Christ In The Old Testament: Christ In The Covenants

I recently purchased a pickup from an individual in a neighboring community, and all went well. I took a test drive, looked over the vehicle, agreed on a price, and shook hands on the purchase. Then, after I had made the necessary financial arrangements, we signed papers, filled out forms, and transferred the cash from my hands to his. All in all, it was a good process, and everybody won. 

 

He delivered a good product, and I paid him the agreed-upon money. As the children’s stories say, “And we all lived happily ever after!”

 

That is the way things are done, isn’t it? Interestingly, it has almost always been that way. The process of contracts and treaties has been around for thousands of years in one form or another, and when you follow the contract terms, everything is good. This goes for individuals, companies, states, and even nations. A contract is negotiated, terms are agreed upon, and everyone benefits!

 

This is similar to how God comes to us, offering us a way of life that comes with terms and ‘payment,’ even though there are no papers to consider!

 

In the Old Testament, God came to Abraham and offered him a covenant – something similar to a contract but more involved. God told Abraham that he would bless Abraham with a son, Isaac. Then, there would be an untold number of descendants and even the gift of a valuable piece of land. The challenge of this ‘Abrahamic Covenant’ required Abraham and his descendants to be faithful and loyal to God, make the necessary sacrifices, and follow his instructions for their lives. It seemed promising, of course, but there was one problem: Abraham and his descendants were not faithful and obedient to God! 

 

The Covenant failed because people ‘broke the rules’ and went after other gods.

 

God understood that the old Covenant would never work because it depended on man’s efforts and obedience. So, in His wisdom, God offered another covenant, a ‘New Covenant,’ in which God did all the work – man needed only to receive it! This new Covenant was provided through Jesus and was made possible by Jesus’s sacrifice, death on the cross, and his perfect obedience to God. Jesus even references this Covenant when he spoke at the last meal he shared before his crucifixion. He said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 8:28  Jesus understood and taught that his sacrifice on the cross was the basis for a new covenant that would replace the Abrahamic Covenant and be made available to anyone who wanted to enter a saving relationship with God!

 

This ‘New Covenant’ is not dependent upon our works and performance: it was to be based entirely upon God’s work of salvation through his son, Jesus, whose death made the payment for our sin. We must only receive the gift of forgiveness and new life from God. A life of faithfulness does not ‘earn’ us anything: we are to live for Christ to honor God, and share the message of Jesus to all who will listen. As Paul explained in a letter to the Ephesian church, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, that no one should boast.” 2:8-9.

 

There will always be contracts and agreements in this life, but the one agreement that can forever change your life is the New Covenant, offered to us through Jesus, God’s only son. Let me encourage you to trust God, receive the gift of new life, and enter the Covenant given by God himself!

           

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Thank you for listening. We will see you next week.