At Mount Sinai, Moses sprinkled the people with blood: “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Exodus 24:8). That ritual of blood, with which the covenant of God was officially and solemnly sealed, resounds here by the blood of Jesus who founds and initiates the new covenant (for sprinkling, see also 1 Peter 1:2).
On the evening before his crucifixion, at the instituting of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus speaks about the sacrifice as Priest. He will give his own life as the blood of the new covenant for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20).
On the day of ascension, Christ has entered the heavenly realms with his own blood, through which he has secured for us and shares with us eternal redemption (see Hebrews 9:11–12).
In this letter it is well pictured how Jesus, as the great high priest, has done his work as mediator on earth, and is still doing so in heaven. He continuously executes active priestly services in the true sanctuary (see Hebrews 8:1–2), and as our intercessor, lets his blood speak every day (Hebrews 7:22–25, Hebrews 9:25–27). He, as our guarantor, ensures that in this new covenant the believers will truly receive and enjoy God’s grace and forgiveness (Hebrews 7:22).
Jesus’ blood is so precious, for it is the only atoning sacrifice that God himself gives and approves of. His blood makes everything between us and God good again! In his death we find life, now and forever. This letter makes a serious appeal to the young Jews who follow the Messiah to stay with their new heavenly priest (Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 8:1).
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.