The New Covenant, Part 6

Yeah, when you come on Wednesday night, the auditorium will be all decorated, and for the rest of the year, it'll be a celebration of the coming of the Christ. Which is very interesting because if you read the New Testament, every time the first coming is mentioned, the second coming is mentioned eight times. Eight times. Of the 333 prophecies centered around the coming of the Messiah, 109 of them were fulfilled in his first coming. Leaving 224 to be fulfilled in his second coming. How you celebrate the first coming will determine how you anticipate the second coming. Everything about the Messiah is amazing.

In fact, we've been trying to help you understand in the book of Hebrews that the Old Testament is a huge canvas. That paints the person of the Christ and the promises of the Christ. All the promises of God are yes in Christ. So, as he gives us the promises, he gives us the person who fulfills the promises. So, everything in the Old Testament is a picture that's been painted by the prophets, truly through the inspiration of the Spirit of God. The writer of Hebrews is trying to show the painting to these Jewish people in order that they don't miss their Messiah. That's why he gave them warnings.

Remember back in chapter 2 of Hebrews, he gave the warning. He said this: "For this reason," because he talks about the superiority of Christ in chapter 1, "for this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" He says, "Listen, you're hearing all about the Christ. Don't drift away, don't pass on by the opportunity to embrace the Messiah. Don't do that."

And then he goes on and talks more about the Messiah in chapter 2. And then in chapter 3, he gives another warning. He says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness." And he goes on and keeps repeating that. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." In other words, he says, "Look, don't deny yourself the opportunity. Don't drift by the opportunity. And certainly don't disbelieve all the warnings from the Old Testament because they're all serious."

So he gives another warning, and we told you there are five warnings in the book of Hebrews, and they increase with intensity as you go through them. And then he comes to chapter five. And in chapter five, he says these words in verse number 11. He says, "Concerning him we have much to say, as it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing." And he goes into this long warning again. This long warning about disregarding the salvation of God, the Son of God. He doesn't want them to become dull of hearing. Nothros is the word. It means to become sluggish, to become numb, to that which you know to be true.

Listen, if you let it pass on by and you don't grasp the opportunity when you hear the gospel, and you continue to doubt and disbelieve the gospel, you're in danger of becoming completely dull, sluggish, numb to the truth of the gospel. And he goes on to say in Hebrews chapter 6 that if you have heard all of what I'm telling you, and you've tasted the good word of the Lord, and were a partaker of the Holy Spirit of God, if you go on sinning, there no longer is an opportunity for you to ever repent again. Don't miss the opportunity.

So as he paints this picture, he gives them warnings because he knows, he knows that their fathers missed the Messiah. And the question comes, how did they do that? If the Old Testament was such a clear, beautiful portrait of the Messiah, His person and promises, how is it the Jewish nation actually missed him when he arrived? How is it they did not see him for who he was? Why is it they could not connect the dots when he walked right in front of them, when he fulfilled all messianic credentials, when he was there to prove to them that he was the Christ? How is it that amidst His life in front of them, they missed everything?

Well, the Lord tells us in the book of Matthew. The thirteenth chapter, our Lord begins to speak in parables. It was the fulfillment of Psalm 78. Psalm 78, Asaph prophesied that the Lord the Messiah would speak in judgment to the people of God. And he would speak to them in parables. So when you come to Matthew chapter 13, it says, "and the disciples came and said to him," verse 10, "why do you speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. But to them it has not been granted." Why not? Why hasn't it been granted to your people to understand the mysteries of heaven?

"For whoever has to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has, shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." Why is it man doesn't understand? Listen carefully. Man doesn't understand because he is intellectually incapable of understanding. Man doesn't understand because God has not illuminated the mind and heart of a man to believe.

Please understand that you can speak to your blue in the face and say, "I have reasoned with this person, I have given him all the verses, I have explained everything historically, about the Messiah, yet they still don't understand." Why? Because it's not a matter of intellect, it's a matter of illumination. Where the Spirit of God illuminates the heart and mind. That's how you got saved. That's how I got saved. And God opens the heart. I can't open the heart. I don't have a key to your heart. God opens the heart. That they might believe the gospel.

