Read: Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Luke 22:14-23
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 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, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.] 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
In the Old Testament, God made covenants – promises or contracts – with Abraham and later with the people of Israel. With Abraham, God promised to bless Abraham with more descendants than stars in the sky and to bless all people on earth through his seed or offspring (see Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15). Later, God made a covenant on Mt. Sinai with Moses and the people of Israel. He would be there God and care for them and they would obey his commands in the Law (see Exodus 19-24).
Later, in 2 Samuel 7, God made a covenant with David. He promised that David’s throne would stand forever (see 2 Samuel 7:16). The people of Israel understood this as a continuation of God’s promise to send an offspring of Abraham to bless all people. They understood that one day God would send a Messiah to redeem Israel. What they didn’t understand is that their vision was too small! God had bigger plans!
In Isaiah 49:6 God says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 9 too promises that Messiah will come to more than just Israel, he will be a savior for all people.
Later, after the people had been exiled to Babylon and they wondered where God was and what he was doing, God spoke to Jeremiah the words in Jeremiah 31. God’s promises would still come true. There was to be a day when not only would the Messiah come, but there would be a new covenant, a better covenant. It would be a day when God would put his Spirit on his people and they would know God personally. They would be forgiven and there would be peace and joy. The people would no longer worship God from afar for he would truly be Immanuel, God with them!
What is the difference between the old covenant and the new?
In Ephesians 3, Paul will discuss “the mystery of Christ” that Gentiles can be saved and not only Jews. In light of the verses we’ve read, do you think this was a new plan of God’s or something he had purposed all along? What in our study of Ephesians might influence your answer?
What does the new covenant bring for us that people didn’t have before? Why is this significant?
How can we live differently today because we are part of God’s “new covenant” people?