SUNNY THOUGHTS FROM SUNSET by the Rev. Vance Drum 3-16
The Sunset pastor on Sunday continued our “Covenant” theme with a message, “What’s Better about the New Covenant?” The text was from Hebrews 7:19, 22 and 8:6: We have in Jesus a “better hope, a better covenant, and better promises.”
Everything is better in the New Covenant, embodied in Jesus. What we had in Moses’ Old Covenant really did not work at all because it depended on defective, sinful human action to uphold it.
The pastor made three points: In Jesus’ New Covenant we have (1) A Better Hope; (2) A Better Covenant; (3) Better Promises.
(1) A Better Hope. Did you ever have some hope that something was going to happen, but, deep down, you had some serious doubts about it? You had a desire for it, but no expectation of receiving? The dictionary defines hope as “desire accompanied by expectation.”
People may survive, but they cannot thrive, without hope.
Without hope we lose our desire to get up in the morning. Without hope we sense no purpose in life, nothing for which to exert any energy to grow and achieve. Without hope we may lose our appetite, and we may even lose our desire to live.
Jesus, however, gives us hope.
In v19: “For the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Our good works of trying to keep the law cannot. Jesus obeyed God’s law perfectly, and now he is our representative who pleads his own blood in our behalf.
Peter in 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Jesus is risen, and because he is, we know he’s who he claimed to be, we’re not following an imposter but the real Son of God who is God with us, and that gives us hope.
(2) A Better Covenant. Did you ever sign an agreement or contract, and then you wished you had the authority to rip it up because you realized that agreement was not in your best interest?
God does have the authority to cancel the Old Covenant because he is God, and because he gave us the Old Covenant only to teach us that we needed his divine aid in a New Covenant in order to get to heaven.
In v25: “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Jesus, sitting at God’s right hand, is always speaking to His Father in our behalf.
For all who trust in Jesus he will take us all the way to heaven—saving us completely. All the Old Covenant could do was remind people of their sins with their daily, weekly and annual sacrifices. But Jesus “sacrificed for our sins once for all when he offered himself.” Jesus “has become the guarantee of a better covenant” because he himself is the One who brings us up to God.
(3) Better Promises. 8:6: “The ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is a mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.”
Jesus is a better go-between for us and God, because his mediation is founded on better promises.
The Old Covenant priests could not promise — with animal sacrifices — any forgiveness of sins; Jesus does, with His own sacrificial death.
They could not promise fellowship with our Creator; Jesus does.
They could not promise the Holy Spirit’s indwelling; Jesus does.
They could not promise heaven; Jesus does. His work is founded on better promises. Praise the Lord.
“Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength… Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.” [Psalm 96:7, 9]
May you have faith to give the Lord praise and worship this week, befitting his splendor and majesty—our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.
