“Jesus, the High Priest of the New Covenant”
SERMON Title: Jesus, the High Priest of the New Covenant
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 8:8-13 (ESV)
Introduction:
We are now at the midpoint in the Book of Hebrews, both figuratively and literally. Today’s passage points to the culmination behind the description of Jesus as the High Priest of a New Covenant.
As a recap of how we ended up here:
The author of Hebrews wrote this book to those who had expertise in grasping the Jewish history and traditions.
Hebrews was written with two main purposes:
To describe the superiority of Jesus Christ above angels, and past prophets and patriarchs.
To admonish the readers to persevere and to not fall away from their faith in Jesus Christ.
The emphasis on the priesthood and Jesus being identified as the Great High Priest is so that the significance of Jesus’ lineage not following as a descendant of Aaron - who is only a man - points to the understanding that Jesus is above any human High Priest.
Jesus is lifted higher than Moses (Heb 3:1-19), Joshua (Heb 4:1-13), and Aaron (Heb 4:14-10:18).
No longer is a man or a woman needed to offer annual sacrifices, but Jesus’ sacrifice completes and perfects all sacrifices needed to atone for our sins.
In Hebrews 8, we read more about the priesthood of Jesus as the High Priest of a New Covenant.
Overview:
Before we look at the new covenant, we look into the differences of a contract and a covenant:
A contract is; (A covenant is)
Legally binding; (spiritual agreement)
Agreement between parties; (a pledge)
An agreement you can break; (perpetual promise)
Sealed; (signed)
Mutually beneficial relationship; (something you fulfill)
Goods are exchanged; (giving oneself to the other)
Payment may be stopped when one party is not fulfilling their part in a deal; (party not having their needs met supports the failing party so that they can meet their obligations - carrying the weight of the two altogether)
Contracts are born of impersonal law; covenants are born out of personal relationships.
Even in the event of God calling Abraham out as one of His own, it was through a covenant (a promise), and not a contract (Genesis 12:1-3).
No signing of deeds nor contracts.
A promise to bless Abraham and his descendants.
Israel’s rulers had forgotten that God’s chosen nation will be provided for by God’s promise to His people and not by a signing of any contract.
Even later on when Jesus converses with the Pharisees and others in authority (Luke 11:52), He points out that they were following the laws and basing their righteousness on fulfilling the literal expectations of the Jewish laws and rituals, yet failing to see the covenant be fulfilled on their end, only through and by love and obedience.
What is the new covenant?
God initiated with humanity
He sought to reconcile the broken relationship between Him and humanity that had resulted due to sin. (John 3:16-17)
The foundation and motivation of the covenant God had for us was borne out of love. (Hebrews 8:9)
God backed up His initiation towards us with His love for us. God made this clear by sending His One and only Son, because He loved us, and we no longer are required to go through these superficial rituals to come before Him.
Application:
To love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The words spoken in Mark 12:29-30 are mirrored in Hebrews 8:10-11.
“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord’, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” (Hebrews 8:10-11)
The Holy Spirit is how God will write these laws on our hearts. The power of the Spirit living in us will allow us to know in our hearts and in our mind, that we can come to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“Who can then be saved?” “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:26-27)
To love is better than sacrifice.
To live by the new covenant means to respond to how much God loves us: by loving God and loving others.
Loving God and loving others is intertwined.
It is difficult to love God and not be able to love others; it is even more difficult to truly love others, without having experienced the unconditional love of God.
The power of the Holy Spirit also has to be present to allow us to love others as God first loved us. (John 4:19)
Sermon reflection questions:
Based on what you know about the history of Israel, how do you think the Pharisees viewed their relationship with God? Was it a legal contract or a personal covenant?
What is the basis of your relationship with God? Is it based on religious rules you believe you are following? Or on the promise of Jesus on the cross?
The currency of love is not the dollar, British pound, the Euro, or even bitcoin, but time. What does this mean to you as you consider how you love God and others?
Lastly, do you understand this new covenant, and have you entered into this new covenant with God?