So the Lord says, "I speak to them in parables, but to you, you have the mysteries." Now listen to this. "In their case," whose case? Israel's case. "The prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled." There was a prophecy? Yes. Isaiah chapter 6, verses 9 to 11. This is what he quotes. "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand. You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive. For the heart of this people has become," what's the next word? "Dull." Same word used in Hebrews 5:11. They have become sluggish. They have become numb. They have seen it. They have heard it. Yet they do not believe it. In the face of overwhelming evidence, they will not believe. They will not believe.

So, listen carefully. Man's willful rejection will always lead to God's judicial rejection. When man willfully disobeys and willfully continues in sin and willfully says, "I will not obey, I will not follow," and he rejects the Messiah in spite of overwhelming evidence, with that willful rejection comes a judicial rejection where God says, "that's it. No more opportunity to respond." When is that time? We don't know when that time is. Only God knows that time.

He says this: "With their ears, they scarcely hear. And they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and I would heal them." Now when Isaiah gave the prophecy, it was fulfilled in Israel's heart and life when it came to the Babylonian captivity. So there were two fulfillments of Isaiah 6. And that was during the Babylonian captivity, and now during the time of Christ, for Christ quotes it. As if it's fulfilled right now in Israel's life.

Verse sixteen: "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it." Do you understand the blessing? Do you understand the promise of joy that comes with hearing and believing, seeing and believing? Christ says, "You are blessed. Do you know how blessed you are? The Lord has opened your eyes, illuminated your heart and mind, that you would hear and see and believe the gospel." That is just such a great blessing. Because there are many righteous men who wanted to hear what you heard, see what you have seen, but did not.

Why is that important? Well, if you recall in Luke's Gospel, the seventh chapter, there was a man called John the Baptist. He was a forerunner to the Messiah. He was the one who would pave the way for the Messiah. He was the one who preached about the coming kingdom of the Messiah. He was the one who pointed to the arrival of the Messiah. He was the last Old Testament prophet. He closed out the Old Testament, ushered in the New Testament. For he now became the first New Testament prophet, prophesying about the arrival of the Messiah. But in Luke chapter 7, that man who preached concerning the arrival of the Messiah, pointed to his coming, baptized that Messiah, doubted whether or not Jesus was that Messiah.

How does that happen? How is it this man spent his whole life studying the Old Testament? And the prophecies in the Old Testament would come like a locomotive out of the desert preaching about the arrival of the Messiah. Say, "this is the Lamb of God who is going to take away the sins of the world. That's the guy." And he baptized them. Saw the Spirit of God descend upon him. Heard the voice of his father in heaven, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased." How is it now he sends his disciples to Jesus? And asks him if he is that expected one. Did I make a mistake? Was I wrong? So he sends his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are you the expected one?"

And Jesus heals everybody at once. He goes, "You go back and tell John exactly what you saw." And then he says these words. In Luke chapter 7, verse number 24: "when the messengers of John had left, he began to speak to the crowds about John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in the royal palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes. I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet, this is the one about whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. I say to you, Among those born of women there is no one greater than John. No one. There has never been a man born of a woman greater than John. He paved the way for the Messiah."

And then Jesus says these words. I love these. "Yet, he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." The least person in the kingdom is greater than the greatest man ever born of a woman. How can that possibly be? How can the least person in the kingdom of heaven be greater than John the Baptist? Well, certainly not in character, certainly not in conduct, but you are greater in position and you are greater in privilege. Greater in position and greater in privilege. Why? Because you have heard, you have read, you understand everything about the Messiah, his crucifixion, his resurrection, his ascension. John did not understand all those things, but you do. The birth of the church, the indwelling Spirit of God. John did not understand all that, but you do. The fact that Jesus is going to come again and set up his kingdom on the earth. Something that was a mystery in the Old Testament, that mystery has been revealed to you. You know that.

