The Promise of a New Covenant

In that 400years of silence the people waited - they were waiting for what Moses and the Prophets promised - they were waiting for The New Covenant that Jesus would Bring!

Jeremiah 31:31 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

Jeremiah 31:32 ESV

not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:33 ESV

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:34 ESV

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

So this New Covenant accomplishes things the Old Covenant looked forward to… things that the Old Covenant could not do...

The heart or ‘core promise’ of the covenant:

What will this New Covenant bring?

Forgiveness of Sin: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ().

· I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ().

Forgiveness of Sin: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (). Jesus is the once and for all sacrifice for our sin! In Jesus there is complete forgiveness for every sin.

Knowing God Personally: I will be their God, and they shall be my people…for they shall all know me (,).

· I will be their God, and they shall be my people…for they shall all know me (,).

Knowing God Personally: I will be their God, and they shall be my people…for they shall all know me (,). a personal awareness, and interaction with God… Jesus pours out his Spirit on all who believe in him - Paul says the Spirit of God causes us to cry out Abba Father - Through Jesus the love of God will be a reality in people’s hearts!

A Heart to Obey God: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts ().

A Heart to Obey God: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts (). God’s good laws will be internalized - people will willingly accept his rule over them and choose to obey him!

This new covenant Jesus brings - doesn’t get rid of God’s law, he plants the law within us! - Under the new Covenant people are forgiven of their sin and given hearts to love God and obey his word!

This new covenant Jesus is bringing - doesn’t get rid of God’s law, he plants the law within us! God is going to deliver on his promise to do something about our selfish-rebellious hearts . Giving us hearts to love and obey God!

1 Corinthians 10:11–12 ESV

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

The New Covenant Jesus brings radically changes things! But we can’t treat the Old Covenant like it is just some old complicated thing that doesn’t matter any more because now we have Jesus… because Jesus himself didn’t talk that way…

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

The whole point of the New Covenant is to accomplish things Old Covenant couldn’t but looked forward to - It doesn’t get rid of God’s law it plants the law within us! Giving us hearts to love and obey God!

Matthew 5:19 ESV

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Forgiveness of Sin: I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ().

Paul says in

Jesus doesn’t get rid of God’s law, he plants the law within us! Giving us hearts to love and obey God!

Knowing God Personally: I will be their God, and they shall be my people…for they shall all know me (,).

-- the whole point of the New Covenant is that is does something the Old couldn’t and that is to give us hearts that love and obey God! It doesn’t get rid of God’s law it plants the law within us!

A Heart to Obey God: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts ().

The whole point of the New Covenant is to accomplish things Old Covenant couldn’t - primarily to forgive our sin and give us hearts that love and obey God! It doesn’t get rid of God’s law it plants the law within us!

Romans 7:12 ESV

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

So it is helpful to think of the New Covenant Jesus brings not as something completely new and disconnected from the Old Covenant but more like a software upgrade…

So what do we do with all of God’s Commandments in the Old Testament?

It may be helpful to think of the New Covenant not as something completely new and disconnected from the Old Covenant but more like a software upgrade…

Back in the 80’s MS DOS was the old way of computing - everything was done through command prompts - until Microsoft released WINDOWS a whole new paradigm! But it wasn’t completely disconnected and separate from DOS -it grew out of DOS, it carried forward with it many of the same operations and ideas - it just did things DOS couldn’t do and opened up a whole new way of computing…

The New covenant Jesus brings - radically changes things but it doesn’t ignore or erase the Old Testament - it grows out of it, and builds on the Old Covenant… Like in a software upgrade it is new but there are things that are carried over…

So when you go back and look at the details of the Story and your reading the OT keep in mind that the Law given to Moses has 3 parts: Ceremonial, Civil, Moral

So when you are reading the OT keep in mind that the Law given to Moses has 3 parts: Ceremonial, Civil, Moral

says...

1 Corinthians 10:11–12 ESV

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Some things are replaced and some things are carried over…

So when you are reading the OT keep in mind that the Law given to Moses has 3 parts: Ceremonial, Civil, Moral

the Ceremonial laws are all about dealing with sin and relating to God who is holy and just - and they all look forward to Jesus and teach us about Jesus- the new Covenant makes these laws obsolete because now Jesus has come - but these laws give us pictures and insights about who Jesus is and what he has done on our behalf.

the civil laws governed civil life in ancient Israel so that they would be different from the nations around them - the details of these laws are specific for Israel’s witness to the nations around them - So under the New Covenant these laws also become obsolete - BUT they are very useful because they give us many insights and reveal principles that are helpful for addressing issues we face today - especially when it comes to how we treat the poor and oppressed - so they are a source of wisdom as we interact with the fallen world around us.

the moral laws - (10 commandments which are essentially the first principles of the law) reveal God’s character and his design for living life well under his good rule and reign - so that we are loving God and loving others the way God intended ... Jesus taught them and lived them out - So under the NEW COVENANT they are carried over but the difference is we can know them at the heart level ---

So The New covenant Jesus brings - radically changes things but it doesn’t ignore or erase the Old Testament - It grows out of it , and builds on the Old Covenant.... Jesus doesn’t erase the Law, he fulfills the law!

