The New Covenant - Introduction

Introduction

Jeremiah 31:31–33 KJV 1900

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people.

We are under this very Covenant today

It is the fulfillment and the realization of all previous covenants

The Mediator of the New Covenant is Jesus Christ

The Blood of the New Covenant is the blood spilt by Jesus Christ

The Seal of the New Covenant is Water Baptism

The Words of the New Covenant is … what we’re going to be looking at for the next several weeks.

Background on the Gospels

Matthew

Written between A.D. 60-70, Christ is presented as the Son of David, the King of the Jews, and everything in Matthew’s narrative centers around this truth.

In this gospel we find:

Christ’s royal genealogy

The journey of the wise men seeking the King of the Jews.

The Sermon on the Mount, which is, in reality, the Manifesto of the King, containing an enunciation of the Laws of His Kingdom.

Matthew presents Christ in an official relationship, namely, as the Messiah and King of Israel.

Matthew filled an official position in the Roman government; namely, a tax collector.

He presents Christ in Kingdom connections, as the One who possesses the title to reign over Israel.

As a tax collector, he was hated by the Jews, more even than the Romans who occupied Israel. He understood and could write about the One who was “hated without a cause”, and of being “despised and rejected” by His own nation.

Mark

Written around A.D. 60, Christ is depicted as the Servant of Jehovah. the one, though God Himself, became a servant and made Himself of no reputation.

In this gospel we find:

No genealogy.

Christ is introduced at the beginning of His public ministry. No mention of His life before.

More miracles, ministry, acts of service, than in any other gospel.

Mark was not an Apostle, but a servant of one. He was, therefore, qualified to write about Christ as a servant.

Luke

Written at about the same time as the Gospel of Matthew (A.D. 60-70), Christ is set forth as the Son of Man, as connected with, but contrasted from, the sons of men.

In this gospel we find:

Genealogy is traced back to Adam, the first man, and not to Abraham only as we find in Matthew.

Jesus is seen frequently in prayer.

Angel are seen ministering to Jesus, instead of commanded by Him as they are in Matthew.

Luke was a physician, and very possibly he was not a Jew but a Gentile. As such he was uniquely qualified to:

Narrate to us the virgin birth

Reveal to us most completely the fallen and depraved state of human nature.

His Gospel is more international in scope, referring to Jesus as the “Son of Man”, not the “Son of David.”

John

Unique from the previous three, this gospel was written between A.D. 90-100, much later than the other Gospels. Christ is revealed as the Son of God, and everything in this fourth gospel is made to illustrate and demonstrate this divine relationship.

In this gospel we find:

The opening verse carries us back before time and reveals to us Jesus as the Word that was in the beginning, and that His is indeed God.

We get His divine titles, such as “The only begotten of the Father,” the “Lamb of God,” and the “Light of the world.”

We’re told here that prayer should be made in His Name.

We’re told here that the Holy Ghost is sent by Him.

John was a man gifted with unusual spiritual discernment, and had perhaps the most intimate relationship with Jesus of all the disciples. He was “the disciple whom Jesus loved>”

He saw, and presented to us, the spiritual connection, namely that Jesus was God.

Background on the Book of Matthew

Matthew’s Gospel breaks 400 years of silence

No angelic visitations

No prophets spake for Jehovah

No divine help on the behalf of Israel

Israel had God’s written Word, and that was it!

First in the New Testament

A connecting link between testaments

Matthew shows the Messiah appealing to and dealing with His Old Testament people.

Matthew’s Gospel is a dispensational Gospel

It shows us Christ offered to the Jews, and the consequences of their rejection of Him.

God set Israel aside for a time and called Him out a people of the Gentiles.

In this present dispensation, the church supersedes the Jewish nation.

It supplies the key to God’s dealings with the earth in this Age, and without it, it would be difficult to understand the rest of the New Testament.

Background on the Sermon on the Mount

It was delivered on a mountain, most believe Mount Eremos (now known as the Mount of Beatitudes), Symbolic of Christ ascending to His throne allowing Him to teach from a position of authority.

The Sermon on the Mount sets forth the Manifesto of the King. It contains the “constitution” of His Kingdom.

It defines the character of those who would enter into it.

It tells of the experiences through which they pass while being fitted for that Kingdom.

It enunciates the laws which are to govern their conduct.

The authority of the King is evidenced by His “I say unto you,” repeated no less than fourteen times in this “Sermon.”

The effect this had upon those who heard Him is apparent from the closing verses, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as One having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28,29).

Very much like Moses receiving the law on Mt. Sinai. God is giving His Kingdom laws to us.

Issued from God and recieved by man.

Instituted a New Covenant between God and Man.

This Sermon emphasizes the internal qualities of living for God while the Pharisees were only interested in the external.

Points to a time when His law will be internalized, and spiritual in nature.

Points to a time when we will be given the power to live righteously.

Romans 3:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Hebrews 10:16–17 KJV 1900

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Outline for the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5

The Kingdom and Believers (5:1-16)

Kingdom Attributes (5:1-12)

Kingdom Actions (5:13-16)

The Kingdom and the Law (5:17-20)

The Redeemer and the Law (5:17-18)

The redeemed and the Law (5:19)

The religious leaders and the Law (5:20)

The Kingdom and the Old Testament (5:21-48)

In regard to murder (5:21-26)

In regard to adultery (5:27-30)

In regard to divorce (5:31-32)

In regard to oaths (5:33-37)

In regard to retaliation (5:38-42)

In regard to love (5:43-48)

Matthew 6

Jesus talks about giving (6:1-4)

The rules (6:1-3)

The reward (6:4)

Jesus talks about praying (6:5-15)

Essentials in prayer (6:5-8)

Elements in prayer (6:9-15)

Jesus talks about fasting (6:16-18)

By hypocrites (6:16)

By the humble (6:17-18)

Jesus talks about treasures (6:19-24)

Earthly treasures are insecure and corruptible (6:19, 22-24)

Heavenly treasures are secure and incorruptible (6:20-21)

Jesus talks about trusting (6:25-34)

The information (6:25)

The illustrations (6:26-30)

The invitation (6:31-34)

Matthew 7

Jesus’ exhortations (7:1-12)

Our responsibilities to the saved (7:1-2)

Our responsibilities to ourselves (7:3-5)

Our responsibilities to the ungodly (7:6)

Our responsibilities to the Lord (7:7-11)

Our responsibilities to the world (7:12)

Jesus’ illustrations (7:13-27)

The two roads (7:13-14)

The two animals (a condemnation of false prophets (7:15)

The two trees (7:16-20)

The two kinds of disciples (7:21-23)

The two builders (7:24-27)

Jesus’ demonstrations (7:28-29)