A Heavenly Jerusalem, A New Covenant
and a Better Word – Hebrews 12:18-24
Imagine a 16 year old was promised by their parents they would get a bike and they receive a moped. Does this mean the parents lied? No. The moped is sort of like a bike but it is betterthan a normal push bike – it supersedesanything a push bike can offer. In many ways that is how we should view the O.T. promises to God’s People.
Today many sincere Christians are so focussed on getting “literal promises” fulfilled for Israel. They argue that to deny their literal fulfilment is the equivalent of saying God is a liar and cannot be trusted because after all he did promise these things. However they fail to see how these promises have been fulfilled in a greater way. This is seen in the book of Hebrews were the readers are being tempted to go back to Judaism were they want to live in the earthly Jerusalem (land), under the stipulations of the Old Covenant and seek forgiveness through the sacrifices within. The writer to the Hebrews wants to let them know that what Christ has brought is better– a word that appears 11 times in the book. In this small section we have once again a passage loaded with O.T. language and what the writer says about us today is a far greater privilege – we have access to a “heavenly Jerusalem” (V22), living under a “New Covenant” (V24) all because Christ has shed his blood which speaks a “better word” (V24).
Heavenly Jerusalem: Already in 11:16 we read the purpose of the land was to direct the patriarchs attention to a “heavenly one”. Jerusalem was of course the capital – where all the action was to happen in the Promised Land but here the writer to the Hebrews says we have access to the heavenly Jerusalem. Revelation 21 tells us that this Heavenly Jerusalem is going to one day come to earth
when Christ comes back to establish his kingdom once and for all in a new heavens and new earth. We live in the “now” and “not yet” of this reality but can still approach the heavenly city when we commune with God in prayer and praise.
New Covenant: What the New Covenant has brought us is complete forgiveness and an inner transformation through the law written on our hearts. It has been enacted on “better promises” (8:6). This means we don’t have to perform atoning sacrifices day and daily or get a high priest to represent us once a year for in Christ he has purchased for us everything we need for salvation and sanctification. Our home is in a greater reality and our lives are lived within a greater covenant.
Better Word: When Cain killed Abel his blood cried out for Cain’s condemnation but when Christ’s blood was shed his blood cried out for our acquittal. He is the true and better Abel who was killed innocently by his “brothers” but his death has brought freedom. The result of Abel’s death was Cain wandering helplessly on the earth – the result of Christ’s death is access to the Heavenly Jerusalem!
Do you believe Christ is better? Do you see that all the promises are yes and amen in him? Then worship him in awe and wonder for who he is and what he has done (12:28-29)
Pastor Johnny