UNDERSTANDING AND LIVING THE EASTER COVENANT
1 Corinthians 15:1-7,
12-20 says:
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I
preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word
I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised
on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that
he appeared to Peter,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6After
that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then
he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and
last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
12But
if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of
you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If
there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless
and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then
found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he
raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are
not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then
Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has
not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be
pitied more than all men.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits
of those who have fallen asleep.
·
Easter is the
celebration of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead.
Illustration:
QUESTION: Why did Jesus
have to die on the cross and rise from the grave?
ANSWER: Jesus died on the
cross to fulfill the Old Covenant law code and to give me the New Covenant
blessings.
·
The penalty
for breaking the Old Testament Law Code was certain death.
·
Jesus died
for my sins so I can live abundant life here on earth and on the new earth to
come when Jesus comes back for me!
John
10The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have
life, and have it to the full.
QUESTION: Why did Jesus
have to rise from the dead?
ANSWER: Jesus rose from
the dead to validate the New Covenant promises.
·
Many people
over the years have told me that they try to read the Bible but it is hard for
them to understand.
QUESTION: Why is the
Bible difficult to understand at first glance to new or casual readers?
ANSWER: The Bible is a covenant
and it is written in covenant language that the Holy Spirit enables the believer
in Christ to understand more clearly over time.
·
In order to
understand the New Covenant God offers to us, we must first understand what an
ancient Judaic covenant consists of and its implications.
·
I must recognize
and be able to interpret covenant language if I am to understand what the Bible
is saying to me from cover to cover.
What is a covenant?
Covenant – “A written
agreement or promise, usually under seal, between two or more parties
especially for the performance of some action”. (Webster’s)
·
A Covenant is
an all encompassing agreement between two parties with clearly outlined perimeters
and promises.
·
Once a person
entered into a covenant in the ancient Middle Eastern world, he or she could
not be released from it, it was forever binding.
Deuteronomy
For the LORD your God is
a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with
your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:31
·
When people
enter into covenant, it means that: Everything they have now belongs to each
other.
·
The two
people would intentionally release their individual identities in order to have
a merged identity.
THE COVENANT ILLUSTRATED
– 1 Samuel 18:1-4
1 Samuel 18:1-4 says:
1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan
became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From
that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's
house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved
him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave
it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
1 Samuel 18:1-4
The Covenant
procedures in Old Testament times and how they impact my life as a Christian
today:
1. The exchange of robes.
·
The two
parties would take their outer garments and exchange them.
·
The exchange
of robes represented an exchange of identity.
What it means for the Christian:
·
My sin nature
has been exchanged for Christ’s righteousness.
·
When God sees
me today as a believer in His Son, He recognizes that I belong to His family
because I am wrapped in Christ's robe of righteousness.
·
Jesus took on
my robe of sin.
·
I took on Christ’s
robe of righteousness.
2 Corinthians
“God made him who had no
sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God". 2
NOTE: In the Old Testament
sins were covered.
NOTE: In the New
Testament, sins are completely wiped away - they are gone!
Galatians 3:23-29 says:
Before this faith came,
we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24
So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christn that we might be
justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer
under the supervision of the law. GAL 3:26 You are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither
Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:23-29
·
To God, I now
look like Jesus.
2 Corinthians
"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has
come!"
2. The exchange of belts.
·
This
represented an exchange of strengths and assets.
What it means for the
Christian:
·
I exchange my
weakness for Christ's power.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 says:
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these
surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a
messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the
Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may
rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong. 2
3. Exchange of weapons.
·
This represented
an exchange of enemies.
What it means for the
Christian:
·
Jesus took on
my enemy: Death.
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 says:
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."n1CO
·
I took on
Jesus' enemy - Satan, who Jesus already defeated at the cross.
·
1 John 4:4 says:
"You, dear children,
are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than
the one who is in the world."
Revelation 12:10-12 says:
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and
the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of
our brothers,
who
accuses them before our God day and night,
has
been hurled down.
by the
blood of the Lamb
and by
the word of their testimony;
they did not love
their lives so much
as to
shrink from death.
REV 12:12
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and
you who dwell in them!
But woe to the
earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because
he knows that his time is short."
·
I defeat
Satan every time I put on the full armor of God being Jesus and His robe of
righteousness.
Ephesians 6:10-18 says:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in
place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from
the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield
of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the saints.
