# 14 (He was) giving us the New Covenant
Hebrews 12:24a "You have come to Jesus, the One who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness"
As we begin our discussion about the new covenant, we need to be careful to define it correctly.
Some of the newer versions of the Bible have added a definition of what a covenant is within the verse (NLT, CEV, ERV, ICB, TLB, NCB, WE)
For example: Luke 22: 20 ‘After supper He (Jesus) took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.’ NLT
The older more literal translations correctly leave out the explanation (an agreement) completely
For example: Luke 22: 20 ‘And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood.’ NASB
Q. Why do the older more literal translations correctly leave out the explanation (an agreement)?
A. Because a covenant is NOT an agreement.
So then, what is an Agreement? An Agreement is a set of negotiable rules usually made by 2 parties that will govern their relationship.
For example: when a couple decide to marry each other, they negotiate an agreement that will govern their relationship and on their wedding day they publicly announce their agreement as their friends and family attend their wedding ceremony – these are called wedding vows
He says: “I Ken take you Barbie to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God, I make this vow.”
She says, “I Barbie take you Ken to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God, I make this vow.”
So then, what is a covenant? A covenant is a set of non-negotiable rules made by God alone that govern our relationship with Him
A covenant also comes with the promise of blessing when we keep the rules, and the promise of a curse when we don’t keep the rules
The theology of covenant is that it is the expression of God’s sovereignty over His creation – and in particular, us!
The Old Testament contains 6 covenants:
The first is God’s covenant with Adam
Genesis 1: 27-30; Genesis 2: 15-17; Genesis 3: 16-24
God’s covenant with Adam provides the pattern of all the other covenants that would come later
Here’s the pattern:
God is sovereign over His creation, Genesis 1: 27 READ
God makes the rules, Genesis 1: 28; Genesis 2: 15-17 READ
God enforces the consequences of breaking the rules, Genesis 3: 16-24 READ
Isaiah 24: 4-6; Isaiah 43: 27; Hosea 6: 7
The second is God’s covenant with Noah
Genesis 6: 18; Genesis 9: 9-11, 16; Genesis 8: 22
The third is God’s covenant with Abraham
Genesis 12: 1-3
Restated to Isaac Genesis 17: 19
Restated to Jacob Genesis 28: 13-15
(Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the 3 great patriarchs of Israel)
The fourth is God’s covenant with Moses
Exodus 19-24
The fifth is God’s covenant with Israel
Joshua 24: 1-28; Deuteronomy 29: 1-29; Deuteronomy 30: 1-10
The sixth is God’s covenant with David
2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17: 11-14; 2 Chronicles 6: 16-17; Jeremiah 23: 5-6; Jeremiah 30: 9; Isaiah 9: 6-7; Isaiah 11
And of course, God’s covenant with David came with the promise that David’s Great Descendant Jesus Christ would, Matthew 1: 21 ‘save His people from their sins’
Luke 1: 32; 69; Acts 13: 34; Revelation 3: 7
The 6 Old Testament covenants are collectively called the Old Covenant.
The seventh is God’s new covenant with those Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3:6 "And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Jesus Christ."
see Galatians 3: 23-29; Hebrews 9: 15
Q. Why did God make a new covenant with believing Jews and Gentiles when there were already 6 other covenants in the Old Testament?
A. Because all 6 covenants had a fault in them!
“Pastor David, stop teasing us, what was the fault in the 6 covenants?"
Hebrews 8:8a "When God found fault with the people, He said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people"
Please notice: ‘God found fault with the people’
In our ‘fallen’ sinful condition we are incapable of keeping covenant with God
We are by nature rule breakers
We are by nature disobedient to God
We are by nature in full rebellion against God
Romans 3: 9-20
Do you remember what I said earlier about the consequences of breaking the rules of the covenant?
Here’s the $million-dollar question!
What is the conclusion of the Old Testament concerning the status of our relationship with God?
Let me give you a clue.
Can you tell me without looking, what is the very last word in the Old Testament? (Now, turn to your Bible)
Malachi 4: 6 ‘curse’ (NLT)
In our ‘fallen’ sinful condition we are incapable of keeping covenant with God, Romans 5:12 "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."
“Oh, please Pastor David, we need some good news!”
OK here’s the good news: God made a new covenant that we COULD keep!
1. The New Covenant was foretold in the Old Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31a ‘The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people’
Hebrews 8:13
2. The New Covenant would fix the fault in the Old Covenant
Jeremiah 31: 33-34 ‘But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put My instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know Me already, says the Lord. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.’
With just a casual reading of this verse you might think that God’s promise of the new covenant is for Israel only – but the Apostle aul reminds us that the promise is for us too, Romans 11: 17 ‘But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.’
2 Corinthians 3: 6
3. The New Covenant would be put into effect through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The writer to the Hebrews said, Hebrews 9: 18b ‘the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.’ And, Hebrews 9: 22 ‘without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.’
As Jesus celebrated the Passover supper with the disciples He said, Luke 22:20b "This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood."
What Was Jesus Doing On The Cross? (He was) giving us the New Covenant
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