THE NEW COVENANT AND THE CROSS

Hebrews 12:18–27 (KJV 1900)

18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 

19  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 

20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 

21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 

22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 

12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 

THE NEW COVENANT AND THE CROSS

I pray that today as we go into the Word of

God that we will find ultimate stability in

the cross of Christ and the New Covenant

He established, in the midst of an

unstable world.

INTRODUCTION: Many years ago, Marvin

Gaye penned the lyrics of a song

summarizing a number of the negative

realities of the world, and asking the

question, “What’s going on?” He knew

that something was amiss bringing havoc

on many dimensions within our world

and society. A similar question is often

asked by Believers. They wonder, “What’s

going on? What is happening?” As we look

at the landscape of the society in which

we live, a day does not go by where there

does not seem to be more calamity, more

chaos, more confusion, and even more

uncertainty. This uncertainty doesn’t just

occur in our society, though. There are

countless numbers of people who are

looking at their own personal lives and

struggles and raising the question, “What

is going on with me? What is happening

in my life?” In the twelfth chapter of

Hebrews, the author is writing to Jewish

Christians who are raising the very same

question. They are about to enter into

the most climactic time that their

generation has ever experienced as

their faith is being tested as never before.

They are facing persecution for being

Jews by the Romans and for being

Christians by the Jews or both.

The dark clouds of despair have already

gathered on the horizon.

Later on in the book of Hebrews

we even learn that some have been

imprisoned while others have had their

property confiscated. As you might

imagine, in the midst of the pain, turmoil,

disruption and uncertainty, the question

that emerges is, how is a person to

respond to the chaos ensuing all around?

Thus is the setting for the book of

Hebrews.

MT. SINAI: “On Mt. Sinai, God spoke to

Israel in the Old Testament (Exodus 19).

When God had come down and spoken

prior to giving the Ten Commandments, it

was a sight to behold as the mountain

began to smoke and quake. All of the

environmental aspects happened in order

to let the people know how serious a

moment it was. God’s presence on the

mountain shook the entire mountain so

much that the people ran away, did not

want to listen, and even Moses himself

trembled.”

MT. ZION: In the Old Testament, Mt. Zion

seems to be equated with Jerusalem (2

Kings 19:31). King David calls Zion both

the mountain of God and the city of God

(Psalm 2:6; 48:1-14). Isaiah refers to Mt.

Zion as the mountain in Jerusalem from

which God would one day reign (Isaiah

24:23). And according to Revelation 21:10,

the heavenly Jerusalem, Mt. Zion

(Hebrews 12:22), will descend and God’s

dwelling will be on earth. “On Mt. Zion,

we are introduced to the New Covenant

given to us by the blood of Jesus Christ

shed on the cross. It is under the tenants

and truths of Mt. Zion that Believers live

today. It is precisely because of the cross

of Jesus Christ that we no longer live in

light of Mt. Sinai.”

SERMON POINTS: 1. LIFE BEFORE THE CROSS Remember the Old Covenant (Hebrews 12:18-21)

18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 

19  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 

20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 

21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 

• At Mt. Sinai, God established the old, Mosaic Covenant.

• The Mosaic Covenant was ratified by the

blood of animals. Because of God’s

holiness, which prevented the Israelites

from approaching Mt. Sinai (Hebrews 12:18-21)

• Any man or beast who touched the

mountain would be stoned.

• Even Moses was afraid to climb the

mountain .

2. LIFE AFTER THE CROSS Thank God for

the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:22-24)

22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 

23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 

24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

• The blood of Jesus ratified the New

Covenant.

• Because of the cross, we no longer live

under the Old Covenant. We realize the

display of God’s holiness on the cross.

• God proved His holiness by pouring out

His wrath on Jesus.

3. STABILITY OF THE CROSS Don’t trust

in relationships, money, or your own good

works. Ephesians 2:8 - 9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

• Our world is unstable and can’t provide

ultimate security.

• If your world has been shaken up, you’re

not alone. Trust in the cross (Hebrews 12:21-25)

• Only through faith in the cross can we

find ultimate security.

• Remember that you are part of the New

Covenant community.

• God has a purpose in allowing your life

to get shaken up.

4. THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CROSS Fix your eyes on the stability of the cross

• When the walls of Jericho crumbled,

Rahab’s house didn’t because she trusted

in the God of the Israelites (Joshua 2:15)

Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 

• When your life crumbles, trust the

promise of the New Covenant and you

won’t crumble.

Allow God to continually remove unstable

things from your life.

• Remember that God will continue to

“shake” your life so that you will put your

trust in Him, not in money, careers,

relationships, etc.

• God will always prove Himself to be the

most stable foundation—for eternity.