The old covenant was temporary, but the new testament (covenant) that included the perfect and efficacious blood of Christ was God the Father’s permanent solution for man’s sin problem. The offer of salvation is made available by the death of Christ, and is mediated by our risen Savior. Hebrews 9:16-17 has been a text of some confusion. Where there is a testament there must be also the death of the testator. The testator must die if there is to be an effectiveness of that which is willed. The execution of the testament is dependent upon the death of him who made it. The problem has been raised as to how Christ might be both the testator and the mediator, if in fact He is the One who must die. There is no problem. Our Lord provides a testament for those who receive His gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sin: He is the testator. He died to make that testament effective. Now, having been raised from the dead, He is our mediator, making the Christian’s righteous standing before God eternal.