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Hebrews 8:6-7, 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 have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.

The old priesthood and sacrificial system was part of the Old Covenant, the covenant that God made with Moses and the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai.  God promised to be their king, protect them, bless them, and make them his treasured possession.  In return, the people of Israel were to follow God’s law. 

God’s law was pretty expansive.  It consisted of 613 rules, including both blessings and curses.  When the people were obedient, they were blessed.  When they were disobedient, they were cursed.  The intent of these laws was to change the hearts of people, to help them understand who God was, and what it means to be God’s people.  This didn’t work too well.  Hearts didn’t change and people were disobedient over and over again.  The Old Covenant didn’t help people grow closer to God but rather the opposite happened.  They pulled further away, they separated themselves from God, they bucked up against the rules that were supposed to protect and transform them. 

Thus, a New Covenant was necessary, one that was written on the hearts and minds of people rather than on tablets and scrolls.  The prophets spoke about this New Covenant.   When Jesus showed up on the scene in the beginning of the New Testament, the people had been waiting for the fulfillment of the New Covenant for a very long time. 

All the signs pointed to the fact that Jesus was the one God promised, he was the fulfillment of the New Covenant.  As our new high priest, he has a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood.  His sacrifice was for all time, totally perfect and complete.  This New Covenant, which Jesus fulfilled, is based on better promises than the old one. 

What are some of these promises?

1.     God’s forgiveness is eternal and complete.  God remembers our sins no more (Heb 8:12, 10:17; Jer. 31:34). In terms of justification, it’s as if we never did them.  We don’t have to live in shame or fear. No matter what we have done or will do, living under the New Covenant means we are forgiven.  The slate is wiped clean.  It’s done.  The ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, took care of it once and for all. 

2.     God qualifies us (Col 1:12). It’s no longer a case of what we do (under the old covenant) or who we’re related to (under the Abrahamic covenant), but who we trust. We don’t have to worry about if we’ve done enough good things.  If we believe in Jesus, then that is how we receive salvation.  So, we can stop striving to be good enough and simply serve others as a response to what God has done for us.

3.     Jesus has made sure there are no more barriers between us and God (Hebrews 10:19-22). We are like VIPs, we get a free pass to go directly to God whenever we like.  Under the Old Covenant, you had to go to the tabernacle.  But now, the presence of God is free from the restraints of the tabernacle. God is present with us and available to us at any time.  We can walk hand in hand with God.

4.     Jesus’ presence is with us (Heb. 13:5 & Matt. 28:20).

5.     God gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us and empower us (Acts 1:8) and remind us of our righteousness (Jn 16:10). Hebrews 10:22 says that not only are we saved, redeemed and restored through Jesus’ precious blood, but under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit constantly speaks these things to us so that we will have confidence in our relationship with God.

6.     God makes us new people.  We are new creations in him (2 Cor. 5:17).  Under the Old Covenants, hearts were not changed.  But with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, God can begin to change us from the inside out. 

7.     Under the New Covenant, God offers us eternal life (John 3:16 & I John 5:13-14).

Let’s pray…Thank you, Jesus, for being the perfect high priest, the one who fulfilled the New Covenant!  Help us live like covenant people!  In Your Name, Amen.