Put yourself in the place of your favorite Old Testament character for a moment. Imagine what it would be like to be them. Perhaps you’d like to be David or Esther or Daniel. What closeness they had with God! How they walked with him and were used by him! Wouldn’t it be great to be one of them? Perhaps you’d be willing to trade your own relationship with God for theirs instead? If so, I couldn’t agree with you less.
Less? That’s right, less.
Not in a million years would I want David’s relationship with God over my own. Nor Esther’s. Nor Daniel’s. Nor any Old Testament figure’s. I much prefer what I have right now.
How arrogant! How bold! I hope I’ve startled you and perhaps even ruffled your feathers a bit, because I intend to. I believe it’s time for the church to wake up and realize how good we have it today on this side of the cross.
You may know about the famous heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11--people such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Through the author of Hebrews, God tells of their commitment, their sacrifice, and their surrender to his ways. These heroes were mocked, imprisoned, and even stoned to death because of their faith.
Have you been tested to such lengths? Have you proven to be equally committed? Likely, the answer is no. Then how could you possibly obtain a better relationship with God than they had?
Before we answer the how, let’s make sure that this is indeed the case. Referring to Old Testament believers, the author of Hebrews writes, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39--40, italics added).
Such dedication, such commitment--yet what do we learn about these witnesses? They did not receive what was promised. And on this side of the cross, we possess something better than they ever enjoyed.
What is it that makes our situation better than theirs? Has God changed? Certainly not. God is the same as he has always been. Then what is it exactly that makes today so different from 2000 or so years ago? It has everything to do with the New.
Imagine being a fly on the wall during a hypothetical dialogue between Moses and Jesus of Nazareth. "Papers, please," Moses exclaims. But Jesus of Nazareth would have no papers, at least none that would meet the requirements. The law required that a person be from the tribe of Levi to qualify as high priest, but Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. No one from Judah’s line had ever served as priest. The law forbade such a selection.
Today, Christians regard Jesus Christ as their high priest. According to the law, Jesus as high priest makes no sense at all. How then can we rightfully look to Jesus as our priest today? If the priestly line has changed, then the whole system for relating to God has to be replaced. And that’s exactly what has happened--the whole system has changed!
It’s crucial to realize that the law and Jesus just don’t mix. "[Jesus] ... belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests" (Hebrews 7:13--14). Christians talk about Jesus as their Savior, their Lord, and the author (priest) of their forgiveness. Some of these same believers then claim that the law is still for us today. In so doing, they adhere to a major contradiction.
The issue of law and grace (Old and New) is certainly still hotly debated today: Do we live by law? Do we live by grace? Do we live by a combination of the two? Doesn’t God write the law on our hearts? Despite the countless pages in Christian books devoted to these questions, it surprises me that Jesus’ lineage fails to take center stage. We can propose all kinds of theories, compromises, and answers concerning law and grace, but one fact remains: the law discredits Jesus as priest. For this reason, the writer of Hebrews writes, "When the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also" (Hebrews 7:12).
The bottom line is that if you appeal to Jesus as your priest, there’s no place for the law in your life. You call on a man from Nazareth, from the tribe of Judah, who shares no family lineage with Aaron, or Levi, or any other qualified priest of the law. You call on an outsider, a renegade, a table turner.
Christians readily accept the idea that Jesus is their priest. But it’s not clear to some that, through their adoption of Jesus as priest, they enter into a contract with God. A contract? Yes, a contract, an agreement, a covenant. In contrast to the old contract that God penned through Moses, this new one will never be replaced. It’s the final word concerning a human’s relationship with God. Jesus Christ is the author and guarantee of something totally new and revolutionary: For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15) and The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ’You are a priest forever." Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. (Hebrews 7:21--22)
A new covenant? What does that mean? I attended churches for more than a decade before hearing even a single teaching about the New. The New means everything changes. If we want to understand how God relates to us, we should look to the New. The New and the Old are certainly not the same. In many ways, they’re polar opposites. Here’s a quote from God himself on the matter: The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. (Hebrews 8:8--9)
Something new was coming all along. God always intended to usher in something radically different. This passage indicates that the New is unlike anything before, and that it solves a serious problem--our failure to remain faithful. Whatever the New is, it somehow causes people to remain faithful, even when their own strength fails them.
Today we debate eternal security, but security (or faithfulness) was an Old issue. Apparently, one reason the New came on the scene was to cure that problem: "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people" (Hebrews 8:7--8).
There was really nothing wrong with the Old in itself. It should still be esteemed as holy and good. The issue with the Old was that no one could operate successfully under it. For that reason, God orchestrated a different way.