Jesus and his apostles lay out some basic principles to guide us and the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God — literally transforming our lives --- his law written on our hearts…

Jesus become the ultimate Sacrifice for our sin so those who have faith in him can be completely forgiven

You see The New covenant Jesus brings - radically changes things but it doesn’t ignore or erase the Old Testament - It grows out of, and builds the Old Testament....

So the Old Covenant Jesus and his apostles lay out some basic principles to guide us and the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God — literally transforming our lives --- his law written on our hearts…

Jesus and his apostles lay out some basic principles to guide us and the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God — literally transforming our lives --- his law written on our hearts…

Jesus pours out his Spirit on those who believe in him- so we can Know God Personally

— and completes the rest of the Story for us!

Jesus and his apostles in the NT lay out some basic principles to guide us as the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God!

Jesus fulfills the law and completes the Old Testament Story!

In the New Covenant

1 Corinthians 10:11–12 ESV

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Romans 15:4 ESV

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

So the Story we’ve been learning, and all the OT laws exists for our benefit - that as people living in the last age, as new Covenant people we might love and obey God with all our hearts!

What are some things the Old Testament Story is teaching us? What are some things it is teaching us to believe and do today?

What are some things it is teaching us to believe and do today?

Jesus fulfills the law and completes the rest of the Story for us!

That’s what the New Testament is about. So after a couple of weeks break we are going to follow the rest of the story line and look at some of the details that Jesus reveals about our chapter in the story and how the story ends!

Follow UP Verse:

The Story all points to Jesus and The New Covenant He brings:

The New Covenant He brings:

God’s Law given through Moses was basically the national constitution for Israel and it had 3 parts: Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral laws…

Jesus become the ultimate Sacrifice for our sin we can be completely forgiven

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Jesus pours out his Spirit on those who believe - we can Know God Personally

Jesus and his apostles in the NT lay out some basic principles to guide us as the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God —

Jesus and his apostles in the NT lay out some basic principles to guide us as the Holy Spirit works in us to give us hearts that love and obey God — his law written on our hearts… your life can be transformed

Matthew 5:19 ESV

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

MS DOS was the old way of computing - until Microsoft released WINDOWS a whole new paradigm! But it wasn’t completely new and separate from DOS -it grew out of DOS, it carried forward with it many of the same operations and ideas - it just did things DOS couldn’t do and opened up a whole new way of computing…

Jesus doesn’t erase the Law, he fulfills the law!

The OT Law given through Moses was basically the national constitution for Israel and it had 3 parts: Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral laws…

You see The New covenant Jesus brings - radically changes things but it doesn’t ignore or erase the Old Testament - It grows out of, and builds the Old Testament.... in fact the Spirit

1 Corinthians 10:11–12 ESV

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

The Type of Covenant:

· Again this is an unconditional covenant based on unconditional statements of what God will do much like the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants (see also: , )

· It is a perpetual / everlasting covenant in which the nation is one day re-established in the land under a Davidic king with God dwelling with them forever ().

· This covenant is also global in scope in which Israel and all the nations will know the Lord who pours out his Spirit on all flesh (, , ).

The Establishment of the New Covenant:

Romans 3:27–31 NLT

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

I. This covenant will be established after God restores Israel from captivity ().

II. It will be put into effect when God’s Spirit is poured out on all people before the ‘Day of the Lord’ ().

III. It will be fully realized on the day God judges the nations and sets up his kingdom with the Davidic King who will rule from Jerusalem ().

I. Hebrews connects the “better covenant” with the Abrahamic covenant or ‘promise’ (, ). The New Covenant builds on the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants because it begins with the old promises made to Abraham and David promising that Israel will return to their land under the rule of a Davidic King.

The New Covenant perpetuates the initial promises and continues God’s single plan[1] to redeem a people for himself, a household of faith, gathering all nations through His promised king from David’s line, Jesus Christ, into the family of God. It is under this new covenant that there is hope in an eternal inheritance in which God’s promises to Abraham and David will be fully realized in the return of King Jesus and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth, where Jesus reigns from his throne in God’s city Jerusalem ().

II. The Mosaic Covenant looked forward to the new covenant. “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” () This looks forward to when God will change the hearts of his people so they can obey his laws wholeheartedly – God giving his people new hearts is a key component of the New Covenant. Therefore, the Mosaic Law has a planned obsolescence and serves as preparation for the new Covenant (, , ). [2] There are both continuing and contrasting aspects between the old Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant. The external law of the Mosaic covenant, written on tablets of stone, is replaced by the internal law written the hearts of men and women (, ). This brings complete forgiveness of sin and an internal obedience that was previously unattainable but under the new Covenant is possible through Christ’s atoning sacrifice () and the internal working of God’s Spirit (, , ). While obedience to the moral laws and principles under the old covenant are in view the new covenant renders the old ceremonial laws and the letter of the civil laws obsolete (, , ).

[1] Kaiser, Walter C. “The Old Promise and the New Covenant: ,” taken from The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society p22-23

[2] Kaiser, Walter C. “The Old Promise and the New Covenant: ,” taken from The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society p19-21 Kaiser is helpful here in clarifying that the new covenant isn’t disconnected from the old but in many ways completes and extends the initial promises brining in greater degree what the old began, with only the ceremonies and ordinances of the Mosaic covenant being phased out as part of the overall plan.

1 Corinthians 10:11–12 ESV

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Romans 3:30–31 ESV

since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.