Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God, from here on the Gulf Coast. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you all doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.

We ended our discussion last Friday evening with this sentence. “This new covenant includes a better high priest and better promises. We’ll focus on and review more of this next time.”

So let’s do just that. Questions that we or others pose that lead to discussion are good. Questions arise and when answered in scripture, is how we learn. As small children, it seemed we often had more questions than our parents could ever answer. Questions with explanation are a good thing.

So, another question that comes up at times, is to whether you and I are under the “old covenant” or the “new covenant” as disciples or students of Christ?

When we read the prophecy of Jeremiah 31 concerning implementing the new covenant, the setting is the regathering of the scattered tribes of Israel at the end of the age and the return of Christ. One could assume that this new or fresh covenant will not be available until that time.

However, the apostle Paul makes it clear that he and the other elders who assisted him were “ministers of the new covenant.” (2 Corinthians 3:6) The apostle Paul repeated the words that Christ spoke during that final Passover he observed with His disciples. “In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”” (1 Corinthians 11:25) This implies that His disciples will celebrate entering the new covenant every year at the Passover service.

I realize that I am not explaining to most of you, as students of the Bible, anything new or something that you don’t already know, but I want to reinforce these wonderful truths.

Let’s take a brief look at the book of Hebrews. This is the signature book that expounds and further explains clearly the new covenant. The apostle Paul waxes eloquent concerning the superiority of the High Priest who is the mediator of the new covenant. “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is still far more evident, since there arises a different priest after the likeness of Melchizedek, who is made, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”” (Hebrews 7:14-17)

The old covenant high priest was a fallible, limited, human being from the tribe of Levi. Jesus Christ was born as a human being from the tribe of Judah, but has been resurrected to eternal life to be our high priest according to the order of Melchizedek which He served as before His Incarnation when Abraham met Him.

Paul adds, “by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant.” (v.22) Then Paul adds, “but He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” (vv.24-25) These are reassuring and very encouraging words! Jesus faced the temptations we also face. He is a merciful and faithful high priest (Hebrews 2:17-18) and can sympathize and be touched by the things we face and intercedes for us. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

In addition to having a superior high priest, the new covenant provides better promises for those who enter into it. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much He is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which was built upon better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:15)

How infinitely better is the promise of being given eternal life and ruling with the King of kings and Lord of lords in an eternal kingdom, than living in Canaan for roughly three score and ten years!

Next time we will review more ways in how the new covenant we have been afforded to enter into, shares with us a privilege far superior to the old covenant made at Sinai.

Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.