So you and I are greater than John the Baptist because the privilege we have of knowing the truth of God's holy word. And not only the privilege of knowing that, but the position we have as priests in the kingdom of God, children of the living God. And that's why Jesus would go on to say in Luke chapter 10, verse number 23: "Turning to the disciples, he said, Privately, blessed are the eyes which see the things you see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings wish to see the things which you see and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."

You see, we are the blessed people. As he speaks to his disciples about the blessing they receive, that the kings and palaces wish that they saw and that they heard. We have seen and we have heard. We are the blessed people. So I say all that because the writer of Hebrews is a blessed person. And because he's blessed, he has this huge responsibility to show the canvas that has painted the Messiah and all of his promises, that somehow they could see clearly, hear effectively everything that was said in the Old Testament. And that's why he keeps going back over and over the Old Testament and quoting from the Old Testament. All the time because he wants them to hear the word of God, he wants them to see the person of God and come to grips with his reality. The writer of Hebrews, greater than John the Baptist. You and I, greater than John the Baptist, the greatest man ever born of a woman. Because we have seen and heard the great privileges and promises of the Messiah, so that we now understand them.

And with that opportunity, comes the greatest of all responsibilities. That's why I said during our prayer time, our responsibility now is crystallized. We know exactly what we're to do. We are to work for the Messiah, wait for the Messiah, watch for the Messiah, witness for the Messiah, worship the Messiah. We know what our responsibility is because we know who the Messiah is. We've seen the painting, we've heard the promises. And we've embraced them. That's why we have received the blessing. And now the writer of Hebrews paves the way for you and I to understand this is what we do. Show the picture. Let people see it. Explain it to them. He doesn't want them to become dull of hearing. He doesn't want them to drift away from the truth. He doesn't want them to disbelieve and doubt the truth. He wants them to embrace the truth. There's a great passion behind the man. The writer of Hebrews. There's a great desire behind him. That passion desire should be in you and I. That we should be the same kind of people who passionately want to share the gospel with others.

And that's why he has taken them back in Hebrews 9 to the old covenant. That was a 20-minute introduction. But he took him back to the old covenant because in the old covenant, in that tabernacle, was a picture of the Christ and the cross. There was an effective picture of the Christ in every piece of furniture, and as it was outlaid in the tabernacle, it pictured the cross of the Messiah. He wants them to see the picture. And so he doesn't go into great detail, though, because he makes it very clear that because you already know this in verse number five, "I'm not going to go into great detail for you." So last week we went through those articles in the tabernacle to explain to you how they symbolize so much of the Messiah. Because they do.

And so as he goes through the outer tabernacle, the earthly tabernacle, he wants them to understand, as you continue on through the text in verse number 6, he says: "Now, when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship." The outer tabernacle is the holy place, okay? Not the holy of holies, but the holy place. And they go into the holy place and they make sure that the oil in that Golden lampstand is fresh and kept burning. They go over and they exchange the loaves of bread once a week, signifying the presence of Israel before their God. Offering incense on the altar of incense, as well as continually offering sacrifice in the outer court, so that people's sins could be forgiven. Their service was unending. Oh, by the way, our great high priest, his service is unending because he is constantly lighting the way. He's constantly giving us the bread of life. He is constantly interceding for us on our behalf.

And then he says, "This," verse 7, "but into the second, that is the Holy of Holies, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance." Wow, this is a great thing. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies once a year. He would wake up on the day of atonement and he would be garbed in the royal garments. He'd had the breastplate with stones, 12 different stones on that breastplate, etched in each stone was the name of each tribe. On his shoulders, he had an ephod, and the ephod was a huge stone on each shoulder. Etched were six names of one tribe on one shoulder, six of each of the remaining tribes on the other shoulder because he was bearing them up, he was leading them into the presence of Christ, although they could not go into the presence of the living God.

