What does it mean that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:24)?

God’s holiness and human sinfulness cannot coexist, so there must be a mediator to reconcile and restore our relationship with Him. Hebrews 12:24 presents Jesus as “the Mediator of the new covenant” (NKJV). He is the sole mediator between God and humanity because His sacrificial death on the cross “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us” (Colossians 2:14, NKJV). To understand what it means for Jesus to mediate the New Covenant, we must explore the meaning of biblical mediation, the difference between the old and new covenants, and the implications of Christ’s salvific work.

The Greek word for “mediator” in Hebrews 12:24 is mesitē. A mesitē intervenes between two parties to restore peace. This word is used in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ role in reconciling sinful humans to God. The apostle Paul writes, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19, NKJV). Faith in Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection reconciles sinners with God.

The concept of mediation also appears in Hebrews 8:6, which says, “[Jesus] has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (NKJV). This passage contrasts the old and new covenants. Moses mediated the Old Covenant, but Christ mediates “a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (NKJV). Jesus is the Son of God who secures redemption for everyone who believes in Him.

The Old Covenant was established through Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:3–8). This covenant was conditional: If Israel obeyed God’s law, God would bless them. Israel, however, failed to uphold the law’s requirements and was exiled (Jeremiah 25:8–11; 29:10).

Jeremiah prophesied the New Covenant, which was fulfilled in Christ. This covenant is written on our hearts instead of stone tablets: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall by My people” (Jeremiah 31:33, NKJV). Christ 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” (Hebrews 9:15, NKJV). Jesus mediates the New Covenant through His sacrificial death; the result is the forgiveness of sins, which the Old Covenant could not accomplish (see Hebrews 10:1–4).

Jesus can enter the holy place of heaven with His blood to secure salvation for His people (Hebrews 9:24–26). His priestly mediation surpasses that of the Levitical priesthood, which could not permanently reconcile the relationship between God and humanity. The New Covenant is not an evolution of the old one but the final word on God’s redemptive plan.

Jesus is more excellent than Moses and all the Levitical priests because He offered a once-for-all, perfect sacrifice. Unlike the Old Covenant, the new one offers full atonement, inner change, and continuous access to God. As believers, we have Jesus as our Mediator and can approach God confidently. Through Christ, we can draw near to God, receive an undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, and have a relationship with God based on grace, not law. God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ, securing an immovable heavenly kingdom for us: “Since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28, NKJV).