Jesus Presents a Greater Covenant

I hear commercials all the time about refinancing. It seems like there is always a better time to get a better rate in order to save money, re-cast your amortization, or even to take a little money out.

But let’s take a step back for a moment. What is a mortgage?

Most of us think that a mortgage is a way to purchase a house without having all of the money for it up front - which is a good thing, because at the rate that prices have been rising, very few people would ever own a home if we had to pay for it in cash.

But have you ever thought about the word mortgage?

The word “mortgage” has old english and French roots and is derived from two words

mort (from the Latin Mortuus) - meaning “dead”

gage - meaning “pledge”. Interestingly, the word “gage” refers to a medieval knight’s glove that was thrown down in a sort of challenge or promise.

So, if we get to the crude conclusion of these words, we’ll find that someone who engages in a mortgage is basically saying - “I promise to pay this or I’ll die.” Or another way would be to see a mortgage as “An agreement until death.” That’s why most mortgages are so long.

So, when we look at refinancing, we’re essentially looking for a better deal. We’re looking for an easier way for us to fulfill our death-pledge.

Now, I know, you didn’t come to church to talk about mortgages or financial contracts.

But thinking about this kind of contract seemed like a good way for us to begin thinking about the idea of a covenant.

Now covenants and contracts are different. The Lexham Bible dictionary notes the differences in this way:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Covenant and Contract Distinguished

In terms of initiation, contracts are made by the exchange of promises, whereas covenants are sworn by solemn oaths. In application, contracts are limited by the terms of the exchange of property (“this is yours, that is mine”), while covenants involve an exchange of life (“I am yours, you are mine”), which covers a virtually unlimited range of human relations and duties. In terms of motivation, contracts are based on profit and self-interest, while covenants call for self-giving loyalty and sacrificial love. Contracts are temporary while covenant bonds are permanent, even intergenerational. Such distinctions do not imply that covenants are necessarily opposed to contracts, since covenants call for both promise-making and oath-swearing (Heb 6:13–18). A contract is an arrangement in human affairs that may be reinforced by swearing a covenant, in order to add the more binding dimension of the divine.

Over the last several weeks as we’ve studied the book of Hebrews, we’ve seen how the writer of the book makes a bold claim that Jesus is greater. He has then presented arguments laying out how Jesus is greater than angels, Moses, and the priests. In this next section, the writer is communicating that Jesus presents a greater covenant.

Jesus Presents a Greater Covenant

Now, unlike a contract where we get to make changes, one thing that we have to understand is that this covenant isn’t simply greater, it’s perfect.

There were a few different covenants that God initiated with the people of Israel. Based on the context in these chapters, it seems like the writer is referring to the covenant at Sinai with Moses, when God gave them the commandments and standards for living. That covenant aimed at leading people toward holiness. But unfortunately, like an adjustable rate mortgage that keeps getting more expensive, the more the people sinned, the more they sacrificed, the more difficult it became to adhere to the expectations of the covenant.

Raymond Brown notes that the old covenant, just like an old mortgage, was “imperfect” “powerless” and ultimately “obsolete.” The writer of Hebrews notes that this was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah that there would be something new, something complete, something powerful, something accessible to everyone.

Hebrews 8:7–13 ESV

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 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. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

So how is the new covenant greater?

This new covenant didn’t just raise issue to our sin, it permanently addressed it.

This new covenant wasn’t established on ritual, it is internal - written on our hearts.

This new covenant isn’t restricted to a certain group of people and isn’t administered by a limited group of priests - it is available to everyone - elsewhere in scripture we read that we must receive this by faith - while it may be universally available, it’s not automatic.

This new covenant provides a full and complete pardon - God remembers our sins no more.

Finally, this new covenant is, in Brown’s words, “assured.” Look at how many times God speaks through Jeremiah stating - “I will.”

I will make a new covenant

I will put my laws in their minds and hearts

I will be their God

I will be merciful

I will remember their sins no more

The old covenant was instituted by God, it required that the people constantly do certain things to keep the covenant. Unfortunately, as we are all prone to do, the people of Israel wandered. Their religious activities became empty rituals.

Essentially the writer of Hebrews is communicating to us that the Covenant that Jeremiah prophesied about is here in Jesus.

Wiersbe summarizes the argument of the chapters we’re considering today in this way:

“[Jesus] ministers on the basis of a better covenant (Heb. 8), in a better sanctuary (Heb. 9), and because of a better sacrifice (Heb. 10).”

Rather than taking time to dive into the weeds of his argument on the sanctuary and the sacrifice (because we’ve already touched on those over the last few weeks), I want to take the remainder of our time to really consider...

What does the greater covenant mean to us?

Hebrews 10:19-39 gives us some good material to think about from a practical standpoint.

He begins by summarizing what he has said up to this point:

Hebrews 10:19-21 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus [essentially the better/perfect sacrifice], by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain , that is, through his flesh [the better sanctuary], and since we have a great priest over the house of God [our perfect mediator],”

The “therefore” here not only should cause us to remember what he has said up to that point, but it also marks a change as the remainder of the book gets to a more practical side of things. We’ve said before that many of the NT books were divided into two sections -

indicatives - truths about our faith, us, and our relationships with God.

imperatives - the “so what” - the actions that we should take in light of those truths.

These verses in Hebrews 10 seem to mark that shift from orthodoxy (what we believe) to orthopraxy (how we live).

The greater covenant impacts our ACTS (A.C.T.S.)...

A. Approach God full of faith (Heb. 10:22)

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Thinking back to the idea of an old contract or an old mortgage, in order to get a new mortgage we have to qualify. We have to have enough income, enough equity in our home, enough insurance. There is a chance that if any of that has changed that we won’t qualify.

