Jesus is Greater than Sacrifices and Covenants
In Week 4 of our series, Jesus Is Greater, today we’re going to explore why Jesus is greater than the first covenant and sacrifices. This is the culmination of our study through the Book of Hebrews, where we’ve been exploring the profound connections between the Old and New Testaments, especially focusing on how Jesus fulfills and surpasses everything that came before.
The Meaning of Covenant and Testament
Before we dive in, let’s first understand some key terms in today’s message. In your Bible, you will see two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. While we might not frequently use the word “covenant” in our everyday language unless we’re in a legal setting, biblically, a covenant is a sacred agreement between God and His people. It’s a commitment from God to His people, outlining how He will relate to them, and how they are to respond to Him.
A testament, like in a will, is a declaration of someone’s wishes or intentions. Just as we put our last will and testament in place, God has His will for humanity—first in the Old Testament (the Old Covenant) and then in the New Testament (the New Covenant). Today, we’ll focus on using the word covenant as we explore how God’s promises and expectations have evolved from the Old to the New Covenant.
The First Covenant: A Temporary Agreement
The first covenant came into being after God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. They had been enslaved for hundreds of years, but as they left Egypt and wandered through the wilderness, God began to form them into a nation that would worship Him alone. One of the key moments in the establishment of this covenant occurred when God called Moses to Mount Sinai, where He gave Moses the stone tablets—what we now know as the Ten Commandments. These commandments outlined how Israel would relate to God and to one another.
In addition to the Ten Commandments, God gave Moses detailed instructions about the Tabernacle—an elaborate, portable structure that symbolized God’s presence with His people. Inside the Tabernacle, there was a section called the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant rested. The Ark contained three significant items: a golden urn filled with manna (the bread from Heaven), Aaron’s staff that budded as a sign of God’s choice of the Levites as His priests, and the stone tablets of the law. This was the heart of the first covenant—an external system that symbolized God’s presence, His laws, and the way Israel was to live.
But here’s the thing about the first covenant: it was always temporary. It was like the opening act before the headliner took the stage. It pointed to something greater that was coming. As the author of Hebrews puts it, the first covenant was not perfect—it couldn’t fully cleanse people from their sins. And that’s where Jesus comes in.
Jesus and the New Covenant: A Better Promise
The New Covenant was always the plan. The Old Covenant, with its sacrificial system, was meant to point to the reality of what would come with Jesus. Jeremiah prophesied a day when God would establish a new covenant—one that would be written on the hearts and minds of His people, not on stone tablets. Jesus, the perfect high priest, came to mediate this new covenant, which is based on better promises.
In Hebrews 8, we read that Jesus’ covenant is greater because it’s based on grace, not the law. The Old Covenant was limited to the Israelites, but the New Covenant extends to all people, regardless of nationality. In the Old Covenant, God’s presence dwelt in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple, but in the New Covenant, God’s Spirit dwells within His people.
The Old Covenant involved continual animal sacrifices to atone for sin. But in the New Covenant, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice—once and for all. His death and resurrection fulfilled the requirements of the law and brought about a final and complete forgiveness of sins. No longer do we need to sacrifice animals, because Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, was slain for us.
The Role of Sacrifice: From Animals to Jesus
In the Old Covenant, sacrifices were made continually. The system began with the very first sin, where God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins after they sinned in the garden. Throughout Israel’s history, animals were sacrificed for sin, but these sacrifices were never enough to fully cleanse humanity. They pointed to the greater sacrifice that was to come.
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, where the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice for the sins of the entire nation. This sacrificial system was brutal, with animals being slaughtered to symbolically cover the sins of the people. But these sacrifices could not ultimately remove sin—they only covered it temporarily.
Jesus, however, became the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 10 tells us that the sacrifices under the law were just a shadow of what was to come. If the blood of animals could truly cleanse, then sacrifices would not need to be repeated year after year. But they did need to be repeated because they were insufficient. Jesus, however, offered Himself as the final sacrifice. His death was the once-for-all sacrifice that accomplished what no animal sacrifice could ever do—remove sin completely.
The Significance of Jesus’ Sacrifice
When Jesus died on the cross, He took on the sins of the world. His blood was shed to pay for our sins. The sin of humanity was transferred to Jesus, just as the sins of the people were symbolically transferred to the animal in the Old Testament. Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, took our place.
This is why Jesus’ death is so significant. It ended the need for continual sacrifices. Through His death, we can have eternal forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. There is no more need for animals to be sacrificed, no more need for rituals. Jesus did it all. It is finished.
A Call to Commitment
With the joy and confidence that come from knowing our salvation is secured through Jesus, there comes a warning. The author of Hebrews warns against deliberately continuing in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth. This is a serious reminder that salvation is not something to be taken lightly. The gift of forgiveness is available to all who repent and believe in Jesus, but for those who reject Him and trample on His sacrifice, there is no other sacrifice left to cover their sins.
This message is for those who are still on the fence, those who may outwardly appear to follow Jesus but have never truly committed to Him in their hearts. Jesus calls us to be all-in. If you’re struggling with sin, that’s a sign of the Holy Spirit working within you, convicting you to repent and restore your relationship with God. But if you’ve been living as if salvation is optional, today is the day to make that commitment. Jesus offers forgiveness, but we must choose to follow Him wholeheartedly.
Conclusion
The first covenant was a shadow of what was to come, pointing to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through His death, the New Covenant was ushered in, offering forgiveness, grace, and mercy to all who believe. We no longer need to sacrifice animals, because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. His death and resurrection sealed our salvation once and for all.
Are you all-in with Jesus today? Don’t let the message of the cross be something you ignore. Jesus calls us to follow Him with our whole hearts, knowing that His sacrifice has paid the price for our sins. There’s no greater gift than that, and no greater covenant than the one we have through Him.
Written by Pastor Eric Bloom