Gift #1085: A New Covenant

This past week we’ve looked at the covenants that God has made with his people throughout history and have seen how God used these covenants to draw people into relationship with Him, reveal His character, and demonstrate His faithful love.  Each of the covenants God made was a picture meant to illustrate His unfolding plan of redemption.  Because of sin, God’s people could never fully keep or enjoy the benefits of close communion that God’s covenant offered.  And so woven throughout the history of Old Testament, we see God referring to a New Covenant which will fulfill all the commitments of the Old.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
 It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors…
because they broke my covenant,
 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
    and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people…
They will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.”  Jer 31:31-34

On the night that Jesus was betrayed to death, He ate a last meal with His disciples and referred to His blood as the New Covenant which would be poured out for the forgiveness of sin.  God Himself in the form of man, was now the covenant.  All the covenants of the Old Testament looked forward to Him.  God – the Giver, the Keeper, the Fulfillment, the Spoken Word of the Covenant.   He is the Promiser and the Promised One.

The song I’ve picked to celebrate Easter this year illustrates this truth beautifully.

You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And so the Father’s fondest thought took on flesh and bone.
He spoke the living luminous Word, at once His will was done.
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final Word.

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

And so the Light became alive
And manna became Man.
Eternity stepped into time
So we could understand.

He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed and make a way Divine.
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine.

Happy Easter!! The One who was born to carry our sin, secure our redemption, and achieve peace with God has fulfilled the Covenant and He lives to call us His own.

Blessings to you,

Sarah