Jesus & the New Covenant (Part 1)

LIGHTHOUSE MINISTRY LEADER S STUDY GUIDE Jesus: Loud & Clear; Front & Center (Hebrews) Jesus & the New Covenant (Part 1) Hebrews 8:1-13 R2R Distinctive: Eternity February 8, 2015 Week 15 of Jesus: Loud & Clear; Front & Center (Hebrews) This guide is designed to provide helpful hints in preparing and leading your Lighthouse discussion. If you need any assistance or further instruction on any part of this teaching lesson, don t hesitate to contact Chris at celler@ffclife.com. Announcements:! Be sure to focus on building relationships within your group. Seek ways to engage people in discussion and be sensitive to the Spirit s leading.! If you have any newcomers to your Lighthouse, be sure to take time for introductions and to welcome them to your Lighthouse. Contents! Overview of this Lesson! Introduction! Read the Text! Digging Deeper! Concluding Thoughts Overview of this Lesson Big Picture Review As we continue our journey through the Epistle to the Hebrews, let s review the thrust of the letter so far. From his opening statement, the writer to the Hebrews is making a systematic argument supporting his thesis that Jesus is Better / Superior to the Old System. Here is an overview of where we have travelled thus far: Jesus is Better / Superior: 1. To Angels 1:4-2:18 2. To Moses 3:1-6 3. To Aaron 4:14-10:18! A Better Position 4:14-16 Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 1 resources on this series are available at www.ffclife.com. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

! A Better Priest 5:1-7:28! A Better Covenant 8:1-13! A Better Sanctuary 9:1-10! A Better Sacrifice 9:11-10:18 In this week s lesson, as you can see above, we will examine why Jesus the high priest of a better covenant. Introduction 1. Looking back at your notes from this week s sermon, was there anything that particularly caught your attention, challenged or confused you? 2. How would you respond if a politician started arguing that we need to eliminate the US Constitution? THIS WEEK S TAKE HOME TRUTH PASSAGE SUMMARY The Old Covenant was only a shadow of the heavenly temple and was unable to redeem mankind, whereas the New Covenant is based on the heavenly temple and is able to accomplish inward redemption. NOTE: We will use this same Passage Summary statement for the next four weeks as we teach this mini-series, Jesus & the New Covenant. Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 2

Read the Text (Hebrews 8:1-13) Following the author of Hebrews' extraordinary tour de force concerning the glorious high priesthood of our Messiah and the encouragement it must have stimulated among his struggling community of readers, he opens this next section with the spectacular literary cheer, We have such a high priest! Although chapter 8 contains a mere thirteen verses, each is highly concentrated for maximum theological impact. Read Hebrews 8:1-13. Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant Hebrews 8:1 13 (ESV) 1 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. Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 3

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. Digging Deeper In this section, feel free to develop your own questions to help guide your group s discussion. Below are some suggestions. 3. Based on your sermon notes or resources you can find on the Internet, how would you define what a Covenant is in the Bible? COVENANT an agreement between two people or two groups that involves promises on the part of each to the other. The Hebrew word for covenant probably means betweenness, emphasizing the relational element that lies at the basis of all covenants. Human covenants or treaties were either between equals or between a superior and an inferior. Divine covenants, however, are always of the latter type, and the concept of covenant between God and His people is one of the most important theological truths of the Bible. Indeed, the word itself has come to denote the two main divisions of Christian Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 4

Scripture: Old Covenant and New Covenant (traditionally, Old Testament and New Testament). 1 4. What conclusions should we draw from the writer s introduction to Hebrews 8: Now the point in what we are saying is this: The King James Version translates this as This is the sum. Consider how the word sum is used in a mathematical equation or at the conclusion of a lengthy argument. Literally, the word "sum" means chief point, major thrust, and principle thought. The writer is about to give the major thrust and principle thought of the High Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the great High Priest; He is the One who stands between God and man, the only Person who can make man acceptable to God. What is the major thrust and principle thought of His High Priesthood? It is ministry. Jesus Christ is the great Minister of God, the One who ministers both in heaven and upon earth for man. Both places are significant. Jesus Christ is the great Minister, the Supreme Minister who ministers day and night for man in both heaven and earth. Now, for the critical question: What is the great ministry of Jesus Christ? What is it that He does for us? 1. Jesus Christ is the Minister of a heavenly, spiritual priesthood, v.1-5. 2. He is the exalted High Priest: at the right hand of God's throne (v.1). 3. He is the exalted Minister: of the true tabernacle (v.2). 4. He is the exalted minister who offers the gifts and sacrifices of men to God (v.3). 5. He is the exalted minister of the real, heavenly world (v.4-5). 1 Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995). Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 5

5. According to Hebrews 8:3-9, why is the New Covenant better than the Old Covenant? Distinction #1: The New Covenant is a reality, not a representation. 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. (vs. 3-5) In his excellent commentary on Hebrews, William Barclay makes this observation concerning these verses: Now there enters into the picture a thought that was never far from the mind of the writer to the Hebrews. Religion to him, remember, was access to God; therefore the supreme function of any priest was to open the way to God for men. He removed the barriers between God and man; he built a bridge across which man could go into the presence of God. But we could put this another way. Instead of talking about access to God we might talk about access to reality. Every religious writer has to search for terms which his readers will understand. He has to present his message in language and in thoughts which will get home because they are familiar or at least will strike a chord in the reader s mind. The Greeks had a basic thought about the universe. They thought in terms of two worlds, the real and the unreal. They believed that this world of space and time was only a pale copy of the real world. That was the basic doctrine of Plato, the greatest of all the Greek thinkers. He believed in what he called forms. Somewhere there was a world where there was laid up the perfect forms of which everything in this world is an imperfect copy. Sometimes he called the forms ideas. Somewhere there is the idea of a chair of which all actual chairs are imperfect copies. Somewhere there is an idea of a horse of which all actual horses are inadequate reflections. The Greeks were fascinated by this conception of a real world of which this world is only a flickering, imperfect copy. In this world we walk Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 6

