Jesus is Better - Hebrews Week 9
Last week, Hebrews 7 was
certainly a difficult passage to unpack, but the writer of Hebrews establishes
through the example of Melchizedek that Jesus’ priesthood is of a better order.
His priesthood is of a different type. Therefore, we can trust the covenant He
ministers through is of a different type as well.
Hebrews 8 teaches
that because of the cross, Jesus institutes a “New Covenant.” This week we will
compare how much better the New Covenant is, as well as the significance it holds
for believers today.
The Point: A better priest gives a better covenant.
Hebrews
8:1-13
Now the point in
what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at
the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy
places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest
is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this
priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not
be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the
law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was
about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make
everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But
as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than
the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better
promises.
7 For if that first
covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a
second.
8 For he finds
fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days
are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will
establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house
of Judah,
9 not like the
covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not
continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no
concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days,
declares the Lord:
I will put my laws
into their minds,
and write them on
their hearts,
and I will be their
God,
and they shall be
my people.
11 And they shall
not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his
brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all
know me,
from the least of
them to the greatest.
12 For I will be
merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember
their sins no more.”
13 In speaking of a
new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete
and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton,
IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 8:1-13.
Study
Notes
WEEK 9 NOTES:
Hebrews 8:1-13
The writer of
Hebrews has made a compelling argument over the first seven chapters. He has
used Old Testament Scripture and has saturated his points with other Biblical
references, all to make the point that Jesus is better. Hebrews 8 makes a claim
built upon the last few chapters. So, it’s important to reflect and remember
(at least some of) the points our writer has made. Jesus is better than Moses,
meaning He offers a better deliverance. Jesus offers a better rest, meaning
we’ll find a better rest for our souls than the Israelites ever found in the
Promised Land. Jesus is the Great High Priest, meaning the sacrifice He offers
gives us full atonement for sins and access to God. Jesus also comes from the
line of Melchizedek, which proves Jesus is an eternal priest for us.
All these truths
build up and lead to what we’ll discuss today: Jesus establishes a better
covenant. A covenant is like a promise in which two or more parties commit to
perform certain actions. Biblically speaking, it’s important to note that God
is always faithful to His covenant promises. Today, many people balk at
covenants or agreements, however, when God establishes a covenant, He keeps His
end of the agreement. The word testament is also another word for covenant.
Covenants are important Biblical concepts, so important that the format of the
Bible is even broken into the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and New Testament
(New Covenant). God made a covenant with Noah, Abraham, David, and the nation
of Israel. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us God promised a New Covenant
which would be fulfilled through His Son Jesus. What makes this New Covenant
better?
A Better
Covenant comes with a Heavenly Priest
Of all the High
Priests of Israel, none were able to dwell in the presence of God. Think back
to Hebrews 4. As the High Priest, Jesus did not just pass through the courtyard
and behind the veil into the holy of holies. Hebrews 4 tells us Jesus passed
through the heavens. He is now “seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in heaven.” No other high priest ever sat down in the holy of holies
because the sacrifice they offered was never enough. So, what gives Jesus the
right to be seated? It’s all based on what Jesus offered. Jesus offered a
better sacrifice because He offered Himself. Now, our Great High Priest is
seated in heaven. A better covenant comes because we have a better Priest.
A Better
Covenant comes with a Better Mediator
The High Priest was
the middleman between God’s people and God Himself. The writer of Hebrews calls
this role a “mediator.” A mediator is someone who jumps into the middle of a
conflict with the goal of bringing about a resolution. Moses had this role, as
well as the high priest who came after him. The writer of Hebrews claims that
this new covenant is mediated better. How? First, Jesus is the only sinless
mediator. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him (Jesus) to be sin
who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus is also a better mediator because the sacrifice He made was once and for
all. 1 John 2:1-2 teaches us that Jesus became the propitiation for us, which
means, He appeased the wrath of God for us. That same passage also teaches that
Jesus is serving as our advocate in heaven. This aligns with the better
ministry Jesus has. He is still advocating for those He shed His blood for.
Jesus is a better mediator and is the only One who can bring true resolution
and peace between a sinful man and a holy God.
A Better
Covenant Comes with Better Results
The writer of
Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the last portion of our passage. The new
covenant is also better because through the gospel our hearts are changed.
Anyone who is changed by Christ receives a new heart that desires to be
faithful to God. Does that mean we get it perfect each day? Of course not. But
through Jesus, believers are now sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
indwells believers, empowers us, and comforts us so we might obey God. Through
the better covenant, our sins are also paid for in full and we can experience
forgiveness through Jesus. All of this makes the old covenant obsolete. But
let’s be clear, this does not mean we “unhitch” from the Old Testament. The New
Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant.
QUESTIONS
FOR DISCUSSION
Do you think people
take covenants seriously nowadays?
Where does this
passage tell us that our Great High Priest, King Jesus, is?
What makes Jesus’
sacrifice so much better than the sacrifices made in the Old Testament?
What is a mediator?
Why is Jesus a better mediator?
Read Jeremiah
31:31-34. What does God put into us and do for us?
What did the new
covenant do to the old covenant?
END
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