerates and calls
every chosen sinner redeemed by God the Son. The covenant
of works entered into with Adam by God was made and conditioned
upon man. Yeah. Do or die. And you know the result was failure. Because the success of that covenant
was dependent upon man. Oh, but the success of this everlasting
covenant, the new covenant, it's conditioned upon not man, but
the God-man, Christ Jesus. And the success of it is dependent
not upon our obedience, but His obedience. He entered into a
covenant with the Father for His people, but He is the one
that it's dependent on to be realized, and He shall not fail. The prophet said, He shall not
fail nor be discouraged. Look in chapter 8 of Hebrews,
it speaks of it here. He speaks of it much throughout
Scripture. Oh, the everlasting covenant
of God's grace. In verse 6 of Hebrews 8, it says,
But now hath he attained a more excellent ministry, that is,
Christ. But now, verse 6 of Hebrews 8,
but now hath he attained a more excellent ministry by how much
also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established
upon better promises. Look down in chapter 9, verse
15. Verse 15 of chapter 9. And for this cause he is, that
is Christ, He is the mediator of the New Testament, or covenant
testament, the same word, 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. And in chapter 13, look what
the writer says. Verse 20 of Hebrews 13. He points
them to this everlasting covenant, in his farewell, In his benediction,
look what he says. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead the Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood, according to, because of, through
the blood of the everlasting covenant. The blood of Christ
ratified and sealed the covenant. And God looks at the blood and
says, that's enough. That's enough. I'm satisfied. Paul says, make you perfect in
every good work to do his will. But he doesn't stop there, does
he? Working in you. Working in you, that which is
well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory
forever and ever. God saves his people according
to that everlasting covenant He saves his people on purpose. On purpose. He saves his people
deliberately. Of course. I mean, how else could
God act? He's God. Paul said, He has saved
us by His grace, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose, which was given us in Christ before the world
began. How else could the God of all
grace act? By accident? No. No, no, no. That's not God. The
reason some people have a problem with this is because it puts
them entirely in God's hands. It tells them it's not up to
you. It's not what you've heard all
your life. It's not up to you. It's up to Him. God's purpose
to save a people before the world ever was, that takes you out
of the picture as far as being a reason for it. Oh no, Paul
says, it's not of him that willeth. And it's not of him that runneth,
but it's of God that showeth mercy. And if you're ever made
aware of what you are, if God is ever pleased by His Spirit
through His Word to make you aware of the depravity, the simpleness
of your own heart, you won't have a problem with sovereign
mercy. You won't. It'll be good news
to you to hear that God is in the heavens and He has decreed
and determined and purposed, I will have mercy. Sovereign grace arrests that
man. He's one of my chosen. He's one
my Son redeemed. Call Him by my mighty grace. Saul, come down. Oh yes, that's the purpose of
God according to election. And if you're made aware of what
you are and who God is, you'll be glad to know that there is
a mediator between my sinful soul and that holy God. Paul says there is one mediator
between God and man, he wrote to Timothy, a mediator. The word means a go-between,
an advocate, a reconciler for two parties. Now who could that
be? Paul says there is one God and
one mediator between God and man. I need him. I need him. I'm like the children
of Israel before the mount of God's holy law. Oh, I dare not
approach. I dare not approach. I need a
go-between. I need a daysman. I need a surety. I need an advocate. And Paul
says, there is one mediator between God and man, and that is the
man Christ Jesus. Our text says, and to Jesus,
the mediator. Not a mediator, but the mediator. He's the only one. He represents
man before God. Again, Hebrews 2. Because his
children, his brethren, were flesh and blood, he likewise
took part of the same, that he might be a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God. Jesus the Mediator. It doesn't say Mary the Mediator,
or priest, or preacher. It says Jesus the Mediator. That's important. That's important. Because if Jesus Christ is not
your Mediator, then you don't have one. That's exactly right. If Christ is not your Mediator,
then you don't Have one. Look again at verse 20. For they
could not endure, the children of Israel, speaking of God being
on Mount Sinai, giving his holy law, for they could not endure