With the greater covenant that Jesus brings, we are already qualified, not because of anything we have done, but because He qualifies us. We have no reason to fear rejection from God if we have received Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice. If you are unfamiliar with the essence of the old covenant and the good news of the greater covenant, it essentially boils down to this:

God created us to be in perfect fellowship with him

Sin entered into the equation - the first humans rebelled against God’s goodness and stained the rest of us. It would be easy to put all the blame on them, but we have to realize that we willfully and incidentally sin - daily.

The old covenant introduced rituals and sacrifices to remind people of their sin - they had to daily, weekly, yearly offer sacrifices to address their sin problem - and yet by virtue of the fact that they had to keep coming back - they would have known that these sacrifices were insufficient to permanently deal with their sin. God, through prophets, frequently spoke of a day when the Messiah or the Anointed one would come to atone for sin for all time.

Enter Jesus - he was born through a miraculous birth - because of that he did not inherit our sin nature. But as a human, he lived perfectly - sinless - able to perfectly fulfill all the requirements of the old covenant and then offered his life as the perfect sacrifice - ushering in the new covenant. You see, he took in his body the punishment for all of our sins. He paid the debt that you and I owe.

Hebrews 10:14 ESV

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Our job then is to respond, to approach God - humbly admitting the presence of sin in our lives and gratefully receiving Jesus’ sacrifice as sufficient payment for our sins. We then, get to live that out in our lives - allowing the covenant that is then written on our hearts to permeate our lives.

Because Jesus has paved the way for us to have access to God - we can boldly approach him.

Not only should we approach, but because of what Jesus has done, we should...

C. Cling to our confession (Heb. 10:23)

Hebrews 10:23 ESV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Remember, the covenant is predicated on what God did, what Jesus did, not on our unfaithfulness. When we get mired in thoughts of inadequacy or self-sufficiency - we need to return to our confession - it’s what Christ did - not what you and I are or are not doing. Hold on to that.

If you’ve not yet received it, let today be the day of your salvation.

Now if those two sound a bit familiar, they are. The writer of Hebrews has challenged us to draw near (approach) and to hold fast (cling) in the past (Heb. 4:14-16). Remember, these first century Jewish background believers were being pressured to turn away from Jesus.

So as we approach God because of the confession to which we cling, the next part of our ACTionS means that we should...

T. Think about one another (Heb. 10:24-35)

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

This is where we have to fight against the rugged individualism of our society. We are saved into a community of faith, into a family. We are part of one another. Because of that, we get to think about each other. We get to think about how to encourage and challenge one another. Sometimes we are so caught up in our own life, worries, pleasures, comforts, that we fail to think about each other.

As we’ve discussed before, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on that. The enemy has used this pandemic to separate us, to pull us apart, and pick us off. As we are a bit detached because of the physical distancing - we have to work that much harder to think about how to stir one another up to love and good works - especially since we don’t often see each other.

This is also why assembling or gathering is so much a part of the church.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been in the habit of praying through our church directory. It takes about 3 weeks or so to get through the entire directory - praying for 2-4 families each day. While I’ve been praying regularly, I’ve not taken the step to “stir” - at least until last week. I realized that knowing someone is praying could be an encouragement. While I was out of town, I started texting people on the day that I’m praying - simply asking how I can be praying for you. It’s a small step, it might not even be a full “stir.” I have been so encouraged by the responses and certainly am amble to pray more intelligently and specifically. I say that not so that you will think I’m great, but because I want you to know that I struggle with this mightily. It is so easy to be comfortable in our own things. We must think about one another. One of the best ways to do that is to gather, to talk, to grow together, to pray for one another.

Part of the reason that the writer urges us to think about one another is also the propensity we have to fall into sin. Verses 26-35 help us to consider that.

But there is one final part of our ACTS that must come to play -

S. Stick it out by faith (Heb. 10:36-39)

Hebrews 10:36–39 ESV

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

We have never received a promise that the journey will be easy - but there will be a reward. We must keep the faith. Stick it out to the very end. Oh what a joy that will be when we get to hear our savior say “Well done my good and faithful servant.” (Mt. 25:21).

When life is going great - stick it out by faith.

When life is full of challenges - stick it out by faith.

When the finances are failing - stick it out by faith and remain consistent with biblical financial values.

When your loved ones fall away - stick it out by faith - keep praying for them, keep stirring.

When your health is frail - stick it out by faith - reminded that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9)

We are not in this along. Because of the new covenant, the greater covenant that Jesus presents, we get to..

Approach God full of faith, therefore we must

Cling to our confession

Think about one another - stirring one another up to love and good works.

Stick it out by faith.

Next week, we will look at what it means to live by faith.

Let’s pray.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

How does the new covenant give us new access to God? What benefits do we receive from that access?

What does it mean to cling to our confession? How does that give you confidence in daily life?

What are some practical ways that we can think about/consider one another in order to stir one another up to “love and good works?” What does it mean to be stirred up to love? What good works might he be referring to? Am I neglecting to meet together?

When have I been tempted to give up on my faith? How does the togetherness of a church family help me stick to it?

Benediction:

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

References:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/hebrews/

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/mortgage

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gage

Brown, Raymond. The Message of Hebrews. The Bible Speaks today. Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1982.

Hahn, Scott. “Covenant.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

Hewitt, Thomas. The Epistle to the Hebrews. TNTC. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 1975.

Kruger, Michael J. Hebrews for You. The Good Book Company, 2021.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Confident: Live by Faith, Not by Sight. NT Commentary: Hebrews. Colorado Springs, David C. Cook: 1982

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