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superiority of the new covenant

The Superiority of the New Covenant 3

In part one of this series, we learned of Christ’s imminency, as a co-ruler with His Father over the entire universe – both physical and spiritual. In part two, we examined Jesus’ representative status for humanity as our ultimate High Priest.

            Now, we are going to finish this series, with a look at how this New Covenant is an incredibly enormous faith – builder, first by repeating the Scripture we left off with in part two:

…we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new life – giving way through the curtain, into the Most Holy place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.

For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Heb. 10:19 – 23. NLT

            Jesus stands smack dab in the middle between you and God, as He makes intercessions for both your needs and your transgressions. In so doing, you also are able to enter God’s presence in your present timeframe, to meet Him in His Most Holy place.

            This is not because of anything that you did; it is solely because of the blood of Christ. You must bring your faith.

            Yet even though we have a plethora of joyful reasons to bring that faith, and bring it we must, there will be those who refuse to do so. Their outcome is deadly and permanent:

…if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies…think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God…So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great rewards that it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Heb. 10:26, 27, 29, 31, 35 & 36. NLT

            Jesus has already shed His blood for everyone on the planet, who has ever lived across time – whether they have accepted Him as their Savior or not. If one has heard the Gospel, understood it, and decided to reject it, there will be no room for that one, in God’s eternal love plan.

            Those who rebel against God, behaving as they see fit, (sinning willfully), will be condemned. However, those who follow Christ are human, and will also sin due to the nature of their flesh, (unwilling sins), have the option of confession and repentance, that leads to restoration.

            Faith is so important, that the Author tells you exactly how that faith looks, so that you will know when you have it:

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Heb. 11:1 – 3. NLT

            The first part of this Scripture tells us what faith does. Nothing existed before God spoke it into existence. He transformed His own thoughts into things material.

            Now, the Author gives us the most important reason for having faith:

…it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Heb. 11:6 NLT

            If you don’t believe in God, there is no everlasting good coming your way.  Judgment is your definite destination.

            Next, the Author offers up examples of Old Testament paragons of faith, especially to connect with his Jewish audience. First, he holds up Abel, whose faith led him to worship God His way, as opposed to Cain, who did not (see Heb. 11:4).

            He also holds up the faith of Abraham – both due to his faith that led him to follow God’s instruction and leave his family for parts unknown, and for his unswerving faith in Jehovah’s promise of eternal life:

Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. Heb. 11:10 NLT

            The Author then paints a picture portraying the common traits of all the biblical paragons of faith:

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Heb. 11:13 NLT

            They all had faith in their eternal destination, knowing that their earthly time was only the beginning of their journey. All of them looked forward to their ‘graduation’ with joy, because they had faith in the fact that God was faithful:

…they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Heb. 11:16 NLT

            The Author also includes the faith of Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and others – especially as great examples of faith-in-action:

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouth of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword.

Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones again back from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after resurrection. Heb. 11:33 – 35. NLT

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Heb. 39 – 40. NLT

            They stood up against all persecution, empowered by God, waiting for the day their spirits would join up with Him. But the big party won’t begin until the resurrection comes for every faith-filled follower of Jesus’ glorified bodies appear in heaven.

            We see then, the tenacity of the faithful of old, who did not have Christ in person, to inspire them. We do! So how can we be empowered by their examples?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with great endurance the race God has set before us.

We do his by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Heb. 12;1, 2. NLT

Jesus foresaw His joy in connecting with you for all eternity and decided that it was well worth paying the price of His crucifixion. The price you pay in faithful endurance, (setting aside worldly ways for those of a heavenly nature), will be more than worth it as well:

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? Heb. 12:7 NLT

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained this way. Heb. 12:10, 11. NLT

            So, you have a choice. If you choose Jesus, you are immediately placed at the doorstep of heaven:

…you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things.

You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.  Heb. 22 – 24. NLT

            You too can be a firstborn that is registered in heaven – not by accepting the blood of Abel that cried out for vengeance, but by the miraculous work of the blood of Jesus that completely transforms you, preparing you for your date with eternal love.

            Lest we forget, let us finish with another look at the overriding theme of this book of Hebrews:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them. Heb. 13:8, 9. NLT

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. Heb. 13:14, 15. NLT

            Christ is changeless. His promises, and His Father’s promises about Him, are wrapped in a Divine surety, and have been, throughout the ages. Given that these truths are eternal, we can embrace Jesus as our verifiable Messiah. He is the center. Religious rituals are of no use. It is His grace that carries us.

            Our heavenly home calls out to us with a guarantee of eternal blessings too wondrous to describe in mere words. All we have to do is cling to our Savior and stay on His path.

            This book of Hebrews, (whose Author we give great thanks for allowing himself to be used by the Holy Spirit), surely stands as monumental theological treatise of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of our holy Son of God, in like manner as the book of Romans, regarding the center of our salvation.

