In His heavenly ministry Christ, as Mediator of the new covenant, is executing that covenant, which is the new testament, enacted and bequeathed to us by His death (Heb. 9:15). In Greek the same word is used for both covenant and testament. A covenant is an agreement with some promises to accomplish certain things for the covenanted people, while a testament is a will with certain accomplished things bequeathed to the inheritors. The new covenant consummated with the blood of Christ is not merely a covenant but a testament with all the things which have been accomplished by the death of Christ bequeathed to us. First God gave the promise that He would make a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). Then Christ shed His blood to enact the covenant (Luke 22:20). Because these are accomplished facts promised in this covenant, it is also a testament. This testament, this will, has been confirmed and validated by Christ’s death, and it is being executed and enforced by Christ in His heavenly ministry. The promise of God’s covenant is ensured by God’s faithfulness; God’s covenant is guaranteed by God’s righteousness; and the new testament is enforced by the resurrected and ascended Christ in His heavenly ministry.
Christ is now in the heavens, living, divine, and capable of executing the new testament. Nothing can frustrate Him. He, the living One, is able to execute the new testament in every detail. As He executes the new testament, He makes every bequest contained in it available and real to us.
What Christ is executing today is not merely the new covenant but the new testament, a will that was enacted by His death and bequeathed to us through His resurrection. Now in His heavenly ministry He is executing this will with all its bequests. In ourselves we would never imagine that Christ today, the Mediator of the new covenant, is working to execute this covenant, which has become the new testament. We need to see this crucial aspect of Christ’s work in His heavenly ministry.
As the surety of a better covenant, Christ in His heavenly ministry guarantees and ensures the effectiveness of the new testament. Hebrews 7:22 says, “Jesus has become the surety of a better covenant.” The root of the Greek word for “surety” means a limb, a member of the body. The meaning is that a member of the body pledges itself to the body. For example, the hand may pledge itself to the arm to do everything for the arm. This pledge is a guarantee. The word surety in Hebrews 7:22 indicates that Christ has pledged Himself to the new covenant and to all of us. He is the bondsman, the guarantee, that He will do everything necessary for the fulfillment of the new covenant. Christ has pledged Himself to the new covenant and to all of us who are under the new covenant. Therefore, He guarantees and ensures the effectiveness of the new testament.
The Christ who has pledged Himself to the new covenant and to us and who guarantees and ensures the effectiveness of the new testament is unlimited. He will do everything and He can do everything for us. He is the qualified, capable, and able surety. He is always available and prevailing to fulfill whatever He has guaranteed. Furthermore, His pledging of Himself is all-inclusive. Therefore, the new testament cannot fail, because Christ is the surety. Everything included in the new testament will be fulfilled not by us but by Christ in His work as the surety of a better covenant. Christ is not only the consummator of the new covenant; He is also the surety, the pledge, that everything in it will be fulfilled.
Sometimes as we read the Bible we may have doubts concerning certain items that are bequests in the new testament. We may wonder if it is actually possible for us to experience these things. For instance, we may question if the Holy Spirit has actually been poured out economically upon all believers. Because of Christ’s work in His heavenly ministry as our surety we should not have doubts regarding anything in the new testament. On the one hand, the Bible reveals all the accomplished facts. On the other hand, as our surety Christ is guaranteeing and ensuring everything that is included in the new testament. Therefore, whenever we say “yes” to the items in the new testament, Christ will honor our affirmation of faith. This is part of His work in His heavenly ministry.
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