A New Covenant

For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.                                                              Hebrews 9:15

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, we also are recognizing that his birth brought about a new covenant. The Old Testament was based upon a covenant of law. The laws of Moses set forth the ways in which people could relate to and understand God. Law was an important concept because it made people aware of the awe and wonder of an omnipotent God. It spelled out the need to honor and worship God and ways to behave that would mark “his people”. It was also practical in the sense of the hygienic laws which were protective in an age before the understanding of microbes and bacterial infections.

The Old Testament explained a legal relationship with God. The New Testament explained a different way to exist in the world as a people of God. Whereas Jews believed that adherence to the law made them the promised people, followers of Jesus were identified as his people by how well they loved others. Let us be clear that our Jewish brothers and sisters share an important spiritual heritage with Christians. No one is excluded from the love that God has shown through his son.

The Jewish followers were understandably culture shocked by Jesus. The new relationship of simply loving one another was such a shock that even today, many miss the point. The celebration of Christmas is an attempt to show love for others by our gift giving, our celebrations, our “Joy to the World”.

So, at Christmas we recallthe message of Jesus by how we treat one another. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a Christmas mindset all year?

Prayer: Lord, help us to share that “Joy to the World” year-round, Amen