The Friday after Judica (Passion) Sunday
Posted on April 11, 2025 by under
Scripture: Hebrew 9:15-22 (NKJV)
9:15 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.
16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Devotion
There is a striking change in language in this passage in many Bible translations: they can’t seem to decide whether to use the word ‘covenant’ or the word ‘testament’. In the Greek of the New Testament the same word is used throughout. It is a word that could mean any sort of formal agreement, whether a contract or a treaty, or what we see in verses 16 and 17, a last will and testament. The majority of Bible translators and commentators today—even Lutheran ones—were educated using the terminology of ‘covenants’ meaning bilateral agreements, and they often keep using it even when they’ve been shown a better path. However, there is a more precise way to understand what God’s Word says.
Since the true God is Lord and King, a fitting (and fittingly neutral) meaning would be ‘treaty’, with the understanding that the victorious King acts unilaterally and sets all the terms of our ‘surrender’. Yet, since He is a perfect and merciful Lord, He does so graciously, as one making a will and leaving us an inheritance: something we didn’t earn, but that is given purely by grace. Even when the Lord is telling us how we will live (e.g., the Decalogue in Exodus 20) and expects us to respond by conforming in word and deed, it is because He has first brought us under His lordship and protection (Ex. 20:2), forgiving our sins through the shed blood of the Christ.
Collect: We beseech Thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon Thy people, that by Thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