The New involves God’s desires being written inside us, so that we have the guarantee of being his people no matter what: "This is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Hebrews 8:10)
We glean some important insights from God’s own description of the New. God inscribes his laws (not the law of Moses) on our minds and hearts. We become his people and have the privilege of knowing him personally. But the author of Hebrews actually misquotes the Old Testament passage here. How could he be so bold? And for what reason? He purposely changes the Old Testament rendition "my law" to "my laws" to clarify an important truth.
Contrary to popular teaching, it’s not the law of Moses that is written on our hearts. It’s God’s laws. These are expounded on by Jesus and the New Testament writers. These laws are called "the royal law" (James 2:8), "the law that gives freedom" (James 1:25; 2:12), and "[Jesus’] commands" (1 John 3:24). God’s commandments are to love him and to love each other (Mark 12:30--31). These aren’t burdensome. In fact, Jesus himself says that those who love him will obey his commands (John 14:15). Under the New, God has it rigged.
If the Mosaic law were written on our hearts and minds, imagine the consequences! The dietary restrictions, the wardrobe regulations, and hundreds of other rules would overwhelm our consciences, just as they did the Israelites’. Thank God that the New isn’t just a dressed-up version of the Old! The New is different, and simple.
In 1998, my father was killed in a car accident. My father was a loving husband, a successful businessman, and a great dad. His intellect was only rivaled by his sense of humor. He is greatly missed in our family.
Imagine for a moment that you and I sit down to dinner, and I take the opportunity to break out the family album to show you photos of my dad. As I turn pages, point to photos, and tell stories about him, something unpredictable happens. By some miracle, my father suddenly walks through the door! Strangely, though, I keep pointing at photos and telling old stories. Even after I notice his arrival, I still seem to be occupied with the album.
Ridiculous, right? Why would I fixate on a two-dimensional photo of my father when the real thing is standing right in front of me? But in the same way, some Christians are fixated on the law when it’s only a shadow. The reality, we’re told, is found in the New. To look to the Old after learning of the New is like my returning to my dad’s photo album when he’s standing right there. I am caught up in something two-dimensional and lifeless, even as his living presence is with me.
Here is God’s announcement about the superiority of the New: "The ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
The Old is old news. Something greater is now in effect, so it’s more sensible to hold fast to the New. Interestingly, even Old Testament believers were justified by faith alone, apart from the law. The law doesn’t involve faith. It takes no faith at all to adhere to regulations and carry out religious tasks.
Old Testament saints such as Abraham were made right because they put confidence in God and in a coming Messiah (Romans 4:13). The law was irrelevant to salvation. It never saved anyone. If the law were able to save, there’d be no reason for the New. Abraham lived long before the law, but he was declared righteous. Obviously, being right with God never had anything to do with the law.
Imagine that you put aside money to purchase a brand-new car. Once you have enough saved, you call the dealership to negotiate a price. Fortunately, the dealer agrees to let the car go at a price you can afford. Within the hour, you’re in the dealership to close the deal. The price with delivery charges, taxes, and tags comes out to $19,550.00. A great deal. You happily sign the paperwork and take the car home. It’s finally yours!
More than a year later, you receive a peculiar message in your voice mailbox. It’s from the dealership. You recognize the salesman’s voice as he explains that he accidentally charged you too little for the vehicle. He says you owe $2,000.00 more on the car. He invites you to the dealership so you can redraft the sales contract and "work things out."
After the message ends, you stand there in disbelief. You look at the calendar and begin counting the days. It’s been 430 days since you signed the contract to purchase the car! How can they do this? Can they do this? It’s time to call your attorney.
Your legal counsel explains that the dealership is out of line. They can’t require you to change the terms of the contract you signed 430 days ago. If they could force a person to renegotiate after signing, no one would ever place confidence in a contract.
Now see if you can catch the parallel between your car purchase turned sour and Paul’s point about the New: "Even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.... What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise." (Galatians 3:15, 17 NASB)
The promise of the New was made to Abraham not 430 days but 430 years before the law. Just as the car dealership couldn’t legally renegotiate a contract previously signed, the New was not renegotiated just because the law came on the scene later.
Although not in effect yet, the New was promised to Abraham and ratified by God himself. The fact that 430 years later the law was introduced does not affect the stipulations of the covenant previously ratified. So hundreds of years separate the promise of the New from the Old. We shouldn’t mix them together, nor should we extract elements from the Old and impose them on the New. That’s a breach of contract.
While introducing the New, we’ve already spent significant time in Hebrews. Hebrews may well be the least-studied epistle among Christians today. Essentially, it’s a lengthy argument for abandonment of the Old and adoption of the New. Its style reads like that of a brilliant trial lawyer, and Hebrews alone can put to rest many of the issues dividing Christians today. Throughout this Naked Gospel sermon series, you’ll get to know Hebrews and other New Testament letters that shout in unison, "Jesus plus nothing."
This sermon is from The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear in Church (Zondervan, 2009). For more, visit www.TheNakedGospel.com
