Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12, Psalm 119:9-16, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33.
(A) A NEW COVENANT.
Jeremiah 31:31-34.
1. “Behold the Days are Coming”
This is a recurring motif in Jeremiah. There is a certainty about it, because it is a declaration of the LORD.
It occurs in Jeremiah 23:5 - ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.’
It occurs in Jeremiah 30:3 - ‘For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’
It occurs in Jeremiah 31:27 - ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.’
It occurs here in Jeremiah 31:31.
And it occurs in Jeremiah 33:14-15 - 'Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.’
2. A New Covenant.
Here in Jeremiah 31:31, the LORD is declaring a new covenant. As he develops the theme, Jeremiah will tell us that this will be an everlasting covenant (Jeremiah 32:40); whereas Ezekiel will add that it will be a covenant of peace (Ezekiel 37:26).
It will be a new covenant “with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). The picture is that of a reunited kingdom. Within two to three verses, we are no longer looking at a fragmented kingdom, but at one “house of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:33). The ten northern tribes are no longer ‘lost’ (cf. Jeremiah 50:4-5)!
Although it was ratified by blood (Exodus 24:6-8), the people were unable to keep the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31:32; cf. Hebrews 8:7-9). So, the LORD is here introducing a “new” covenant, rendering the ‘old’ obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The new covenant, too, will be ratified by blood. The blood of Jesus!
Thus, we see Jesus, raising the cup in the Upper Room. ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you’ (Luke 22:20). When Jesus’ side was pierced as He hung on the Cross, there flowed out blood and water (John 19:34).
3. Internalising the Covenant
This new covenant was so much superior to the old, that now the LORD would write His laws upon the hearts of the people (Jeremiah 31:33). This internalising of the otherwise impossible law points forward to the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Ezekiel 36:27). No longer is God’s law written upon tables of stone, but upon human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3)!
Furthermore, the promise is made, “and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33; cf. Ezekiel 11:19-20; Revelation 21:3).
The internalisation of the covenant is seen, too, in the redundancy of teachers (Jeremiah 31:34; cf. 1 John 2:27)!
The LORD says, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sins will I remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). ‘For this is my blood of the new covenant,’ says Jesus, ‘which is shed for many for the remission of sins’ (Matthew 26:28).
(B) REPENTANCE AND RESTORATION.
Psalm 51:1-12.
In this solemn Psalm of repentance, we dive in (headfirst, as it were) with a plea for mercy. The verbs “have mercy… blot out… wash me… cleanse me” (Psalm 51:1-2) all appear to be in the imperative: but they are in fact plaintive pleas based in the fact that there is no redemption outside of God Himself. This is the task of the awakened conscience: “I acknowledge my transgressions; my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3).
Although our offences are often manifested in the pain which we bring to others, sin is first and foremost a slight to the character of God. I have wronged Bathsheba, David could say; I have wronged her husband Uriah; I have wronged my general Joab; I have wronged my people as their king: but above all, I have wronged God. Before I can even begin to go about my job of seeking reconciliation with these other people, I stand at the bar of God: “Against thee have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” (Psalm 51:4).
We are not making excuses when we have recourse to observations about our tendency towards sin. David is not slandering his mother when he suggests that he was ‘conceived in sin’ (Psalm 51:5) - he is rather recognising that the tendency to sin is inherent in the human character. We are left without excuse once we realise that, not only did we inherit Adam’s fall, but we were equipped with a sense of right and wrong, even from the womb (Psalm 51:6)!
Once again, the Psalmist makes his plea, but this time he mingles it with faith: “Purge me, and I shall be clean… wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… make me to hear joy and gladness, that I may rejoice” (Psalm 51:7-8). The purging is with hyssop, an aromatic herb used in the sprinkling of blood at the first Passover (cf. Exodus 12:22). Significantly it was also used for the cleansing of lepers (cf. Leviticus 14:6-8).
David was faced with the leprosy of sin in his own life. The penalty for both adultery and murder was death, with no provision for their forgiveness in the Jewish faith. Yet somehow, he believed that God could provide a sacrifice (cf. Genesis 22:8), and blood could be sprinkled even for his sins!
