Christ Is Better

Hebrews 12:24

Throughout the Book of Hebrews the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to show us the superiority of this gospel age to that of the Old Testament. A key word in these 13 chapters is the word “better.” It is used repeatedly.

Christ is better than the angels. “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (1:4). ― Christ has given us better things, things that accompany salvation. “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (6:9). ― Christ, our Melchizedek, is better than Abraham. “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (7:7). ― Christ gives us a better hope (“a good hope through grace”), than the law could ever give. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (7:19). ― Christ is the Surety of a better covenant. “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (7:22). ― Christ is the Mediator of a better covenant. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (8:6). ― Christ is a better sacrifice. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (9:23). ― Christ gives us a better, enduring, heavenly inheritance. “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance” (10:34). ― In Christ we are made citizens of a better country. “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (11:16). ― Christ gives us hope of a better resurrection. “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” (11:35). ― God has provided for us better things in Christ. “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (11:40). ― Christ’s sacrifice and blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel and his sacrifice. “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (12:24).

Coming to Christ

“And (ye are come) to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.” ― Faith is coming to Christ. All who are born of God and taught of him come to Christ. But coming to Christ is not at all what people imagine it to be. Coming to Christ is an act of faith. It is altogether something that is done in the heart. It is altogether a spiritual thing. Many came to Christ physically, touching him, and being touched by him, who never came to him. – “It is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profitteth nothing.” Multitudes come to Christ outwardly, by profession, in the place of public worship, who never come to him (Ananias and Sapphira — Simon Magus). Faith is a heart work. It is coming to Christ with a sense of need. It is coming to him as the One, the only One, who has infinite fulness to meet our souls’ need. This faith is the gift and operation of God’s almighty, omnipotent, irresistible, efficacious grace. Faith is coming to Christ and no one else. It is coming to him alone for everything (1 Cor. 1:30-31). It is coming to Christ as a poor, helpless, bankrupt, naked, needy sinner. It is coming to Christ with no aide, no assistant, no mediator, no priest, and no sacrifice. It is coming to Christ bringing nothing of your own to ingratiate you. It is coming to Christ bringing nothing but your filth for him to cleanse, your sin for him to forgive, your nakedness for him to cover, and your need for him to meet. To all who come, our Savior promises, ― “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out!”

A Divine Gift

This gift of faith is the great privilege of God’s elect. It is the blessing of blessings. All who are given this great boon of grace are saved, safe, settled, secure, and at peace. They can want no good thing, for all things are theirs. We have free access to God through Christ, and a right to all privileges of the sons of God in him!