Jesus is Greater than Moses and the Old Covenant
Jesus is Greater than Moses and the Old Covenant
SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 8:12 CSB - For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.
OBSERVATION:
In Hebrews chapter 8, the author presents us with an important truth:
Jesus is greater than Moses and the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 8:6 CSB - But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.
Hebrews 8:12 CSB - For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.
OBSERVATION:
In Hebrews chapter 8, the author presents us with an important truth:
Jesus is greater than Moses and the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 8:6 CSB - But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.
No earthly priest could take away sin the way Jesus did. Jesus’ ministry is far better than the ministry of the priesthood under the Law of Moses.
Jesus is the Mediator—mesitēs in the Greek—“one who stands in the middle between two parties and brings them together” (Barclay). Where Moses stood between God and Israel under the Old Covenant, Jesus now stands between God and us through the New Covenant—a covenant of grace, not of works. It is based not on earning and deserving, but on believing and receiving. – David Guzik
Jesus is the Mediator—mesitēs in the Greek—“one who stands in the middle between two parties and brings them together” (Barclay). Where Moses stood between God and Israel under the Old Covenant, Jesus now stands between God and us through the New Covenant—a covenant of grace, not of works. It is based not on earning and deserving, but on believing and receiving. – David Guzik
Hebrews 8:7 CSB - For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one.
The fault of the Old Covenant wasn't in God or His law but in man’s inability to keep it. The New Covenant resolves that: God Himself does the work in us.
The fault of the Old Covenant wasn't in God or His law but in man’s inability to keep it. The New Covenant resolves that: God Himself does the work in us.
The best way to make a man keep a law is to make him love the law-giver. – Charles Spurgeon
And that’s exactly what the New Covenant does—it transforms us from the inside out.
APPLICATION:
How do we fulfill the requirements of the New Covenant? We don’t—Jesus does.
Hebrews 8:10–13 reminds us that the New Covenant is God’s work, not ours. It is not based on our performance but on God’s promises in Christ. The law is no longer imposed from the outside—it’s now written on our minds and hearts. God Himself says:
The Old Covenant required effort. The New Covenant requires faith—trusting that Jesus has accomplished what we never could.
Let the New Covenant transform your thinking today: Not by works… but by grace alone.
Not striving to earn, but living from what’s already been given.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for the grace and mercy that flow from the New Covenant. Thank You that Your promises are true, faithful, and unbroken. Thank You for calling me Your own and for doing what You said You would do. You have: put Your laws into my mind and written them on my heart; become my God—and I am Your child; forgiven my sins—and will never remember them again. Today, may I walk in that reality, not striving to be accepted—but living as one who already is. May my life reflect this covenant of grace, showing the world what it means to belong to You.
APPLICATION:
How do we fulfill the requirements of the New Covenant? We don’t—Jesus does.
Hebrews 8:10–13 reminds us that the New Covenant is God’s work, not ours. It is not based on our performance but on God’s promises in Christ. The law is no longer imposed from the outside—it’s now written on our minds and hearts. God Himself says:
- “I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts.”
- “I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
- “I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sins.”
The Old Covenant required effort. The New Covenant requires faith—trusting that Jesus has accomplished what we never could.
Let the New Covenant transform your thinking today: Not by works… but by grace alone.
Not striving to earn, but living from what’s already been given.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for the grace and mercy that flow from the New Covenant. Thank You that Your promises are true, faithful, and unbroken. Thank You for calling me Your own and for doing what You said You would do. You have: put Your laws into my mind and written them on my heart; become my God—and I am Your child; forgiven my sins—and will never remember them again. Today, may I walk in that reality, not striving to be accepted—but living as one who already is. May my life reflect this covenant of grace, showing the world what it means to belong to You.
The Old Covenant required perfect obedience you could never give — the New Covenant gives you complete forgiveness, forgets permanently, and transforms you from the inside out.
Posted in 19 - Hebrews
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