The New Covenant and the Church

Question

There is some confusion in my study group about the New Covenant. Can you explain what Jesus meant about his blood and the New Covenant and how that applies to Christians?

Answer

The question about the New Covenant (NC) is one I answer frequently, probably for the same reason that your group is asking. Two of the most common beliefs about the NC by Christians today are 1) that the NC is with or for the church and 2) that the NC is with or for Israel, but Christians participate in some of its spiritual (but not physical) blessings today. Both of these come from a misunderstanding of Jesus’ statement at the Last Supper: “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24); “This cup…is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25). I contend that both of these positions are wrong and that the NC is with and for Israel alone, to be enacted in the Millennium (Messiah’s coming kingdom).

Here are three keys to help us understand Jesus’ words and the NC.

1. The NC is introduced and explained in two OT passages: Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:22-32. In both cases, the ethnic nation of Israel is the recipient of this covenant, and it will take place when God brings them back into their land. The provisions are both physical and spiritual and will occur at the same time. Further, Jeremiah stated that the purpose of the NC is because Israel broke the Old Covenant (OC; Mosaic Covenant), which they will not be able to do with the NC.

• Observation #1: God will make the NC with “the house of Israel” and “the house of Judah.” These are terms for ethnic Israel. Thus, it does not apply to Christians today.

• Observation #2: The NC applies only to those previously under the OC who had broken the OC. Thus, it does not apply to Christians today.

• Observation #3: The NC will take effect during the Millennium, which is still in the future. Thus, it does not apply to Christians today.

2. The traditional Passover meal has four cups of wine that are drunk at specific times during the meal. Each represents one aspect of Israel’s deliverance. The fourth cup is taken after the meal and is called the cup of hope. It looks forward to when Israel will finally experience rest in the Messiah’s kingdom in a perfect relationship with God.

• Observation #1: Jesus made the statement connecting his blood to the NC with the cup “after supper.” This was the cup of hope. Thus, he symbolically linked the NC to the kingdom, not the church.

• Observation #2: Jesus clarified the symbol by saying he would not drink wine again until the kingdom arrived (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). Thus, he explicitly linked the NC to the kingdom, not the church.

• Observation #3: When Paul quoted Luke’s gospel in 1 Cor 11:25, he accurately quoted the part about the NC but did not apply it to the Corinthian believers. Instead, he placed the church’s focus on Jesus’ death and return, not the NC or the coming kingdom.

3. While a covenant was sometimes ratified (signed) with blood, the covenant did not necessarily take effect immediately, or at least the promises of the covenant were not always put into effect immediately. One striking example of this is the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15:9-21. God had Abraham kill animals as part of the covenant ceremony. However, only God passed through the animal blood, making him the sole party with obligations to uphold. None of the promises God made in that covenant took place immediately. The closest was Abraham’s death, 75+ years later. Another did not take place for more than 500 years. Another has yet to take place still today.

• Observation: A covenant can be ratified without any of the provisions taking effect immediately. Thus, the NC does not have to be in effect simply because Jesus has died.

Another essential truth is that Jesus’ blood accomplished more than one thing and affected more than one group. While we are right to believe that Jesus’ death on the cross is the only basis for our salvation, Paul wrote in Colossians 1:20 that Jesus’ blood somehow also reconciles all things to God, including people and things that are not saved. Not only is Jesus’ blood not limited to the church (Christians), but it is not even limited to salvation. Thus, Jesus’ blood can be for both the NC for Israel and salvation for all believers of all time (Romans 3:24-26) without the second group having any connection to the NC. The similarity of our salvation with a few aspects of the NC (forgiveness of sin, indwelling Holy Spirit) does not make them equal.

The fact that the writer of Hebrews discussed the NC in Hebrews 8:8-12 further strengthens this point. Notice three points:

1. The book was written to Jewish believers and is steeped in OT theology.
2. The writer quoted Jer 31:31-34 exactly with no modifications (including the address to the houses of Israel and Judah) or attempts to link it to the church or Gentile believers.
3. The writer confirms that the NC will directly replace the OC.

We conclude that while Jesus’ ratified the New Covenant with his blood, it will not take effect until the Millennium. At that time, God will enter the NC with ethnic Israel and fulfill both the physical and spiritual promises he made to them 2,600 years ago. This does not take away from the salvation Jesus gives to all believers, but it also does not make us party to, or recipients of, his covenant promises to Israel.