Mediator of a Better Covenant – Hebrews 8:6-7
Oct 16, 2025 203
[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. [7] For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to seek a second. (ESV)
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A Superior Ministry
Verse 6 makes a bold claim: Jesus’ ministry is more excellent than the old priesthood because the covenant he mediates is better. Better. Not just different. Better.
Jesus doesn’t just tweak the old system. He brings something entirely new. His ministry is superior because it’s based on a superior covenant – one enacted on better promises.
The old covenant had promises. God would be their God. They would be his people. But those promises were conditional. If you obey, you’ll be blessed. If you disobey, curses will follow.
And the people couldn’t keep their end of the bargain. They broke the covenant again and again.
But the new covenant Jesus mediates isn’t based on our ability to keep the rules. It’s based on God’s promises, and God keeps his.
The Fault Wasn’t God’s
Verse 7 asks a rhetorical question: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to seek a second.”
So what was the fault? Not God. The people.
The old covenant exposed the problem but couldn’t fix it. It showed that humanity needed rescue, but couldn’t provide it. The sacrifices had to be repeated. The priests kept standing. The people kept failing.
The old covenant was meant to point forward to something better – to someone better.
The Good News Is…
Jesus mediates a better covenant established on better promises. God himself guarantees it. And those promises aren’t conditional on your performance – they rest entirely on Jesus’ finished work.
Through his once-for-all sacrifice, Jesus has opened the way to God. He’s not offering you a system to maintain or rules to keep. He’s offering you himself – a relationship secured by his blood, sustained by his intercession, and guaranteed by God’s unchanging character.
Reflection
Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus mediates a better covenant based on your promises, not my performance. Help me rest in the certainty of what you’ve done, not the uncertainty of what I can do. Amen.
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