I’m not Jewish, so how does the New Covenant apply to me? The Old Covenant was given to the nation of Israel (the Jews) and they hardened themselves within iT, so when Jesus (a Jew) came and brought the New Covenant, what happened to the Old one?
And for that matter, what does it matter to me…since I’m not Jewish?
In short: everything.
According to Hebrews 8:5, the Old Covenant Law was a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” The Law serves as a tutor to defining sin. Matt Chandler described it as being like an MRI machine: it can diagnose the problem but it can do nothing about curing the problem. The Law was insufficient for salvation.
Hebrews 8:6-7 says that Jesus “is also the mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.”
That “better covenant” is the New Covenant. And that is found in the bloody cross of Christ.
I still haven’t answered the question, though, of why that matters to me…since I’m not Jewish.
Check out Romans 1:16:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
“First to the Jew” means the Old Covenant. They had a copy and shadow of things to come. They had the Law and the Prophets. THIS ALL POINTED TO JESUS, who ushered in the new covenant (the better covenant) in His blood on the cross. The Greek/Gentile didn’t have the Old Covenant but were readily part of the New Covenant because of and in Christ.
Check out Romans 11:7-13:
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”9 And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring! 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry
By Israel’s transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles (Hebrews 8:9). Their failure is riches for the Gentiles, because they hardened themselves in the Old Covenant, not realizing Jesus is who they were looking for. And where they failed, Jesus fulfilled (see Matthew 5:17).
Finally, check out Ephesians 2:13-22.
We non-Jews have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We both (Jews and Gentiles) have access to the Father through Jesus. We non-Jews are of God’s household now. And in Ephesians 3:4-6, understand that we non-Jews are fellow heirs and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ.
Jesus is the reason we can be saved.
Righteousness has never come from the Law. Righteousness has always been by faith (and preceded the Law). By faith in Christ we are saved, because Christ revealed the New Covenant in His blood and has included us in the promise.