Well, just like Abraham was provided with a ram for a sacrifice in lieu of Isaac (cf. Genesis 22:13), the LORD had already provided a lamb for David. Oh, this was a Lamb which had not yet been sacrificed: yet it would be true to say that Jesus’ blood was sacrificed for the sins of His forebear (cf. Matthew 1:1), just as surely as it was for ours too. Thus, God is seen to be both just, and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus (cf. Romans 3:25-26); and to hide His face from our sins, and blot out all our iniquities (Psalm 51:9).
Having been purged of sin, we will then be able to enter into the positive benefits of reconciliation with God. We shall be satisfied with nothing short of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, and shall be returned to the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:10-12).
(C) TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES.
Psalm 119:9-16.
The question is posed: “How shall a young man keep His way pure?” (Psalm 119:9a). Before we look at the answer, we might consider who this young man is? The Psalmist seems to be putting himself, and us, in the position of the son (i.e. student) in Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 3:1; Proverbs 5:1.
The answer unfolds in the rest of this stanza of the Psalm. The word “way” appears again as “the way of thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:14a), and then again simply as “thy ways” (Psalm 119:15b). So, perhaps one short answer to the question of ‘how we keep our ways pure?’ is ‘by conforming our ways to God’s ways’!
Yet this we find to be impossible (Isaiah 55:8-9). How can we even begin to know God’s ways? Well, Jesus said, ‘I am the way…’ (John 14:6) - and we have already established in an earlier sermon that ‘the undefiled’ are those who are found in Him (cf. Psalm 119:1).
The Psalmist begins his answer “by guarding (our way) according to your word” (Psalm 119:9b). “Word” stands for the entire teaching of God, and ultimately points us (again) to Jesus (John 1:1-2). “Word” stands for the Bible, but not just as ‘law’ (or ‘Torah’ - a Hebrew word which is unusually absent in this stanza), but also including the Holy Spirit’s application of that word in our hearts (John 14:26; Psalm 119:10a; Psalm 119:11a).
The Psalmist contrasts ‘seeking’ with ‘straying’: “Let me not wander from thy commandments” (Psalm 119:10). We must actively direct our heart towards God, as opposed to wilfully wandering from Him.
We must store His “promise” (sometimes translated as ‘word’) in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). The word of God is our only buffer against sin (cf. Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 7:1). All the promises of God are ‘yea’ in Christ, and so through Him our ‘Amen’ is spoken to the glory of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20).
The Psalmist has begun to know God already (cf. Psalm 119:7) - and begins to praise Him (Psalm 119:12a). But he knows that he still has much to learn and appeals to God for further teaching (Psalm 119:12b). This is the stance of the Christian: the more we know Jesus, the more we want to know Him.
If God has come into our hearts, our lips will want to proclaim it (Psalm 119:13). If we have found our salvation in Christ Jesus, that is the greatest thing that could ever happen to us. Why would we want to keep it secret?
It is at our first call that Jesus offers to make us ‘fishers of men’ (Matthew 4:19). Thereafter, we should ‘always be ready to give an account of the hope that is within us’ (1 Peter 3:15).
If we had a stroke of so-called ‘good fortune’, we would hardly be able to contain our joy. The Psalmist rejoices in the way of God’s decrees, “as much as in all riches” (Psalm 119:14). We might suggest, that he ‘treasures’ God’s word in his heart (cf. Psalm 119:11a).
Meditation on God’s word is also important (Psalm 119:15). It is not enough to just read our portion. We need to “contemplate” God’s ways and fix our eyes on Him.
Our emotions are also engaged in our reception of God’s word. We should “delight” in it (Psalm 119:16). Furthermore, we do not ‘leave our brains at the door’ (as one brother put it) when we come into God’s presence. We must exercise our minds, too, in “not forgetting” God’s word!
So, how do we keep our ways pure? By taking heed to, treasuring, learning, meditating upon, and delighting in God’s word. By wholeheartedly seeking Him. By fixing our eyes upon His ways and conforming our ways to His ways. By treasuring Him in our hearts, and speaking forth God’s word, recognising Jesus as both Word and Way (cf. Romans 10:8-9).
(D) THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF JESUS.
