Lent 5, 2015
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“A New Covenant”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” (Exodus 19:3-8)
These words, recorded in Exodus 19, tell us of the covenant between Israel and God. God had saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and was promising to make them a great and special nation…God’s own nation as long as they obeyed Him. And how did the people reply?.. “We will do everything the Lord has said.” The covenant was made. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the people by God. Both God and the Israelites mutually promised to keep the covenant. The covenant was solemnized by the blood of an unblemished lamb. The people of Israel were bound to their promise.
“The time is 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 forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:31-32)
As we know something terribly wrong took place. The covenant had been broken. For 860 years God had been faithful to His people. God had given his people food to eat, a new land to call home, a powerful kingdom, kings as they had desired, faithful prophets, military victory after military victory. He forgave the people when they had fallen away and blessed them for their faith. As God remained faithful all those years…the nation of Israel had not. As we heard last week the people complained over and over again about the food they were given (Manna and Quail in the desert), as soon as Moses went up the mountain to get the 10 Commandments which followed their oath to obey all God commanded, the people made a golden calf to worship. Their kings went from bad to worse to horrible. The people rejected God and turned to idols. The Kings led the people to believing they could make it on their own. They trusted in man rather than God. Finally enough was enough. Israel had broken their promise thus breaking the covenant and they would be destroyed and exiled to Babylon.
One of the most amazing phenomena of our day is a revived faith in humanity. Our generation trusts in man rather than God. “In an atmosphere of brooding fatalism, his heart flushed empty of confidence, man reminds himself that there are tremendous, unused virtues slumbering within the human race which may yet prove man’s salvation.” (Joel H. Nederhood) Some people maintain this optimism today in the face of all the facts and lessons of Genghis Khan, who slaughtered thousands in his sweeps across Asia; in spite of a Tamerlane, who piled 90,000 heads outside a city gate in 1215; in spite of Hitler, Mussolini, Eichmann, Bin Laden, ISIS, Boko Haram and the countless heinous atrocities in recent weeks, there are still those who cheerfully say: “I still believe in man!” “I still believe that we can do anything.” They put their trust in self and mankind rather than God.
As Christians we are God’s chosen people…a royal nation! But by Old Testament standards we would stand with the nation of Israel in breaking the covenant with God. While God has given us blessing after blessing we fail as His people too. Like the nation of Israel we fail at proclaiming Jesus to all those around us. We complain at what God gives us, we put our trust in ourselves, we make possessions and creation itself our god. When we look at the 10 commandments we must admit that we have broken them all…each and every one of them. Because of man’s sinfulness the old covenant was broken…but God didn’t leave us in a state of desperation, loneliness, and fear. God made a new covenant.
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
The new covenant God has made with us brings comfort and joy to our sinful hearts. This new covenant has been solemnized in the blood of a lamb; the Lamb! Christ Jesus our Lord. While we are very often unfaithful Jesus was faithful unto death on the cross for us. The new covenant will never be broken! The new covenant is a fountain of forgiveness that never ceases to flow. God continues to forgive us over and over again and remembers our sins no more. We are made perfect through the blood of Christ. Through Christ we are never in doubt because we have been joined by baptism in to His death and Resurrection. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we are kept in God’s ways. Thus faith and salvation are truly a gift from God.
The new covenant will never be broken because Jesus was perfectly faithful for us. Through Jesus you are forgiven. You have received this forgiveness in your baptism. You have received this forgiveness this very morning. You will receive forgiveness and strength in Jesus body and blood. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Take and eat at the Lord's Table. Receive on your lips Jesus very body and blood that was given and shed for you. Here is your life. Here is your salvation. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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