            Amen. I would say that the case for Jesus has been thoroughly made…

            Goodnight and God bless.

The Superiority of the New Covenant 2

Last time, (see Part one), we began our study of the book of Hebrews. It is an epistle by an unknown Author, written to the Jewish Christians, just prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was written to help bolster their waning faith in Christ. Why? Because He had yet to return. It was the Author’s intent to reveal the superiority of the New Covenant.

            So far, we have learned about the ultimate position that Jesus possesses, sitting at His Father’s right hand in co-rulership – an exact visible expression of our invisible God, the living Messiah. And we learned of Christ’s universal status, high above all things and persons – even over Moses.

            Now, we are going to focus upon Jesus’ representative status as our High Priest:

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.

There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Heb. 4:14 – 16. NLT

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Heb. 6:19, 20. NLT

            While on earth, Jesus was tempted by every form of unrighteousness that Satan had to offer; yet He, and only He, out of all of history, remained sinless. Therefore, He can both empathize with the suffering that we endure when we are tempted and show us the way to resist those temptations.

            We cannot, ourselves, persevere in faith in this Christ. Our physical / mental weaknesses, produced by the tug of worldly desires, must be vanquished by the formidable strength of the grace of the Son of God. And, our High Priest mercifully provides. 

            The Author then uses a description of the Temple priest liturgies, (something the Jews would be well-versed in), to illustrate how the consequences of Christ’s death and resurrection, covers those who follow Him, with righteousness. Then, they can enter the ‘Holy of Holies’ – into the presence of Jehovah Himself:

…Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God… Heb. 5:5 NLT (see also Ps. 2:7 & 110:4).

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Heb. 5:7 – 10. NLT

            The Father appointed the Son to be the High Priest over His children. Recall that Melchizedek was the high priest and king over Salem, during the time that God helped Abraham deliver his nephew Lot and his family from captivity (see Gn. 14).

            Christ too, holds the office of High Priest and King. However, His priesthood far surpasses any whoever wore that mantle before:

What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.

This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. Heb. 7:14 – 16. NLT

            Jesus did not inherit His priesthood through having a Levitical lineage; He was appointed and prepared for His office by God Himself – set apart from the history of the office, to be set above and superior to the earthly version. How does that help us?

Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Heb. 7:18, 19. NLT

This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him,

“The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees the better covenant with God.

There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. Heb. 7:20 – 25. NLT

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

If the first covenant had been faultless, there would be no need to replace it. Heb. 8:6, 7. NLT

When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Heb. 8:13 NLT (See also Jer. 31:31 – 34).

            God evolved the Mosaic Law, (because the people could not keep it perfectly), into His eternal salvation model – the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which, as the Son of God, brings with Him a much greater significance and authority:

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. Heb. 9:11 NLT

            The Author’s focus now shifts from the New Covenant to a new sanctuary. Instead of the Temple (Tabernacle), where the high priest could only enter once a year, to offer an animal sacrifice for the sins of himself and the Jewish people, that only applied for the year that had just elapsed, Christ entered the heavenly Tabernacle to offer Himself:

With his own blood – not the blood of goats and calves – he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever…For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins…For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of sins they committed under that first covenant.  Heb. 9:12, 14 & 15. NLT

            Old Testament sacrifices only cleansed one externally (the flesh). Christ cleansed the heart, proffering eternal redemption.

He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf…once for all, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. Heb. 9:24 & 26. NLT

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Heb. 9:27, 28.

            If you accept Christ, your sins are dealt with for all time, as long as you remain with Him. When He comes back, He’s only coming to take you Home. (See also Jer. 31:34)

            Jesus went into the heavenly Most Holy Place, i.e., the throne room of God, for you. He rendered His own blood, from His one and only sacrifice, to bring you to sanctification (Heb. 10:14). It was the moment that Christ decimated the power of sin for all time.

            The Author then tells us why all these revelations should strengthen our faith:

…we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new life – giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.

For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Heb. 10:19 – 23. NLT

            Amen.

            To be continued…

            Goodnight and God bless.

The Superiority of the New Covenant

Introduction:

            We are going to leave the apostle Paul, briefly, as we examine other historical developments and other Holy Spirit-inspired biblical writings, that were manifesting at approximately the same time as the apostle was placed under house arrest in Rome (60 A.D.)

            First, we are going to consider the biblical book of Hebrews. The author is unknown. There are those who believe the author could have been Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, or other disciples.

            What we do know, from his writing skills, is that the ‘Author’ (how I will continue to identify him), was a Hellenistic Jewish Christian. His skills in Greek exposition were exceptional, demonstrably far better than any other New Testament epistle writer.