Hebrews 5:5-10.
Jesus was called and ordained of God (Hebrews 5:5-6). The writer proceeds to prove this in a manner of Hebrew commentary which brings together two Scriptures which have a word in common: in this case “You” (singular).
The first Scripture refers to the Son-ship of Jesus (Psalm 2:7).
The second Scripture refers to the specific priesthood of Jesus “after the order of Melchisedec” (Psalm 110:4; cf. Hebrews 5:10). The priesthood of Melchisedec as a model for Christ’s is argued out more fully in Hebrews 7.
Jesus was touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and tempted in all points like as we are, but was yet without sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15). Therefore He has no need to make sacrifice for His own sins (cf. Hebrews 7:27).
Jesus’ offering is described here as “prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). At Gethsemane Jesus cried ‘Take this cup from me’ – but also ‘not my will but yours be done’ (Matthew 26:39).
At Calvary Jesus cried to God in dereliction, ‘Why have you forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46). Jesus well knew that God was able to save Him from death, and we are told here that God “heard” because of His reverence for, and submission to God (Hebrews 5:7).
However, the historical facts demonstrate not a deliverance from suffering, but a strengthening in suffering (Luke 22:43). They demonstrate not a deliverance from dying, but a deliverance out of the jaws of death itself (Romans 1:4). The facts also demonstrate a subsequent elevation into heaven to minister on our behalf (cf. Hebrews 4:14).
Though He was a Son, we are told, yet He “learned obedience” through what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Of course, Jesus was always obedient. The incarnation itself was an act of obedience, and Jesus did not stop at ‘death, even the death of the cross’ (Philippians 2:8).
We are also told that He was “made perfect” (Hebrews 5:9). This does not imply that He was ever anything less than perfect, but rather that through His suffering and obedience His qualifications to the role and function of high priest were fully validated (cf. Hebrews 2:10).
Jesus’ obedience becomes the model of our obedience. Through His obedience He is made the author of eternal life to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).
This speaks of the obedience of faith (John 1:12). It speaks of our obedience to the call to take up our own cross, and to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).
(E) JESUS LIFTED UP ON THE CROSS.
John 12:20-33.
When Jesus made His last entry into Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion He was met, we are told, by an excited crowd waving palm branches and shouting “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). John makes the sober comment that the people had gathered because they had heard of the raising of Lazarus (John 12:18). The Pharisees made the cryptic observation that the whole world had gone after Him (John 12:19)!
(John 12:20-22): As if to typify this, some serious minded Greek worshippers expressed a desire to have a conversation with Jesus. They approached Philip, who came from Galilee of the Gentiles, and he and Andrew made the approach to the Lord on their behalf. It is good, when two are agreed upon the earth (Matthew 18:19), to make our petitions known to Him (1 John 5:15).
(John 12:23-24): Jesus recognised in this Gentile interest that His hour had at last come, and spoke of His glorification via death. So far His ministry had been limited (with a few exceptions) to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24): but His death would globalise His message (John 11:49-52); and His resurrection would empower the church for the Great Commission. The fruit of the death of the Lord is our salvation.
(John 12:25-26): When we partake of the fruits of His resurrection, we are enabled, like the remnant of the house of Judah, to “take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31). Jesus uses the hyperbole of “hating” our lives in this world in contrast to our love of Him in order to attain eternal life (Matthew 16:24-25). Following Jesus in the path of sacrificial service (Philippians 2:5-11) brings us honour from the Father.
(John 12:27-30): Jesus uttered a prayer, its intensity not unlike His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42-44). As the Cross loomed ever larger on the horizon Jesus became agitated and troubled, but His delight was still to do the Lord’s will (Psalm 40:7-11). On account of His obedience, Jesus’ prayer was answered for all to hear (Hebrews 5:7-9).
(John 12:31-33): The Cross of Jesus is a place of judgement where the sinfulness of man reaches its most malicious, and where sin itself is defeated in the Righteous One who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Let Satan do his utmost, it is here that he will seal his own defeat. The Cross is the focal point of history, and the terminus of time: it exalts the Messiah (John 19:19), connects earth and heaven, and is the meeting place of nations.
