The New Covenant, Part 1

If you got your Bible, turn to Hebrews chapter 8. We're in Hebrews 8. The writer of Hebrews is showing us that Jesus Christ is superior to everything. He's showing us that he is the supreme one, the all-sufficient one. He's been doing this from the very beginning.

He's shown us that he's better than the angels, better than Moses, better than Joshua, better than Aaron. He's shown us that he's the better priest, the better covenant, the better sacrifice. And so, "better" is the key word in the book of Hebrews.

And the writer of Hebrews is dealing with a Jewish audience who are tempted to go back to the symbols, to go back to the shadows, to go back to the old covenant. And he's trying to convince them that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything. He's the one they were waiting for. He's the one they were looking for. He's the one they were hoping in.

And so, when we come to chapter 8, we're looking at the better covenant. He's already shown us that he's a better high priest. In fact, he's the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. And now he's going to show us that he's the mediator of a better covenant.

So let's read chapter 8, verse 1. "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man."

So the writer of Hebrews is summarizing what he's already said in chapters 1 through 7. And the main point is this: we have such a high priest. What kind of high priest? A high priest who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. He's seated. He's finished his work. He's completed his work.

The priests in the Old Testament never sat down. They were always standing. They were always offering sacrifices. They were always ministering. But Jesus Christ, our high priest, has sat down. Why? Because his work is finished. His work is complete. He's offered the final sacrifice. He's offered the perfect sacrifice. He's offered the sacrifice that takes away sin once and for all.

And so he's seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. And he's a minister in the sanctuary. Not the earthly sanctuary, but the heavenly sanctuary. Not the tabernacle that man made, but the tabernacle that God made. Not the tabernacle that was pitched by Moses, but the tabernacle that was pitched by the Lord.

And so he's a minister in the true tabernacle. The tabernacle that was built by Moses was just a copy. It was just a shadow. It was just a picture. But Jesus Christ ministers in the real thing. He serves in the heavenly sanctuary. He serves in the true tabernacle.

And so the writer of Hebrews is showing us that Jesus Christ is superior to the Old Testament priests. He's superior to the Old Testament sacrifices. He's superior to the Old Testament tabernacle. He's superior to everything.

And then he goes on to say in verse 3, "For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer." Every high priest has to have something to offer. The Old Testament priests offered bulls and goats and lambs. But what did Jesus Christ offer? He offered himself.

He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice. He offered himself as the final sacrifice. He offered himself as the once-for-all sacrifice. He offered himself as the sacrifice that takes away sin. And so he had something to offer, and it was something far better than anything the Old Testament priests could offer.

And then he says in verse 4, "Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law." If Jesus Christ were on earth, he would not be a priest at all. Why? Because he's not from the tribe of Levi. He's from the tribe of Judah. And the priests had to be from the tribe of Levi.

But Jesus Christ is not an earthly priest. He's a heavenly priest. He's a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He's a priest after a different order. He's a priest according to a different priesthood.

And so he's not bound by the limitations of the Old Testament priesthood. He's not bound by the limitations of the Levitical priesthood. He's a priest according to a better order. He's a priest according to a heavenly order.

And then he says in verse 5, "who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, 'See,' He says, 'that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.'"

The Old Testament priests served a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. The tabernacle was just a copy. The sacrifices were just shadows. The priesthood was just a picture. But Jesus Christ serves in the real thing. He serves in the heavenly sanctuary. He serves in the true tabernacle.

And Moses was warned by God to make everything according to the pattern that was shown him on the mountain. God showed Moses the heavenly pattern. God showed Moses the heavenly tabernacle. And Moses was to make an earthly copy of the heavenly original.

And so everything in the Old Testament was just a copy. Everything in the Old Testament was just a shadow. Everything in the Old Testament was just a picture. But Jesus Christ is the real thing. Jesus Christ is the substance. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment.

And then in verse 6, he says, "But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."

Now Jesus Christ has obtained a more excellent ministry. He's the mediator of a better covenant. The Old Testament was the old covenant. The New Testament is the new covenant. And Jesus Christ is the mediator of this better covenant.

And this better covenant has been enacted on better promises. The promises of the new covenant are better than the promises of the old covenant. The blessings of the new covenant are better than the blessings of the old covenant. The provisions of the new covenant are better than the provisions of the old covenant.

And so Jesus Christ is the mediator of a better covenant. He's the one who brings us into relationship with God. He's the one who makes peace between God and man. He's the one who bridges the gap between heaven and earth.

And then in verse 7, he says, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second." If the old covenant had been perfect, there would have been no need for a new covenant. But the old covenant was not perfect. The old covenant was not faultless. The old covenant had problems.

What was wrong with the old covenant? It was not that God was at fault. It was not that the law was at fault. The fault was with the people. The fault was with us. We could not keep the law. We could not live up to the standard. We could not meet the requirements.

And so God promised a new covenant. God promised a better covenant. God promised a covenant that would be based on better promises. God promised a covenant that would be enacted on the finished work of Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 8, he begins to quote from Jeremiah 31, "'For finding fault with them, He says, 'Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'"

God found fault with the people. Not with the law, not with the covenant, but with the people. The people could not keep the covenant. The people could not live up to the standard. The people could not meet the requirements.

And so God promised a new covenant. And this new covenant would be with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This new covenant would be with the people of God. This new covenant would be with all who believe in Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 9, he says, "'Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord.'"

