Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Covenants were established by the shedding of blood
- The Old Testament covenants did not happen without the shedding of blood
- Jesus as the Passover said the wine was His blood - He inaugurated a new covenant
- It would replace something old
- Here we have a contrast between the old and new covenant
- The Holy Spirit writes the new covenant upon our heart and grants us freedom and liberty (v17)
- The old covenant was of law and condemnation (v9)
- Overview:
- How the new is better than the old
- Expound the passage
- Apply the passage
How the new covenant is better than the old covenant
- No language of sacrifice or priests
- The passage does not the words you might use to compare new and old
- Instead it contrasts the better glory
- It contrasts the righteousness in Jesus rather than condemnation in law
- The old covenant required the shedding of blood
- But we know this could not take away sin - it was symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ (John 1:29)
- The old covenant was largely restricted to the Jews
- The new covenant is open to all
- Thank God that we come to the one sacrifice that is accepted - the blood of Jesus Christ
- The High priest went in once a year, but his work was never done
- In the old covenant, he had to make repeated sacrifice each year
- In the new covenant, Jesus enters heaven itself and sits down as His work is completed
- Not a continual sacrifice - a once for all sacrifice
- The old covenant is based on the law and the letter kills (v6) and is a ministry of condemnation (v9)
- We cannot keep the law so we are under a curse
- The new covenant is about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ - saved by grace
- The requirement for communion - is that you are resting alone on Jesus Christ, repented of your sin and trusting in Him
- Reading Hebrews 12:18-24
- We haven't come to a place of fear and trembling
- We haven't come to Moses (the mediator of the old covenant) but Jesus (the mediator of the new covenant)
- The people of the Old Testament could not bear this glory - we can draw near with boldness
- The old covenant is condemning, the new covenant is transforming
- There is so much more we could say - examples
Expound the passage
- Looking at v7
- The old commandments though glorious brought death because they could not be kept
- Glory faded - e.g. from Moses face
- The ministry of the spirit is far more glorious (v8)
- Brightness and light
- Like Jesus at the transfiguration
- The ministry of righteousness is more glorious
- Example of Paul - an exemplary Jew yet he could not overcome sin, the law did not save him but the grace of Jesus
- Emphasis on the Holy Spirit (v6, 8, 17, 18)
- There is a difference in how the Holy Spirit worked in Old Testament vs New Testament days
- The old covenant was not a ministry of the spirit
- The new covenant is a ministration of the Holy Spirit
- The new covenant is much more glorious
- The ministry of the old covenant came through words
- The ministry of the new covenant comes through complete words (the Gospel and Jesus Christ)
- It points us to the promises of God - Heb 8:7-13
- 'I will' vs 'if then / do this'
- Reading v12-18
- Example of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus
- Only the Spirit can take the veil away - we must pray God opens our and other's eyes
- We are being sanctified and changed into the image of Jesus Christ day by day
Apply the passage
- Communion is a time to reflect
- To re-dedicate ourselves to God
- To live by the Spirit - obeying God's commands under grace
- To reflect on the glory of Christ at the mount of transfiguration
- Moses representing the law
- Elijah representing the prophets
- Christ the Son of God
- See no man but Jesus only