Hebrews 13:20-21
"20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Hebrews 12:1
"Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us."
Hebrews 12:2
"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…."
Hebrews 13:20-21
"20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Sheperd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
We are to live in the new covenant
Covenant: an agreement between God and people, where God makes promises and people respond in faith or obedience
"A covenant is a sovereign announcement of God which He establishes a relationship of responsibility between Himself and mankind. Covenants are unconditional in the sense that God obligates Himself in grace, by His declaration 'I will'" — NKJV Study Bible
Exodus 19:5-6
"5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Old covenant I will be your God, and you will be my people. The law is how the people would live in this covenant
Exodus 19:4
"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself."
"The Lord reminded the people that up to then they had been the objects of His free grace. The law is not here proposed as a means of salvation but as a means by which Israel, already redeemed as a nation [from Egypt] might through obedience fulfill her proper destiny as a people of God's possession, a holy nation, and a kingdom of priests." — NKJV Study Bible
Old covenant: God, through grace, bringing a people to himself and the people responding to this means of salvation through obedience to the law
Romans 3:10
"None is righteous, no, not one"
Matthew 5:17
"I did not come to abolish (do away with) the law but to fulfill it."
"Only a sinless savior could die for sinners. Only God could bear the weight of God's wrath." — R.C. Sproul
New covenant: God, through grace, bringing a people to himself and a people responding to this means of salvation through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9
"8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God. 9 Not by works, so that no one can boast."
Exodus 19:6
"be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
1 Peter 2:9-10
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
KINGS and PRIESTS
Kings deal with the horizontal areas of life — how we relate to each other.
Kings have dominion/ authority
Kings govern/ rule
Kings have responsibilities for kingdoms welfare
Kings serve rather than exploit
Priests deal with the vertical areas of life — how we relate to God
Priests live a holy (set apart) life
Priests know the word of God
Priests intercede and act as mediators
"The chief privilege of a priest is access to God" — NKJV Study Bible
So, if we are called to live in this covenant by being kings and priests, then as kings and priests we have a picture of the cross
Hebrews 13:20-21
"May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead…through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete…to do His will…"
Matthew 27:37
"And they put upon His head the accusation written against Him: This is Jeus the King of the Jews"
Matthew 27:42
"If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him."
Luke 23:42
"Remember me when you come into your kingdom"
Matthew 27:34
"My God, My God why have you forsaken me?"
Luke 23:24
"Father forgive them, for they don't know what they do"
Revelation 5:10
"With his blood purchased us for God" and has "made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God."
LOOKING UNTO JESUS
"The Greek word for looking of this verse in Hebrews 12, is only used once in the New Testament. It means to stare." — Chuck Smith
Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Practically if we are to live into the new covenant, we need to ask 3 questions:
Am I a King like Jesus?
Am I a Priest like Jesus?
Am I looking onto Jesus?