And so he would offer sacrifices over and over again. And then he would go in, he would bathe himself, and he would take off all of his glorious robes, and he clothed himself in white linen, pure white linen. All symbolic of how our Lord Jesus would leave the glories of heaven, discard the glories of heaven, and become encased in flesh upon earth, always pure, always holy, always sinless, because he's a sinless God of the universe. And this high priest would go out and he would sacrifice a bullock that he himself purchased on the brazen altar, and then he would take some of the blood from that sacrifice. And he would go into the Holy of Holies, he would sprinkle that blood on the mercy seat, and he would confess his sins because he was a sinner.

When he was done, he would hurry back out because there were waiting for him two goats, and he would cast lots. One goat would represent Jehovah, and the other goat would be called the Azazel, or the scapegoat. And the goat that became the symbol of Jehovah, he would sacrifice there on the altar. Taking the blood from that sacrifice, going back into the Holy of Holies. Remember, he had to do this perfectly. Leviticus 25 says, "do it right, or you're going to die. You don't do it right, you're going to die." So God says, "don't mess it up." So he goes back into the Holy of Holies and He sprinkles the blood on the mercy seat, and now He asks forgiveness for the sins of the people. So, why does he do that? Right, if Hebrews tells us that the sins of ignorance, that they have come throughout the year to offer sacrifices for the sins, but they know they didn't get every sin, right? There were some they probably missed. Bad attitude, bad word, bad thought. They probably missed something. So the sins of ignorance, so all the sins that they didn't ask forgiveness for throughout the year, the high priest would go in and ask forgiveness on behalf of the people.

He'd rush back out, he'd take his hands and place them on the scapegoat. And there he would confess the sins of the people and himself. And that scapegoat would be taken out into the wilderness, symbolic of not remembering sins any longer. And so you had the beautiful portrait of the Messiah. They know from the book of Leviticus they're to take two goats, but the Messiah, he became the satisfaction. See, there was a satisfactory sacrifice. And that was the Messiah himself. Who would bear your sins in mind. And as he bore your sins in mind in his body, they would be remembered no more. Everything was symbolic. Everything was a picture.

So he is going back to the earthly tabernacle. He is showing them the picture of what is happening. Telling them that the service of the priest was daily, it was always in action. This is what they were doing. But on that one day, that special day, that the day of atonement in which the high priest would go in and offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. This became a very special day. But it all became a day that symbolized the coming of the Messiah who would offer himself as a sacrifice and die for the sins.

And then he goes on and says, "but all of us, it was inadequate." He goes on to say, verse 8, "the Holy Spirit is signifying this." The Holy Spirit says, "This is not my idea. It's not Moses' idea. The Holy Spirit is doing this." Signifying what? "That the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing." In other words, the high priest would go in and represent you, but he could not take you into the holy place because the worship, the worship itself was incomplete. It was meant to be that way. It wasn't wrong. It wasn't bad. It was just incomplete because the people were able to access God's presence. Only the high priest, only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

And so their worship was incomplete, and their cleansing, their cleansing. Their cleansing was imperfect, for it says in verse number nine, these words: "which is a symbol for the present time, accordingly, both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience." In other words, listen carefully. When the high priest would go in and confess the sins of the people, run out, put his hands on the scapegoat, and take that goat, or they would take that goat into the wilderness. All that did was take care of last year's sins. It didn't take care of this year's sins. They had to be confessed at the end of the year again. Very important. That's why there wasn't a perfect cleansing. There was an external cleansing, right? But with the Messiah comes an internal cleansing. We'll see that in a moment.

And then he says this in verse number 10: "since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of Reformation." Until a time when things now were set straight, when things now were made complete, the time of reformation. In other words, everything was symbolic. Everything was temporary. It wasn't to be forever. He said it was only temporary. It was only for a while, not forever. Because what was going to happen now is there's going to become a time of reformation where everything will draw together. There'll be one final sacrifice, and that will be the ultimate sacrifice that will not just cover your sins, but wipe them all away, not just forgive them for the past year, but forgive them for the past, the present, and the future.

