“A New Covenant—A New Lump” 1/2/22
“’Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.’” Jeremiah 31:31 (NASB)
Key x-References – The changes brought about as a result of the New Covenant Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NASB) *God’s Spirit produces a new heart and spirit within believers “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Note: this change also produces obedience (even if imperfect)
Matthew 26:27-28 (NASB) *The Lord’s blood is the basis for God’s forgiveness
“And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 (NASB) *The cost of the New Covenant is the blood of Christ “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.’” Note: The Lord’s Supper is to be a permanent reminder of this new relationship
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NASB) *Why unleavened bread? Leaven is symbolic of sin
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wicked- ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
2 Corinthians 3:2-4 (NAS) *The Covenant is written on our hearts, not tablets of stone “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifest- ed that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (excerpts NASB) *Our perfect righteousness only “in Christ” “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
*Note: This truth referred to theologically as the ‘substitutionary atonement’ of Christ
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations)
“new” (184x NAS / 123x OT / 61x NT)
O.T. Hebrew #2319 (57x), NASB chadash; new:– new (47), New (2), new thing (1), new things (2), something new (1)
Note: other Hebrew words translated “new” but this is the word referring to the “new covenant”
N.T. Greek #2537 (44x), NASB kainos; new, fresh:– fresh (3), new (37), new things (2) Note: new – especially in freshness; while (neos) is properly so with respect to age
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NASB)
First Sunday of the New Year 1/2/22
The New Covenant in His Blood
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NASB)
Introduction – The contrast between the New Covenant in Christ and the Law I. The Old Testament promise – A “New Covenant” (Deuteronomy 31:31-34)
A. The promise of the New Covenant – initially with “the house of Israel” (v.31)
B. The contrast with the Old Covenant-The Mosaic Covenant of Law in stone (v.32)
- The Covenant God made with Israel after delivering them from Egypt (v.32a)
- The Covenant which Israel broke repeatedly although God was faithful (v.33b) C. The description of the New Covenant (vv.33-34)
- The internal reality—A ‘new’ heart – God’s Law written on the heart (v.33a) 2. The foundation— A ‘new’ internalized spiritual relationship with God (v.33b) 3. The result—A ‘new’ understanding and confidence in that relationship (v.34)
a. A ’new’ internalized knowledge of God (v.34a)
b. The reason—A ’new’ internalized understanding of God’s forgiveness (34b)
II. The New Testament fulfillment – A “new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:14-23)
A. Jesus celebrates Passover for the last time with his disciples (vv.14-18) B. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper for the first time (vv.19-20)
C. Jesus prophesies the betrayal of Judas (vv.21-23) - Jesus reveals that one of the Twelve at the table will betray Him (v.21)
- This betrayal is foreordained by God but results in woe for the betrayer (v.22) 3. The disciples all wonder in they might be the betrayer! (v.23)
Conclusion—The institution of the New Covenant was always predestined by God
Key Verse(s) – The New Covenant promised in the O.T. is fulfilled in the N.T. Jeremiah 31:33-34 (excerpts NAS) *The key difference is that it is internal not external “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Luke 22:14-20 (excerpts NASB) *The New Covenant established by the blood of Jesus “Whenthehourhadcome,Hereclinedatthetable,andtheapostleswithHim. And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves…’19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.’”
“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”
Psalm 98:1 (NASB)