A new covenant

It is obvious that for there to be a new covenant there must have been an old one. The Scriptures make this very clear, and understanding the old covenant helps us appreciate the glory and beauty of the new one. Let us explain a little about that first covenant: The old covenant was centered on offering sacrifices for sins through certain animals—bulls, goats, lambs—whose blood was shed continually. These sacrifices, however, were never enough, because although they covered sin temporarily, they could not remove it permanently. Day after day, year after year, the people had to return to the tabernacle with offerings, reminding them that sin still existed and demanded payment.

Under that covenant there was also a separation between God and man. This separation began the moment humanity fell into sin. A veil stood in the tabernacle, symbolizing the distance between the holy God and sinful man. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and even then only once a year, with blood, trembling, and in fear. Ordinary people could not draw near freely. There was a wall of separation that made it impossible for man to enjoy direct communion with God.

But now, that covenant—weak because of human sin—was replaced by a new one, a better one, a perfect one, a covenant that allows us to approach God with confidence and joy. This new covenant does not depend on repeated sacrifices or human priests but on a perfect sacrifice and an eternal High Priest. This covenant makes us heirs of God Himself and gives us access to His presence.

The author of Hebrews explains it beautifully:

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Hebrews 9:15-16

Who is the mediator of this new covenant? None other than Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He tore down the wall that separated us from God. His death did what thousands of animal sacrifices never could: it removed sin once and for all. Jesus became the perfect Lamb, the spotless sacrifice, the eternal High Priest, and the mediator who reconciles God and man. Because of His blood, we no longer approach God from a distance—we draw near boldly.

This is why the apostle Paul can triumphantly declare:

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Death once ruled over humanity, and the law exposed man’s guilt, showing that no one could escape condemnation. But Jesus, through His death and resurrection, disarmed both sin and death. By establishing a new covenant, He removed the sting of death, broke the chains of sin, and opened the door to eternal life. Now, because of Him, we can stand before God clean, justified, and beloved.

Christ’s death did not simply improve the old system—it fulfilled it, surpassed it, and replaced it with a covenant grounded in grace, mercy, and perfect righteousness. The old covenant pointed forward to Christ; the new covenant is fulfilled in Him. Through it, we receive forgiveness, redemption, and a relationship with God that cannot be broken.

Brethren, we now share in the greatest privilege on earth: We are heirs of an eternal inheritance—pure, incorruptible, untouchable. Nothing and no one can steal this inheritance from us, because it has been sealed with the blood of Christ and guaranteed by His resurrection.

Let us give glory to God for such a marvelous salvation. Let us rejoice that we no longer live under the shadow of the old covenant, but under the freedom and grace of the new. Christ has done it all. We are His, and we are heirs forever.