            It can also be deduced that this epistle was written prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple, because the Author tells of the priestly activities that occur there – happening in present time. The Author also appears to be writing his letter in Italy (13:24), to the Jewish Christians in Judea.

            Sixty years had elapsed since Christ’s ascension; and many of the Jewish converts were wavering in their faith because He had not returned yet. The Author is trying to turn them from this apostasy, and cling to their Savior, by expounding upon the superiority of the New Covenant. He begins:

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. Heb. 1, 2. NLT

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs. Heb. 1:3, 4. CSB

            There is a lot to glean here. The Author is elevating Jesus to the high level of His Father – above even the angels. Furthermore, Jehovah now speaks to us, not through prophets, but only through His Son – whom we know petitioned His Father for the Holy Spirit, to deliver those words to us.

            Also, we are reminded that God created the universe through Christ, who, sustains that same universe (see Gn. 1:26, 27; Jn. 1:2,3.)

            Moreover, it is revealed that Jesus is the exact expression (‘imprint’ in some translations), affirming the He is the visible character of the invisible God, who speaks for His Father.

            Lastly, when Christ was resurrected, He received His crown from Jehovah, (co-equal to His Father), to rule over the entire earth. What the Author is doing in the aforementioned Scriptures, is exalting Christ over all things, so that the Jewish believers comprehend that the Gospel is being delivered to them directly from the Divine Son, in its pure form – no longer needing human conveyance. He is the ultimate authority.

            The Author continues:

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through the angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and act of disobedience was punished.

So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? Heb. 2:1 – 3. NLT

            What the Author is doing, is appealing to the Jews’ knowledge of the Old Testament – which showed that every time an angel would appear, its pronunciations invariably came to pass. The Jews were also well aware that the angels testified of the coming of the Messiah.

            Continuing, the Holy Spirit-inspired Author asks his audience to consider ‘present-day’ proofs for the veracity surrounding Jesus’ Messiahship:

And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.  Heb. 2:4, 5. NLT

            In other words, he is asking the Jews, ‘What more proof do you need?’

The Author then delves deeper into the salvation process. We’ve seen that Jesus in heaven is exalted over the angels. The Jesus on earth could not be, because He had to take on mortality:

What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

God, for whom and through whom, everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus in not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Heb. 2:9 – 11. NLT

            Jesus tasted death so we don’t have to. Angels do not die. Jesus took on mortality, so that by His sacrifice, He could nail our sins to the cross forever. So yes, briefly, Jesus was at a little lower level than the angels.

            Christ also subjected Himself to the ‘human experience’ (suffering), so that He could compassionately identify with our weaknesses and suffering, when He intercedes for us before the Father.

            Furthermore, Jesus calls His followers His ‘brothers and sisters,’ acknowledging our connection to his human side, when we accept Him in full faith with our spiritual side:

Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Heb. 2:14, 15. NLT

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that could take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Heb. 2:17, 18. NLT

            Jesus conquered death for all His believers. We will not feel death’s sting; therefore, we need not fear death. Our transition will be immediate and glorious (see Eccl. 12:7). Until that time, our High Priest can identify with anything that we are going through in this world, (He being a conqueror of all of them), and doesn’t hesitate to send the help, compassion, and healing that we need in any situation.

 

            Seeing that the angels cannot do these things, alludes to Christ’s present higher standing over them.

            The Author now contrasts Jesus with Moses – the greatest biblical prophet in the eyes of the Jews, as well as being the Holy Spirit – inspired author of their entire Torah (Jewish law):

…think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person deserves more praise than the house itself. Heb. 3:1 – 3. NLT

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast. Heb. 3:5, 6. CSB

            So, the offices of the apostle and high priest are combined in Jesus, as opposed to Moses, who was the apostle, but his brother Aaron, was the high priest. Jesus, the apostle, pleads God’s case to us. Christ, the high priest, pleads our case to God.

            Moses served* the house (tabernacle) of God, Jesus oversees the house. We are the house if we cleave to our Savior. *(Part of Moses’ servitude was to declare the greater importance of the coming of the Messiah):

(Moses continued, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” Dt. 18:15 NLT)

            Next, the Author pleads with his audience to exercise endurance in maintaining their faith in Jesus, and in the dangers waiting for them if they do not:

That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.

So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” Heb. 3:7 – 11. NLT (See also Ps. 95:7-11.)

Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Heb. 3:12 – 14. NLT

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble in fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news – that God has prepared this rest – has been announced to us…only we who believe can enter his rest. Heb. 4:1 – 3. NLT

            Summing up:

So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper that the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Heb. 4:11 – 13. NLT

            Thus, all followers of Christ are called to persist in faithful obedience to the word of God and to hold tight to His promises (accomplished through Jesus), to be able to embrace their eternal bliss in heaven.

            To be continued…

            Goodnight and God bless.

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