The New Testament is called “The Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ.” We are familiar with wills in our society today. We understand that if a person has a “will”, it represents his wishes for his “estate” AFTER he is dead. A person may have a million dollars and as long as that person is alive, he can do whatever he wants to do with that million dollars; he can spend it anyway he chooses. But when he dies, his “will” takes over, comes into effect and the rest of his estate, the rest of his money is governed exclusively by the contents of his “will.” We understand that in our society.
In Hebrews 9:16-17, the Holy Spirit is telling us this is exactly what happened with the “last will and testament of Jesus Christ.” This is how it reads ( NKJ):
“FOR WHERE THERE IS A TESTAMENT ( will), THERE MUST ALSO BE THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR. FOR A TESTAMENT IS IN FORCE AFTER MEN ARE DEAD, SINCE IT HAS NO POWER AT ALL WHILE THE TESTATOR LIVES.”
Since this verse is talking about Christ, he is saying that while Christ was alive here on earth, He could handle spiritual matters anyway He chose to handle them. He could forgive sins at His discretion; he could save people or not, however He pleases. He could do miracles or not; it was all done according to His judgement. BUT….Jesus knew His time here was short and temporary. He told His disciples that He would not always be with them. But He and the Father had a plan in place—a will, a law, a testament, a covenant (Hebrews 7:22) that would take His place after He leaves. This “will” of Jesus had to be our guide to show us how to get to heaven. It must contain the answers to all of our questions—because Jesus was not going to be here in person to answer them. Jesus would no longer be here to save people in person like He did the thief on the cross; or the man who was let down through the roof. How were people going to be saved when Jesus was no longer here to save them??? He had to leave a “will” telling us what He wanted us to do—and He did. It’s in the New Testament that He left for us.
What we must remember is that the information in His “will”— the laws, and commandments that He left for us, were not in force until AFTER His death on the cross. That’s where the confusion comes in. But that is the ONLY WAY a will works. It’s not in force while a person is alive. You can’t bind a commandment that’s in His Will on a person while Jesus is still alive. Hebrews 9 says that is NOT how it works. The testator must be dead before the Will is binding.
Now here are the consequences of Hebrews 9:16-17.
1) while Jesus was ALIVE on earth, His “will” was not in force. That means all of the commands in His will that tell “us” how to be saved,are not binding on anyone yet. 2) The law that was in force while Jesus was here on earth was the old Jewish law of the old Testamenrt. Jesus was born a Jew; He lived under the Old Testament law and kept that law perfectly. This explains why He kept the Passover and Sabbath days and all aspects of the old law. His new covenant was not in force yet, because He was still alive. See Hebrews 9;16-17. That means to assume that just because Jesus observed the Sabbath day, WE should keep the Sabbath, is a huge mistake and not true according to Hebrews 9:16-17.
3) The new “will” of Jesus that was to come into force AFTER He died, contained instructions about how to be saved. Read Luke 24:47. Repentance and remission of sins were to be preached in His name to all nations “BEGINNING” at Jerusalem. Then He tells His disciples to wait there ( in Jerusalem) until you are endured with POWER ( Holy Spirit) from on high. Verse 49.
Fast forward to Acts 2. Jerusalem. Jews from “all nations” are there. The Holy Spirit (power) descends on the apostles and they speak in tongues. They asked what they had to do to be saved and Peter answered “REPENT and be baptized…FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. This is the fulfillment of Luke 24:47-49. This is on Pentecost. “Pente” means 5. Pentecost is always 50 days after “Passover.” Just 50 days earlier, Jesus was crucified during the “Passover.” Jesus is now dead. His new Will is now in effect. For the first time ever, the terms of that new will are being presented. Repentance and remission of sins in the name of Jesus has not been preached before this. They have not been binding on anyone until now. This was the “BEGINNING.” Peter also recognizes this as the “beginning” of the gospel and refers to it in Acts 11:15.
3) this is why the thief on the cross did not need to be baptized. He had not been given the command to be baptized in the name of Jesus. The thief had been dead 50 days before anyone needed to do that. Jesus was still alive when He saved the thief—that meant his “will” demanding repentance and baptism for the remission of sins in His name was not in effect- not in force. To say that we don’t have to repent and be baptized just because the thief didn't do it is a lack of understanding what the Bible teaches. No one today can be saved like the thief on the cross because Jesus is not alive and here on earth to save us that way. And because the thief and I live under different laws.
