A Better Covenant

Prayer

Text: Hebrews 8

“1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. 3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” 6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. 7 If the first…” Theme: Jesus is our heavenly High Priest who mediates a new and better covenant, built on better promises and grounded in grace.

I. Jesus Ministers in a Better Sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1–2)

Hebrews 8:1–2 “1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.”

Main Idea: Jesus doesn’t serve in a shadowy, symbolic space—He ministers in the true sanctuary of heaven itself.

The chapter opens by reminding us: “We have such a high priest.” Where is He now? Seated at the right hand of God, ministering in the true tabernacle—not one built by hands, but established by God.

Earthly priests served in tents and temples—copies, shadows of the real thing.

But Jesus serves in the real Holy of Holies—the very presence of God.

He’s not performing a religious role. He is the real deal, offering real access to God.

Illustration: Have you ever ordered something online—maybe from a site like Temu or Wish—and when it arrived, you realized it was a cheap knockoff? I once ordered a laver (like the one from the C&MA logo for feet washing. Grab the big laver from my office…I thought I was ordering something like this.) for someone at my old church. The real one was beautiful—solid, meaningful. But the one I got from amazon wasn’t even 2 inches tall… That’s the difference between the earthly tabernacle and the real sanctuary in heaven. One is a copy. The other is the original, eternal presence of God—and that’s where Jesus ministers on our behalf. Earthly religion is a shadow. Jesus is the substance.

Application: Don’t settle for the shadows—rituals, traditions, or routines that lack the living Christ. The real presence of God is available—right now—through Jesus.

What is a covenant?

a sacred agreement or relationship between God and humans, where both parties make promises and commitments. It's often described as a bond or an oath-bound relationship, distinguishing it from a simple contract due to its personal and relational nature. Covenants define obligations, promises, and consequences

God made a covenant with Abraham…

God introduced the covenant in Genesis 12:1–3

“1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.””

And established the Covenant in Genesis 17:1–8

“1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” 3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! 7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their…”

And God marked the covenant with a sign of obedience in Genesis 18:9–10

“9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. 10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.”

God made a covenant with Moses…

Exodus 19:3–6

“3 Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.””

And the covenant was established in the Law…the 10 Commandments which is given in Exodus 20. These laws were to set Israel apart from all other nations.

And God established a covenant with Aaron, Moses’ brother to serve God as priests and mediators between unfaithful and unholy people and a faithful and holy God.

Exodus 28:1 “1 “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests.”

And thus the Levitical Priesthood was established…and their jobs were numerous..but their role was to mediate between God and man and to do this they specifically had to do these tasks…

1. Mediators Between God and the People

Levitical priests acted as intermediaries, representing the people before God—especially in matters of sacrifice, prayer, and atonement.

“Every high priest is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” — Hebrews 5:1

II. The Shadow of an Inferior Covenant (Hebrews 8:3–9)

Hebrews 8:3–9 “3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” 6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. 7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.”

Main Idea: Jesus’ priesthood is tied to a better covenant—because it accomplishes what the old could not.

Verse 5: Earthly priests served a shadow of heavenly things.

2. Offering Sacrifices

Under the Mosaic Law, priests offered daily, weekly, and annual sacrifices to cover the sins of the people and maintain their covenant relationship with God.

Sin offerings, burnt offerings, peace offerings, etc., described in Leviticus 1–7

Most notably, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Leviticus 16, when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the whole nation.

3. Maintaining Ritual Purity and Holiness

The priests taught and enforced laws related to cleanliness, diet, disease, and purity to keep the people ritually clean before a holy God.

Leviticus 11–15 outlines many of these purity laws.

Violations risked breaking covenant fellowship with God.

4. Teaching the Law

Levites were also responsible for teaching God’s law to the people (see Deuteronomy 33:10). Their instruction helped ensure obedience to the covenant.

5. Guarding and Serving the Tabernacle (and later the Temple)

Priests and Levites oversaw the sanctuary where God's presence dwelled. They set up, took down, and carried the tabernacle, and later served in the temple.

“They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle.” — Numbers 3:7

But Their ministry was symbolic and temporary.

In Contrast…Christ’s ministry is real, heavenly, and eternal.

Think of a shadow on the wall—it can show the shape of a person, but it’s lifeless, flat. You don’t hug a shadow. You hug the person. The tabernacle was the shadow; Jesus is the real presence. Don’t settle for forms of religion without the living Christ.

Verse 6: The new covenant is better because it is based on better promises.

Supporting Scripture:

Romans 8:3–5 – The law was powerless to save; Christ did what the law could never do: defeat sin through His sacrificial death.

Colossians 2:13–17 – Jesus canceled our sin-debt and fulfilled the shadows of religious law. He is the reality to which the Old Covenant pointed.

The Old Covenant’s Flaws (vv. 7–9):

It wasn’t faultless. It revealed sin but couldn’t remove it.

The people broke it repeatedly—it exposed weakness but offered no power to overcome it.

Imagine trying to stream Netflix on a VCR or using a rotary phone to join a Zoom call. Outdated tools weren’t bad—they were just limited. The law wasn’t evil—it served a purpose. But it was never meant to save. It pointed to our need for Jesus.

Galatians 3:19–26 – The law acted as a guardian until Christ came. It had a purpose, but it was never meant to save. Only faith in Jesus brings true freedom.

Application: Our hope isn’t in religious performance, tradition, or trying to earn favor with God. We don’t need symbols—we have a Savior. The Old Covenant is obsolete—not because it was bad, but because something better has come: Jesus.

III. Jesus Is the Mediator of a Better Covenant (Hebrews 8:10–13)

Hebrews 8:10–13 “10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.”

Main Idea: Jesus mediates a covenant of inner transformation, personal relationship, and complete forgiveness.

The New Covenant’s Promises:

V. 10- Internal change – God’s law written on hearts, not stone.

V. 10- Personal relationship – “I will be their God and they will be my people.”

V. 11: Intimacy- “Will know me already.”

V. 12: Total forgiveness – “I will remember their sins no more.”

Verse 13: The old is now obsolete; the new has come.

Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31–34 “31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”” —not by tearing down the law, but by fulfilling it in a way that brings life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – In Christ, you’re a new creation. The old has gone. The new is here.

Application: If you belong to Jesus, His Spirit lives in you. You don’t need someone else to stand between you and God—you can know Him personally. Your past is forgiven. The striving is over. Rest in the covenant sealed with His blood. This is not about religion—it’s about a real relationship with the living God.

Closing Challenge:

Are you still clinging to shadows—or have you stepped into the substance? Have you trusted in Christ, your High Priest, who mediates a better covenant? Don't go back to the old when Jesus offers the new. Come to Him and live in the fullness of His better promises.