CLICK HERE FOR THE HEBREWS 12:22-24 PODCAST
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands of angels gathered together with joy. 23 You have come to the meeting of God’s firstborn children whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the One who brought the new agreement from God to his people, and you have come to the sprinkled blood that has a better message than the blood of Abel. ~ Hebrews 12:22-24
In yesterday's passage, the writer of Hebrews continued his comparison between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. We considered the first half of the comparison, along with the poor motivation of fear that came from it. Whereas in yesterday's blog we considered Mount Sinai where Moses received the Law which condemns us, today, we consider Mount Zion where the Lord Jesus Christ took our condemned position and gave us His glorified position. Today, we will consider the New Covenant that rendered us God's grace.
In the context of today's passage, the writer of Hebrews pictures Israel, God's chosen people, gathered at Mount Sinai. He contrasts that with the picture of all who have ever trusted in the efficacy of the cross of the Lord Jesus gathered at Mount Zion. Herein we discover the difference between the two mountains. The difference is intimacy with God, as we shall see. The believer in Christ does not merely know about God and His forgiveness, the believer in Christ is granted a growing intimacy with God. Through the removal of His wrath upon us and the entrance of the Holy Spirit in us, we now enjoy a personal relationship with God that is deepening and widening as we learn to trust Him more and more.
In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands of angels gathered together with joy."
The believer's newfound relationship with the God of the Bible through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ should be the primary determinant of his identity. Having reminded his hearers that when the Old Covenant was given, due to mankind's sinfulness, we have never been able to measure up to God's standard of perfection. Of course, this is why God sent His perfect Son who measured up in every possible way on our behalf. And, it is the immeasurably painful performance of the Lord Jesus on the cross that has rendered in our heart the desire to know God in a way that we never thought possible.
Here, in v.22, we learn we came to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. As a result, our whole disposition before God has changed and we are now His dwelling place. Whereas Mount Sinai represented the Old Covenant and the Law and judgment, Mount Zion represents the New Covenant and the grace of God and forgiveness.
Mount Zion is another name for Jerusalem. As you know, God, in the days of Moses, set up a sacrificial system which was a provision by which He could grant forgiveness to those who believe in Him, who recognize their sin, and who know they need God's forgiveness. But, that system was inept at changing man's heart. This is why the writer of Hebrews reminds us that we do not want to go to Mount Sinai for it is there that we are condemned.
On the other hand, we want to dwell in the place of God's grace and acceptance and freedom. We want to dwell with the One who went to that place of the skull in Jerusalem, to that little hill south of the Old City called Zion. We want to dwell at that Jebusite stronghold which David conquered and made his royal residence in the seventh year of his reign. We want to dwell at Mount Zion which represents God’s gracious dealing with man at the expense of His Son. We want to dwell at the place of forgiveness and grace.
In v.23 of today's passage we read, "You have come to the meeting of God’s firstborn children whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people who have been made perfect."
When we come to Zion, we come to Christ. When we come to Christ, we come to His grace. When we come to Christ we come to the fellowship of the Lord Jesus. When we come to Christ, we come to share in His perfection.
The Greek word used here for "perfect" informs us that we have been made perfect in God's eyes and we are accepted into the beloved. At Sinai, there is death. At Zion, there is life. At Sinai, we were rejected. At Zion, we were embraced by our Heavenly Father.
In v.24 of today's passage we read, "You have come to Jesus, the One who brought the new agreement from God to his people, and you have come to the sprinkled blood that has a better message than the blood of Abel."
Abel is a beautiful type, or, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Abel was a shepherd. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. Abel offered the sacrifice of a lamb. Jesus Christ offered the sacrifice of Himself, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God. Likewise, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was completely accepted by God, evidenced by the fact that God raised Him from the dead. Abel was hated by his brother without a cause. Likewise, the Lord Jesus was hated by His brothers, the Jews, without a cause. Abel suffered a violent death at the hand of his brother. So too, the Lord Jesus suffered a violent death at the hand of the Jews.
In v.24 the Lord Jesus brought the new agreement from God. The blood of murdered Abel witnessed to the fact that in itself humankind was destined for God’s judgement and wrath. However, in His covenant of grace, God provided a completely new possibility, namely the prospect that the blood of Christ would bring about complete reconciliation to God and salvation from His wrath. Abel’s blood cried out for vengeance, while the blood of Jesus cries out for mercy. With view of man's hopeless condition as witnessed by the blood of Abel, the New Covenant provides us with a way out of our hopeless situation. Because of Christ's cross, we, having believed on Him, are accepted by a holy God who loves us completely. Only the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God, can reconcile sinful humanity to God and only His blood can purify us and make us holy.