in shadows; somewhere there is reality. The great problem in life is how to pass from this world of shadows to the other world of realities. That is the idea of which the writer to the Hebrews makes use. The earthly Temple is a pale copy of the real Temple of God; earthly worship is a remote reflection of real worship; the earthly priesthood is an inadequate shadow of the real priesthood. All these things point beyond themselves to the reality of which they are the shadows. The writer to the Hebrews even finds that idea in the Old Testament itself. When Moses had received from God instructions about the construction of the tabernacle and all its furnishings, God said to him: And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain (Exodus 25:40). God had shown Moses the real pattern of which all earthly worship is the ghost-like copy. So then the writer to the Hebrews says that the earthly priests have a service which is but a shadowy outline of the heavenly order. For shadowy outline he combines two Greek words, hupodeigma, which means a specimen, or, still better, a sketch-plan, and skia, which means a shadow, a reflection, a phantom, a silhouette. The earthly priesthood is unreal and cannot lead men into reality; but Jesus can. We can say that Jesus leads us into the presence of God or we can say that Jesus leads us into reality; it means the same thing. When the writer to the Hebrews spoke of reality he was using language that his contemporaries used and understood. 2 Distinction #2: The New Covenant is faultless, not faulty. 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 2 William Barclay, ed., The Letter to the Hebrews, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1975), 87 88. Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 7

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. (vs. 6-9) These verses don't imply that the Old Covenant was sinful, only that it was insufficient. The Law reflected the righteousness of God, but it couldn't produce righteousness in the believer's life. But where the Old Covenant failed when it came to imparting life, the New Covenant proved to be a more excellent in bringing new life and redemption. 6. What details can you learn about the New Covenant from the remaining verses of Hebrews 8? Hebrews 8:10a 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. The New Covenant accomplishes inward redemption and transformation rather than temporary outward change. Hebrews 8:10b and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The New Covenant is based on a close, intimate relationship rather than a distant, separated relationship. Hebrews 8:11 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. The New Covenant provides confidence and assurance rather than insecurity and uncertainty. Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. The New Covenant is emphasizes mercy and grace rather than retribution for failures and wrongdoings. Hebrews 8:13 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. Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 8

The New Covenant is permanent and eternal rather than temporary and obsolete. Concluding Thoughts In this section, feel free to develop your own questions to help guide your group s discussion. Below are some suggestions 7. As you compare your old life before Christ and your new life after Christ, what contrasts do you find? 8. Based upon the assurances of Hebrews 8, how can you be certain you are a part of the New Covenant? 9. If you have any concerns about your salvation, don t hesitate to visit with your Lighthouse Leader or one of our elders. Our elders are available after each of our services. Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 9

Does it Really Matter? When Paul wrote a letter to the church in the region of Galatia, which was located within the modern country of Turkey, he addressed the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. Many were teaching that to be a good Christian, you had to be a good Jew first, so you had to keep the Law. These teachers, called Judaizers, wanted Gentile Christians to become Jews and follow Jewish Law. They were saying that both Covenants were in effect for Christians. Some people teach that today that if you want to be a better Christian, you should observe the Jewish feasts, keep the Sabbath, abstain from certain foods, and so on. What is the truth? Paul labeled that teaching as a different gospel, a gospel contrary to what he had preached. Emphasizing that he was an apostle to Gentiles, he showed that the gospel he declared was not based on keeping the Law. Paul confronted those who had bought into the lie that they had to keep the Law. He called them foolish and asked them who had bewitched them. He was amazed that they had so quickly deserted Him who called them by the grace of Christ and that they had turned to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6). Paul asked them a straightforward question: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:2). How did Abraham receive righteousness? God gave Abraham a promise, Abraham believed God, and God counted it as righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Galatians 3:6). In other words, righteousness by faith came before the Law. God preached the gospel to Abraham by declaring that he would have a seed. God did not say the plural seeds, but one seed. And the seed God was talking about, the seed Abraham believed in, was Christ (Galatians 3:16). This was done that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14). The Law, which came hundreds of years after this first promise to Abraham, did not invalidate the covenant previously ratified by God. It did not nullify the promise (Galatians 3:17). The Law was added. Its purpose was to define sin until Jesus came. It didn t impart righteousness, because no one could keep the whole Law. It simply declared man s sinfulness. The Law acted as a tutor or schoolmaster to teach us about sin and to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25). The goal was always for us to experience what Abraham experienced: righteousness by faith. Righteousness has always been by faith, as God demonstrated when he declared Abraham righteous for believing God s promise. In fact, the first promise of the seed was given even before Abraham s time. Right after the fall, God promised a seed who would crush Satan s head (Genesis 3:15). That s what Jesus did. He defeated Satan, the one who had the power of death and kept men as slaves to sin. Jesus freed us from the power of Satan and the kingdom of darkness, releasing us from Satan s dominion and transferring us to His kingdom of light. The Law was merely an addition or interlude between the covenant with Abraham and the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was fulfilled in Christ and in the New Covenant. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 10

the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). 3 3 Kay Arthur and Pete De Lacy, The Key to Living by Faith: Hebrews (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2009). Lighthouse Ministry Discussion Guide Spring 2015 Page 11