Understanding what Hebrews 9:16-17 says makes a huge difference in how you understand many, many other scriptures and answers many, many questions about the New Testament.
In Hebrews 9:16-17, the Holy Spirit is telling us this is exactly what happened with the “last will and testament of Jesus Christ.” This is how it reads ( NKJ):
“FOR WHERE THERE IS A TESTAMENT ( will), THERE MUST ALSO BE THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR. FOR A TESTAMENT IS IN FORCE AFTER MEN ARE DEAD, SINCE IT HAS NO POWER AT ALL WHILE THE TESTATOR LIVES.”
Since this verse is talking about Christ, he is saying that while Christ was alive here on earth, He could handle spiritual matters anyway He chose to handle them. He could forgive sins at His discretion; he could save people or not, however He pleases. He could do miracles or not; it was all done according to His judgement. BUT….Jesus knew His time here was short and temporary. He told His disciples that He would not always be with them. But He and the Father had a plan in place—a will, a law, a testament, a covenant (Hebrews 7:22) that would take His place after He leaves. This “will” of Jesus had to be our guide to show us how to get to heaven. It must contain the answers to all of our questions—because Jesus was not going to be here in person to answer them. Jesus would no longer be here to save people in person like He did the thief on the cross; or the man who was let down through the roof. How were people going to be saved when Jesus was no longer here to save them??? He had to leave a “will” telling us what He wanted us to do—and He did. It’s in the New Testament that He left for us.
What we must remember is that the information in His “will”— the laws, and commandments that He left for us, were not in force until AFTER His death on the cross. That’s where the confusion comes in. But that is the ONLY WAY a will works. It’s not in force while a person is alive. You can’t bind a commandment that’s in His Will on a person while Jesus is still alive. Hebrews 9 says that is NOT how it works. The testator must be dead before the Will is binding.
Now here are the consequences of Hebrews 9:16-17.
1) while Jesus was ALIVE on earth, His “will” was not in force. That means all of the commands in His will that tell “us” how to be saved,are not binding on anyone yet. 2) The law that was in force while Jesus was here on earth was the old Jewish law of the old Testamenrt. Jesus was born a Jew; He lived under the Old Testament law and kept that law perfectly. This explains why He kept the Passover and Sabbath days and all aspects of the old law. His new covenant was not in force yet, because He was still alive. See Hebrews 9;16-17. That means to assume that just because Jesus observed the Sabbath day, WE should keep the Sabbath, is a huge mistake and not true according to Hebrews 9:16-17.
3) The new “will” of Jesus that was to come into force AFTER He died, contained instructions about how to be saved. Read Luke 24:47. Repentance and remission of sins were to be preached in His name to all nations “BEGINNING” at Jerusalem. Then He tells His disciples to wait there ( in Jerusalem) until you are endured with POWER ( Holy Spirit) from on high. Verse 49.
Fast forward to Acts 2. Jerusalem. Jews from “all nations” are there. The Holy Spirit (power) descends on the apostles and they speak in tongues. They asked what they had to do to be saved and Peter answered “REPENT and be baptized…FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. This is the fulfillment of Luke 24:47-49. This is on Pentecost. “Pente” means 5. Pentecost is always 50 days after “Passover.” Just 50 days earlier, Jesus was crucified during the “Passover.” Jesus is now dead. His new Will is now in effect. For the first time ever, the terms of that new will are being presented. Repentance and remission of sins in the name of Jesus has not been preached before this. They have not been binding on anyone until now. This was the “BEGINNING.” Peter also recognizes this as the “beginning” of the gospel and refers to it in Acts 11:15.
3) this is why the thief on the cross did not need to be baptized. He had not been given the command to be baptized in the name of Jesus. The thief had been dead 50 days before anyone needed to do that. Jesus was still alive when He saved the thief—that meant his “will” demanding repentance and baptism for the remission of sins in His name was not in effect- not in force. To say that we don’t have to repent and be baptized just because the thief didn't do it is a lack of understanding what the Bible teaches. No one today can be saved like the thief on the cross because Jesus is not alive and here on earth to save us that way. And because the thief and I live under different laws.
Understanding what Hebrews 9:16-17 says makes a huge difference in how you understand many, many other scriptures and answers many, many questions about the New Testament.