The new covenant is not like the old covenant. The old covenant was made with their fathers when God led them out of Egypt. The old covenant was the law. The old covenant was the Ten Commandments. The old covenant was the ceremonial law. The old covenant was the civil law.

But they did not continue in God's covenant. They broke the covenant. They violated the covenant. They turned away from the covenant. And so God did not care for them. God was not pleased with them. God was not satisfied with them.

And so God promised a new covenant. A covenant that would be different from the old covenant. A covenant that would be based on better promises. A covenant that would be enacted on the finished work of Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 10, he describes the new covenant, "'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'"

The new covenant is characterized by internalization. God will put his laws into their minds. God will write his laws on their hearts. This is not external obedience. This is not mere ritual observance. This is heart transformation. This is inner change.

Under the old covenant, the law was external. The law was written on tablets of stone. The law was outside of them. But under the new covenant, the law is internal. The law is written on the heart. The law is inside of them.

And God will be their God, and they will be his people. This is relationship. This is fellowship. This is communion. This is not just religious observance. This is personal relationship with the living God.

And then in verse 11, he says, "'And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.'"

Under the new covenant, everyone will know the Lord. From the least to the greatest. From the youngest to the oldest. From the simplest to the most sophisticated. All will know the Lord.

This doesn't mean that teaching is unnecessary. This doesn't mean that preaching is unnecessary. This doesn't mean that discipleship is unnecessary. What it means is that under the new covenant, all believers have direct access to God. All believers can know God personally. All believers can have a personal relationship with God.

Under the old covenant, only the priests could approach God. Only the high priest could enter the holy of holies. Only the Levites could minister in the tabernacle. But under the new covenant, all believers are priests. All believers can approach God. All believers can enter the holy of holies.

And then in verse 12, he gives the ultimate promise of the new covenant, "'For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.'"

This is the heart of the new covenant. This is the essence of the gospel. This is the core of Christianity. God will be merciful to their iniquities. God will remember their sins no more.

Under the old covenant, sins were covered. Under the old covenant, sins were rolled forward. Under the old covenant, sins were temporarily dealt with. But under the new covenant, sins are forgiven. Under the new covenant, sins are forgotten. Under the new covenant, sins are removed.

God will remember their sins no more. This doesn't mean that God has a bad memory. This doesn't mean that God forgets. What it means is that God chooses not to remember. God chooses to forgive. God chooses to forget.

And when God forgives, he forgives completely. When God forgives, he forgives perfectly. When God forgives, he forgives forever. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And then in verse 13, he concludes, "When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."

When God promised a new covenant, he made the first covenant obsolete. The old covenant is becoming obsolete. The old covenant is growing old. The old covenant is ready to disappear.

This doesn't mean that the Old Testament is worthless. This doesn't mean that the law is meaningless. This doesn't mean that the old covenant has no value. What it means is that the old covenant has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The old covenant has been completed in Jesus Christ. The old covenant has been superseded by the new covenant.

The old covenant was a tutor to bring us to Christ. The old covenant was a schoolmaster to teach us about Christ. The old covenant was a shadow to point us to Christ. But now that Christ has come, we no longer need the tutor. Now that Christ has come, we no longer need the schoolmaster. Now that Christ has come, we no longer need the shadow.

We have the substance. We have the reality. We have Jesus Christ himself. And so the old covenant has served its purpose. The old covenant has accomplished its goal. The old covenant has completed its mission.

And now we live under the new covenant. We live under the covenant of grace. We live under the covenant that is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ. We live under the covenant that offers complete forgiveness of sins.

And so the writer of Hebrews is showing us that Jesus Christ is the mediator of a better covenant. He's the one who brings us into this new relationship with God. He's the one who makes possible this new way of living. He's the one who enables us to experience the full blessings of the new covenant.

And the new covenant is better than the old covenant because it offers what the old covenant could never offer: complete forgiveness of sins. The new covenant is better than the old covenant because it provides what the old covenant could never provide: direct access to God. The new covenant is better than the old covenant because it gives what the old covenant could never give: a personal relationship with the living God.

And so we should be grateful for the new covenant. We should be thankful for the new covenant. We should be excited about the new covenant. We should live in the fullness of the new covenant.

We should not go back to the old covenant. We should not return to the shadows. We should not retreat to the symbols. We should move forward in the new covenant. We should advance in the new covenant. We should mature in the new covenant.

And the new covenant is not just for the future. The new covenant is not just for eternity. The new covenant is for now. The new covenant is for today. The new covenant is for this life.

We can experience the blessings of the new covenant now. We can enjoy the provisions of the new covenant now. We can live in the fullness of the new covenant now.

And so let us embrace the new covenant. Let us live in the new covenant. Let us experience the new covenant. Let us enjoy the new covenant. Let us celebrate the new covenant.

Because Jesus Christ is the mediator of a better covenant. And this better covenant is enacted on better promises. And these better promises are available to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the new covenant. We thank you for the better covenant. We thank you for the covenant that is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ. We thank you for complete forgiveness of sins. We thank you for direct access to you. We thank you for a personal relationship with you. Help us to live in the fullness of the new covenant. Help us to experience the blessings of the new covenant. Help us to enjoy the provisions of the new covenant. In Jesus' name, amen.