Heb.9:15-17 – 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.
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
This passage is describing Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant. When someone dies he leaves an inheritance for his heirs. Christ died and left His last will and testament for His sons and daughters. What is this inheritance that we have received? It is first an eternal relationship with the Father and the Son. There is no earthly inheritance that can come even close, we have been brought into the family of God by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here is how Andrew Murray describes this.
“Would God that our hearts might take it in. A death having taken place! Now the covenant is sure. The redemption of past transgressions is sure; we may now claim and take the promise of the eternal inheritance. A death having taken place. Now the testament avails. The maker of the testament has died, to put us in complete possession of all He had and all He won for us. And, praise God! He lives again, as no other maker of a testament ever lives, to put us in full possession of the inheritance, and to be Himself its chiefest measure and joy; as Minister of the true sanctuary to keep us in God’s presence; as Mediator of the new covenant to keep our heart in the full enjoyment of all its blessings.”
These two provisions of the inheritance are greater than we can imagine. Only by revelation do we begin to glimpse it. We have been given access into fellowship with the Father and the Son face to face for all eternity, this cannot be over exaggerated. Second, we have been changed on the inside. We have seen the beginning of this in this life through regeneration, we will see its completion at the resurrection. We have been made sons and daughters of God, recreated in His image. These two incredible blessings were given to us by the death of Christ, we are literally heirs of God.
