What's So New About the New Covenant?
This past week in our Port City gathering we unpacked Jesus' institution of the Lord’s Supper (in Luke 22:14-23). It’s in this farewell discourse to his disciples that Jesus addresses the concept of the new covenant. In doing so, Jesus is pulling together hundreds of years of biblical history and helping his disciples to see how he himself is the fulfilment of God’s plan since before the creation of the world. The book of Hebrews actually refers to Jesus as the mediator of the new covenant (9:15).
The biblical theology around the new covenant is rich and robust. This week we’ll take some time to unpack what exactly the new covenant is and what makes it so “new”? Below are two helpful resources written by biblical scholars that unpack the nature, meaning, and implications of covenants in the Bible (as a whole) and the new covenant (in particular):
What’s New About the New Covenant by Oren Martin
“This question is very important, for it gets to the heart of God’s gracious plan to make a people for himself. This plan begins with Adam and ends with the people of the last Adam from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev 5:9). Perhaps a good way to begin, then, is to place it within the overarching storyline of Scripture.”
Covenant Theology by Ligon Duncan
For a deep dive into the biblical understanding of Covenant - Ligon Duncan unpacks the definition, meaning, and biblical progression of covenants. Even if you don’t fully agree with every facet of covenant theology this essay provides an in depth look at the nature and implications of covenants in the Bible.
