The Beginning of the End (2)

“until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18

All – What must come into existence before the torah ceases to be?  We have to know the answer if we are going to understand the relationship between the old and new covenants.  We can’t simply go on our way, thinking that somehow this new covenant is all grace while the old covenant is all rules and regulations.  That won’t work anymore.  We have to pay more attention.

So, we look for the new covenant in the only place that Jesus would have looked – in the Old Testament.  And we find it in Jeremiah 31:31.  “Behold, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Jacob.”  Certainly this is what Jesus has in mind when He speaks of the new covenant.  Now all we have to do is look at the description of this new covenant to see what must be accomplished.  Here’s what we find:  The old covenant was written on tablets of stone; the new covenant will be written on the hearts of men.  The old covenant needed to be taught to men; the new covenant will be understood intuitively by everyone.  The old covenant was practiced by a few; the new covenant will be practiced by all.

There you have it.  This is what must be manifest before the new covenant is fulfilled.  So, what’s different between the old covenant and the new covenant.  It’s simple.  The new covenant is the divine action that inscribes the torah into the heart of every person.  When that is accomplished, everyone will know the Lord directly.  Then the external law will no longer be needed for all will obey Him from the heart.

Do you know when this will become a reality?  Sure you do.  It will become a reality when Jesus returns to reign in glory.  The new covenant is fulfilled when the Lord is ruler of all, and not before.

So, why did Jesus use the words “new covenant” to speak about His death and resurrection?  He used Jeremiah’s words because a covenant must be sealed with a sacrifice.  Just go back to Genesis 15.  Animals were sacrificed to seal the covenant with Abraham.  A promise of this magnitude required the death of the innocent.  A promise like this had to be written in blood. That is exactly what’s happening on the cross.  Jesus is the innocent sacrifice that guarantees the new covenant.  His blood seals the deal.  And when the new covenant is finally fulfilled, everyone in the house of the Lord will serve Him from the heart.  Jesus’ death inaugurates the new covenant.  He is the first fruit, the evidence, the proof that God will bring it all to pass.  Jesus’ death and resurrection point us toward the day when we will serve the Lord naturally.  But until then, until all has come to be, the torah is still God’s guide for living.

Now you have a new perspective on the death of the Messiah.  His death is not simply a substitutionary atonement for your sins.  It is the sacrificial seal, the guarantee that the day will come when God will rule over every heart and every heart will gladly serve Him.  Jesus’ death and resurrection starts it all.  It’s not the end.  It’s the beginning.  That glorious day when it is finished is still to come.  In the meanwhile, we have the torah.

Topical Index:  New Covenant