Jesus Establishes a Better Covenant

Hebrews 8:1 – 9:10

Old Covenant was an “Outside/in” operation
Jesus’ covenant is an “Inside/out” proposition

The Mosaic Covenant was about “Doing”
‘You Shall not’ and “You shall’
It was concerned with external righteousness.

Matthew 5:27
You have heard it said, “You shall not commit adultery”,

Jesus’ better covenant is about ‘being’ the right person.

You can do the right thing without being the right person; Jesus tells us ‘Be right from the inside out’.

Matthew 5:28
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.


The Melchizedek type of priesthood was needed to be able to make a better covenant through a better sacrifice.

Hebrews 8:1-2
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.

Another way of viewing it over the Inside/out perspective is to view it as a temporary/eternal comparison. The Aaronic priesthood was temporary and the priesthood of Jesus is eternal.

“They (Aaronic priest) serve a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5

“But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better-” Hebrews 8:6


The promise of a better covenant: Hebrews 8:8-13
“Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant --- not like the covenant that I made with their fathers---
after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God--- they shall all know me,--- for I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

The law being in our hearts and mind was not a new concept; that was the intention of the Mosaic covenant.

Deuteronomy 6:4-6
“Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”

Contrast, “these words shall be on your heart” from Deuteronomy 6 with the words here in Hebrews 8:10 where it says, “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts.”

John 14:15-17
If you love Me, you will keep my commandments, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with You forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows Him. You know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you.

John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Acts 2:1&4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place--- And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Questions To Consider To Apply This Teaching To Your Life....

What did God say to you during this teaching?
What will you DO because of what the He said?