So he closes out the earthly tabernacle and moves to the heavenly tabernacle. He says this in verse number 11: "Bear with me. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered through the greater, the more perfect tabernacle." The more perfect tabernacle is heaven. How do we know that? Acts 7:48, Acts 17:25, Ephesians 2:5 to 6. We are seated in the heavenlies, we are seated in the Holy of Holies. We are seated in the throne of God. Listen carefully. You are physically here, but spiritually, you're in glory. Spiritually, you're seated. Paul says, right now in the heavenlies. Physically, you are here, but spiritually, you are in the heavenlies because this is what Christ did for you. And for me.

So he says, "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation." Why? It's heaven. It's not made with human hands, not of this creation. And they say in verse number 12, "and not through the blood, the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, he entered the holy place once for all, having attained eternal redemption." Having attained complete and total access to the presence of God, having obtained that which you've always longed for, eternal redemption. He did that through the sacrifice of himself. He did that through his own blood. He did that because he gave away his life for you. That's what he did. He shed the perfect spotless blood of the Lamb for your sins and for mine. How great is that?

And then he says, "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling, those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" In other words, this blood is an internal cleansing. No longer are you cleaned externally, but you're cleaned internally. Because the blood of bulls and goats could not do this. It's the way God designed it to cover your sins. But there was coming one who would shed his blood for you that would cleanse your conscience from dead works. What are those? All the evil deeds, because everything flows from the heart, anyway, right? He cleanses the guilty conscience. He cleanses you from the inside out.

Listen, in the Old Testament, okay. The Jew, having been outwardly cleansed, would be an old creature still. But in the New Testament, having been cleansed inwardly, we are a completely new creation. Old things have passed away build all things have become new. That's why your conversion is so crucial. That when you give your life to Christ, there is this internal cleansing that makes you automatically a brand new creation. Because it cleanses your conscience from dead works, from evil deeds. It cleanses you from all of your guilt. It wipes away your sin, past, present, and future. Listen, which causes you, he says, to serve the living God. You can't help but serve the living God. You want to serve the living God.

Show me a man who doesn't want to serve the living God, and I'll show you a man who hasn't been cleansed from his dead works. Show me a man who's not a new creation, and I'll show you a man who's not been cleansed on the inside. Because in Scripture, what happens to you is that you are brand new from the inside out. You are changed where it matters, in the heart, which now my motivation changes. I'm no longer looking for me and looking out for me and my ideas and my ways. I'm looking out for God and all that He said in His promises: I want to do God's work. I want to serve the living God. That's what the believer does. He can't help but do that because he's been cleansed from his sin.

My friends, we're new creations, and we are the most blessed people on the face of the earth. Because we can see and hear the things of God. Many kings and many prophets, many righteous men wanted to hear and see what you have seen and heard. But they never did. And we'll read about them in Hebrews 11. But you and me? We've seen it. We've heard it. We've read it. We have it right in front of us. We have the completed portrait that is so clean, so neat. Because it paints what? The supremacy and the sufficiency of the Savior of the world. And that's what the writer of Hebrews is telling these people, this Jewish audience. This one who is supreme is completely sufficient to take away your sins, past, present, and future, because he entered into the heavenly tabernacle as your high priest. And know what? He hauled you in with him. He took you in. And now you're seated in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are so blessed. We are so privileged. We are greater than the greatest man ever born of a woman, John the Baptist. Why? Because of our privilege and our position. That's why we preached a couple years ago. It's always a great day to be great, why because we are because we know the Christ. Others need to see him and hear them. May God give you the grace to do that.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today, the great joy and privilege we have of learning and hearing your word. Lord, you have blessed us immensely. So, so deeply, so richly with your word. And every time we read it, we are once again engaged in the person and work of Christ. And we see the prophecies coming true, and we see the prophecies of the future knowing that they're going to come true because you are faithful and true. And Lord, you've given us this great ministry to preach the truth. May we be your spokesperson this day. Lord, thank you for what you've done. Thank you for blessing us when we are so unworthy of your blessing. But your grace and mercy has sustained us, and we are grateful. Lord, may we serve the living God until you come again as you most surely will. In Jesus' name, amen.