·
When I keep
the robe of Jesus on, I defeat the enemy.
·
When I take
the robe of righteousness off – I am vulnerable to attack.
·
When I do not
walk in the robe of righteousness, the armor Jesus gave me, I walk into
spiritual battle with nothing but myself.
·
If I rely on
my earthy vessel, I will give the devil a foothold through: my thoughts, words,
actions, judgments and anger.
Ephesians 4:22-24 says:
You were taught, with regard to your former way of
life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
4. The fourth step in the
covenant required a sacrifice.
·
This fourth
step entailed the sacrifice of an animal or several animals.
·
The animal
must be cut and that is why the sacrifice was referred to as a “blood
covenant”.
What it means for the
Christian:
·
Jesus became
the one and only lasting sacrifice for my sins.
Hebrews 10:8-20 says:
“First he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not
desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to
be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your
will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And
by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.HEB 10:11 Day after day every priest stands and
performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered
for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13
Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14
because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made
holy.HEB 10:15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.
First he says:
"This is the
covenant I will make with them
after
that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws
in their hearts,
and I
will write them on their minds."n
Then he adds:
"Their sins
and lawless acts
I will
remember no more. And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any
sacrifice for sin.HEB 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have
confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by
a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body”.
Hebrews 10:8-20
5. Walk of death.
·
At this point
in the ceremony, the covenant partners stood facing each other in the open
field.
·
The animal
lay cut open between them.
·
The partners
literally walked through the mass of blood.
·
One would
walk through and come back on the left side.
·
The other
would come back through, turning toward the right. Together they partnered a
figure eight.
·
The practice
signified a self-maledictory oath: “May it be so done to me if I do not keep my
oath and pledge.”
·
In ancient
times, making a covenant involved a self- maledictory oath – “May thus and so
be done to me if I do not keep this covenant”, which was often symbolized by
cutting an animal in two and walking between the two halves.
Genesis 15:10-17 says:
Abram brought all these
to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds,
however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on
the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep
sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the
LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be
strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated
four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as
slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here,
for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."GE
·
The smoking
firepot with a blazing torch symbolized the presence of God.
·
God’s
presence passed between the pieces of the slaughtered animals.
·
God alone
passed between the animal parts and graciously fulfills all covenant
obligations because He knew no human being could keep their total responsibility
of the covenant. Genesis
·
The two
halves also symbolized that the two parties are one in covenant agreement –
they have a merged identity.
What it means for the
Christian:
·
Baptism
symbolizes the walk of death for the believer.
Romans 6:3-4 says:
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore
buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life.
6. Mark on the body.
·
The covenant
partners made an incision on their wrist, and the two would then put their
wrists together, mingling their blood in what is called "the striking of
hands."
What
it means for the Christian:
·
Circumcision
is a matter of the heart - it is internal, not external.
Romans 2:23-29 says:
23You
who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the
Gentiles because of you."[a]
25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you
break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements,
will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The
one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you
who, even though you have the[b] written code and circumcision, are a
lawbreaker.
28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is
circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is
a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by
the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but
from God.
7. Pronouncement of
blessings and curses. Deuteronomy 28:1-68
·
If you obey
the Word of God set before you then these blessings will happen to you…..
·
If you do not
obey the word of God set before you, then these curses will happen to you…..
What it means for the
Christian:
·
The curses
stopped at the cross and the blessings remain today.
·
In the New
Testament we do not find any pronouncements of curses because they have been
taken away when Jesus died on the cross.
Galatians 3:10-14 says:
10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse,
for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do
everything written in the Book of the Law."n 11
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous
will live by faith."n 12 The law is not based on
faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by
them."n 13 Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written:
"Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."n
14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might
come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive
the promise of the Spirit.
8. Covenant meal.
·
After the
covenant was made, both partners would share a meal together as a celebration
of the bond between them.
What it means to the
Christian:
·
Taking
communion is symbolic of Christ living in the believer’s life and they are now
living in God’s New Covenant.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 says:
23For
I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the
night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for
you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper
he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this,
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat
this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
9.
Exchange of names.
What it means to
the Christian:
·
We take upon
ourselves His name, Christ – “Christian”.
·
Christian
means “little Christ”.
·
Likewise
Jesus took on my name - He chose to call himself repeatedly "The son of man”
and God called me "son of God".