that which was commanded. They could not endure it, and
neither can you, and neither can I, without that go-between. that can plead my cause before
a holy God, not based upon anything I've done, my soul, that would
be a reason for God to cast me out. But he pleads his merits
and his worth and his righteousness and God accepts everything about
him. Because he said, this is my son. I'm well pleased in him,
everything he's ever done. as the representative of his
people. And again I say, if Jesus is
not your mediator, and if you're here today and
that's your case, God make you aware of it. God make you to
know it. God make you to feel it. God
give you no rest until you're brought to bow before His Son,
the only mediator between God and man. Because if He's not
your mediator, you don't have one. You may be amongst those
religious folks that our Lord talked about in Matthew 7 who
said concerning in that day, many, many, Not a couple of crazy
moonies, but many will stand before me and say, Lord, did
we not do many wonderful things in your name? We cast out devils. We did all these things in your
name. And then the only mediator between
them and the holy God will say, I don't know you. I'm not your
mediator. I'm not a go-between between
you and the Holy God, and He'll have to. God being who He is,
He must and He will declare, Depart from me. Depart from me. If He's God, and He's righteous,
and He's holy, and He's just, if Christ is not your mediator,
God will and must say, Depart from me. into everlasting darkness. Oh, my soul, when I stand there,
how precious will Christ appear then as the only meteor between
God and man. Our text says, also, into the
blood of sprinkling. The blood of sprinkling. That
refers to the Passover lamb. That's what my mediator brings
to the table, so to speak. By his life of obedience, he
fulfilled the righteousness of God's law for us. He did that
in his life. But the law had been broken. God's law declared the soul that
sinneth, it must die. And my mediator did that too.
By his death, he satisfied the penalty of God's law. Being made a curse, Paul says
in Galatians 3 and 13, he delivered us from the curse of the law.
How? By being made a curse for us
as our substitute. In a few moments, we'll observe
the Lord's table. And I pray that we'll hear him
speak to our hearts as truly as he did that night he first
instituted this ordinance and said, this do in remembrance
of me, that we will hear him say by his spirit as
we take the bread and take the wine, this is my blood. which is shed for you. Remember what Bobby sang just
before I got up to preach? Oh, dark the stain that soiled
man's nature, long the distance that he fell, far removed from
hope in heaven, into deep despair in hell. And that's where we
would be. It would end there except for
this, Jesus Christ. But there was a fountain open. Do you hear that brothers and
sisters? But there was a fountain open and the blood of God's own
Son purifies the soul and reaches deeper. deeper than the stain
has gone. Where sin abounded, grace doth
much more super abound over my sin. Grace doth much more abound. Oh, the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. It's no wonder Paul
says, it speaketh better things than that of Abel. Whether it refers to Abel's sacrifice
that we're told God had respect to, he accepted it, or whether
it refers to the shed blood of Abel, it may perhaps refer to
both. But in both cases, the blood
of Jesus Christ speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. The blood of Christ is better
only if it actually redeems everyone for whom it was shed. If not,
if not, if it was shed for one soul that goes to hell, then
it's not better. It's worth no more than the animal
sacrifice, or Abel's sacrifice, or Abel's blood. It's just as
powerless to deliver. Oh, but thank God, that's not
the case. It wasn't shed for anyone that
perishes. Larry, why do you mention that?
Why is that important? Why make an issue of that? Because
God makes an issue of it. God's Word makes an issue of
it. Why is it important? Is God's glory important? Is
the accomplishment of what Christ did important? by His death. Is the hope of God's elect important? Is that important? It rests on
this. Our hope of acceptance before
a holy God rests right here. Either Christ did or He didn't
when He entered into the presence of God and was made sin for you
and I. Either He did or He didn't accomplish
eternal redemption for us. There's no in between. There's
no in-between. Either he was successful or he
wasn't. And bless God, our text says
he was. That's why it's better. The blood
of Christ speaks better things because it speaks with absolute
certainty. Have you heard? Have you heard? Listen. Listen. Listen to the
blood speak. Listen. The animal sacrifices
never issued in this proclamation. Able sacrifice never produced
this proclamation. They were only pictures of it.
