Mark 14:17-25, The New Covenant
The New Covenant, Mark 14:17-25
Hebrews 8:6, 7, 10-12
The “New Testament” literally means the “New Covenant”
The word covenant means an arrangement made by one party which the other party involved could accept or reject but could not alter.
The Old Testament primarily records God’s dealings with Israel on the basis of the Mosaic Law given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
The New Testament describes the new arrangement of God with men through Christ on the basis of the New Covenant.
The OC revealed God’s holiness and righteous standard of the Law and the promise of a coming Redeemer.
The NC shows the holiness of God in His righteous Son.
The New Testament centers around Jesus who gave Himself for the remission of sins and the church (the ones who received His salvation)
The central theme of the New Testament is salvation.
THE NEW COVENANT SET IN PLACE
Mark 14:17-25
The Psalmist had predicted the treachery
41:9, Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Judas had already made a deal with the Jewish leaders to turn Jesus over to them.
John 13:26, Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
John 1:29, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The Lord’s Supper
Its meaning is beautifully outlined in the three words:
1) Jesus TOOK--humanity upon Himself
2) He BRAKE--He was about to be broken on the cross
3) He GAVE--He gave Himself for us
The bread signified His body given
The cup represented Christ's bloodshed.
By His blood He ratified the New Covenant
For Jesus there would be no more festive joy until He returned to earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom.
THE NEW COVENANT’S SUPERIORITY
Hebrews 8:6-12
1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Jesus was and is both Prophet and Priest.
In performing the priestly duties of the old covenant, the Aaronic priests were inferior to Jesus, Who acts as our Great High Priest of the superior new covenant.
A promise of a new covenant.
This is God’s declaration of divine sovereignty in bringing men to Himself.
It is not what man will do but what God will do.
Moses’ law was one of externals.
The new covenant will be based on internals--work in minds & hearts of men.
The old covenant provided “atonement.”
Each year the blood of the sacrifice on The Day of Atonement reminded the Jews that sin was never very far away.
When God’s Lamb came John 1:29--“takes away sins”
It is better to have sins removed, carried away, than to have them atoned for or covered up.
The New Covenant promises mercy for an unrighteous people and the eternal forgetfulness of their sins.
Christ is better than the old in every way.