Matthew 24:27-30 says:
27For
as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be
the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a
carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'[a]
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in
the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
10. Exchange of the
oldest male child.
·
Tradition
stated that in order to "seal" the agreement, to prove the covenant
was for real, the partners would exchange oldest sons.
·
The sons
would actually move into the home of the partner to be raised. It was a painful
event, but one that would prove the covenant was for real.
What it means for
the Christian:
·
God gave His
one and only son for me and now Jesus lives in my heart/soul through the Holy
Spirit.
Luke
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the
kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The
·
God, then adopted
me so I can live with him in his house as a son.
Ephesians 1:3-14 says:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing
in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 hen
predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance
with his pleasure and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and
understanding. 9 And hen made known to us the mystery of
his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10
to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to
bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
EPH 1:11
In him we were also chosen,n having been predestined according to
the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his
will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included
in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who
are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:3-14
CELEBRATING THE NEW (EASTER)
COVENANT:
1. EASTER MEANS THAT I
CAN BE GRATEFUL THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS SO THAT I CAN BE ACCEPTED BY GOD
DESPITE WHERE I HAVE BEEN AND WHAT I HAVE DONE. Romans 5:12-17
2. EASTER MEANS I CAN BE
GRATEFUL THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE TO PROVE THE VALIDITY OF THE NEW
COVENANT PROMISES SO THAT I CAN BE HOPEFUL ABOUT MY FUTURE IN CHRIST. Romans
6:1-10
3. EASTER MEANS THAT I
CAN BE GRATEFUL THAT GOD SENT ME THE HOLY SPIRIT SO THAT I CAN LIVE LIFE TO THE
FULLEST IN THE PRESENT NOW TODAY – FREE FROM THE SINS OF THE PAST AND FREE FROM
FUTURE FEARS. Romans 7:7 – 8:2
A. In
Christ, I am free from the sins of the past.
Micah 7:18-19 says:
Who
is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the
transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the
depths of the sea.
·
“Easter”
means my sinful past no longer has to control me – I am free in Christ.
1 John 1:8-9 says:
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
B. In Christ I am free
from fear of the future.
Philippians 4:4-9 says:
4Rejoice
in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let
your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And
the God of peace will be with you.
John
10The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have
life, and have it to the full.
·
“Easter”
means the anxious future no longer has to control me - I am free in Christ!
Matthew 6 25-33 says:
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies
of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I
tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not
worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we
wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of
its own.
·
“Easter”
means my old sinful nature no longer controls me – I now have the mind of
Christ. 2 Corinthians
·
“Easter”
means irrational fear no longer has to control me – I am free in Christ.
2 Timothy 1:7 says:
7For
God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of
self-discipline.
4. EASTER MEANS THAT I
CAN BE GRATEFUL THAT THE NEW COVENANT CONTROLS MY LIFE – I AM WHOLE AND COMPLETE
IN CHRIST TODAY BECAUSE JESUS LIVES IN ME AND I LIVE IN GOD’S KINGDOM FOREVER!
TRUTH BE TOLD:
A. I DESERVED THE CURSE FOR BREAKING GOD’S LAW
WHICH IS DEATH.
B. JESUS DESERVED THE COVENANT BLESSINGS FOR
KEEPING THE LAW WHICH IS CONSTANT FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.
C.
JESUS TOOK ON MY CURSE FOR BREAKING THE LAW SO I CAN HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
AND RECEIVE THE COVENANT BLESSINGS TODAY AND EVERYDAY FOREVER!
·
THAT IS THE
PROMISE OF THE NEW COVENANT - GOD LIVES IN ME AND I LIVE RESURRECTED IN HIM AS A
BORN AGAIN BELIEVER!
“Today is the day of
salvation”. 2 Corinthians 6:1
·
BECAUSE GOD
LIVES IN ME TODAY BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, I AM FREE TO LIVE LIFE IN
THE PRESENT NOW, NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE HURT OF THE PAST NOR THE FEAR OF
THE FUTURE.
·
WHEN A PERSON
SURRENDERS CONTROL OF THEIR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST AND ENTERS INTO THE NEW
COVENANT THEY ARE PROMISED COVENANT BLESSINGS SUCH AS PEACE OF MIND AND REST
FOR THE SOUL FOREVER!
Matthew 11:28-29 says:
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is
light."