It is finished. You hear that? You hear that? Christ uttered that proclamation
over 2,000 years ago, but it still rings with clarity and
freshness and success through the halls of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth that are His redeemed ones. Oh, dear dying Lamb, I'll quote
it again. Thy precious blood will never
lose its power, never, never, till all the ransomed church
of God be saved to sin no more. In Isaiah chapter 53, there's
that familiar passage. But verse 11 says, he shall see
his seed. He shall see it to develop his
soul and be satisfied. Why? Why? What's that mean? Because all that he shed his
blood for will be have been redeemed and will be called by his grace.
He'll be satisfied because he'll see them with him in glory. Everyone, father, I and the children
you gave me, I didn't lose one. I didn't lose one. The verse
also says, he shall justify many. He shall justify many. Why? For he shall bear their Their sin is gone. Therefore,
God is faithful and just to forgive them of their sins. Abel's sacrifice,
we read in Genesis 4, was a lamb, a firstling of his flock. And
it was a type, as you well know, of the Lamb of God. The reason
Abel was accepted and Cain was rejected was not because Abel
was more excellent. as we read, but his sacrifice
was more excellent than that of his brothers. He came to Christ
realizing he was a sinner. He came before God with that
sacrifice realizing he could only approach God on the merits
of that sacrifice which pictured the coming Redeemer. Cain brought
his own works. Cain saw no need. He approached
God on his own merit, by his own works. There you have a picture
of the two religions in the world. There's only two. There is that
true religion of Jesus Christ, which proclaims salvation by
grace, and man-made religion, trying to approach God based
upon their own works. You see it in the picture of
Cain and Abel, and you know what happened. God accepted Abel's
sacrifice because it was a picture of his son. Paul says in Ephesians
5 that Christ offered himself to
God as a sweet-smelling savor. God said, oh, yes, satisfied,
accepted. The blood of Christ speaks and
answers to all the demands of divine justice. And it answers
all the needs of my helpless soul. It does both. It speaks
to God and it speaks to man. God has made him who knew no
sin to be sin for us that we might be made the very righteousness
of God in him. The blood of Christ answers every
requirement Salvation has much to do with God's justice. It required satisfaction. The
old writers called the atonement the satisfaction of Christ, and
that's one glaring omission in most preaching today. Why did
Christ die? Why was atonement necessary? Because God's holy justice must
be satisfied. And the precious blood of Jesus
Christ satisfied it. We have now a full, irrevocable
salvation. As sure as that multitude of
men made perfect, now in glory. Because the same sacrifice is
for both. The church in glory, triumphant,
and the church yet here on earth come to Christ, or rather to
God through Christ, on the basis of that same sacrifice. Turn,
if you will, to 1 John. We'll wrap this up. 1 John. Christ's blood demands mercy
and grace for everyone for whom it was shed. And this is what
we read in 1 John. 1 John chapter 1. Hear the blood of Christ speak. Better things. Is this not better? The animal sacrifices, Abel's
lamb, they only pictured this and typified it. Oh, but John
now speaks of the sacrifice of Christ itself. Verse 5 of chapter
1, this then is the message which we have heard of him. and declare
unto you that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth. But, but, if we walk in the light,
as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.
And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all
sin. There's not a question about
it. No doubt about it. Look at verse 8. If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh yes, it speaks
better things than that of Abel. Look at verse 1 of chapter 2
in 1 John. My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. But, that's not what it
says, is it? There's no buts about it. And,
if any man sin, what's happened? He's writing to God's little
children. He's writing to you and I, brothers and sisters.
And we do sin. What happens if any man sins? We have an Advocate. We still
have a Mediator with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. And He is the Perpetuation. Always
was, always will be. He is the Perpetuation for our
sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world, Jew and Gentile alike. Have you heard Have you
heard? Has the Spirit of God borne witness
to your heart of the satisfaction obtained by the blood of Jesus
Christ? Have you heard what Jesus Christ
has done? Have you heard what He's done?
My sins are all taken away. The hymn writer expressed it
like this. Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious. See the man
of sorrows now. From the fight returned victorious. Every knee to him shall bow. Look and live. Look, brothers
and sisters in Christ, look and rest. Just look, continue to
look, continue to trust, continue to fall down upon that one acceptable
sacrifice and find sweet rest for your souls. Amen. Amen.