“Word for Today” – Christmas Day – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1). And so begins one of Christianity’s most beloved stories. In fact, this story is so beloved and widely known, you could probably tell me the rest of Luke’s story without me quoting another verse. The journey to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph. The lack of room in the inn. The manger and swaddling clothes. The nearby shepherds and the glorious angels. It all seems so quaint – so heartwarming. But for Mary and Joseph, this first Christmas was anything but the sort.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” The Greek word for “decree” is dogma. Just the mention of that word is enough to make many recoil in disdain. After all, dogma is bad, right? It’s restrictive, legalistic, and emotionless. If we’re talking about Caesar’s dogma, the answer is, “Yes.” After all, it was Caesar’s dogma that sent the whole world scrambling to return to their birth towns to participate in a census, including Mary, who was pregnant at this time:
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (Luke 2:3-5)
Such a journey in Mary’s delicate state would have been anything but pleasant or desirable. But Mary and Joseph had to make it. After all, Caesar had laid down his dogma.
But the story of Christmas is the story of two dogmas. There is the dogma of Caesar, which is heavy handed and harrying. But then there is another dogma, announced by an angel to some nearby shepherds: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Caesar issues a dogma concerning a census. An angel announces a dogma concerning a Savior. And this dogma is not restrictive, legalistic, or emotionless. Instead, it is a good dogma. It is the dogma that we can be saved from our sin by our Savior.
Eventually and inevitably, the dogma of Caesar collides with the dogma of Jesus. And the true sinister nature of Caesar’s dogma is revealed as a campaign of persecution is launched against the Christians, who are accused of “defying Caesar’s dogmas, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus” (Acts 17:7). Apparently, Jesus’ dogma of salvation threatened Caesar’s dogma of obedience to the emperor. And a clash of dogmas ensues.
But on this first Christmas in Luke 2, we learn that a new dogma giver has come to town. And his name is not Caesar. His name is Jesus. And Jesus’ dogma is better than Caesar’s could ever hope to be. For Jesus’ dogma is one of forgiveness, life, and salvation. And the best part is, while Caesar’s dogma has long since vanished, Jesus’ dogma remains. He is still our Savior. Praise be to God!
“Word for Today” – Titus 3 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
The following is from Reuters, reporting on holiday retail sales over Black Friday weekend:
Cash was king for consumers who shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend…and that factor could have cost retailers additional sales. Only 26 percent of people who shopped over the weekend said they used credit cards for their purchases…A total of 39 percent said they used cash, while the remaining shoppers used debit cards, the survey showed. Consumers shunning credit cards is a bad sign for retailers, since people who buy gifts with a credit card tend to spend anywhere from 20 to 40 percent more on the gift.
What is bad news for retailers according to Reuters– consumers buying more with cash and less on credit – is good news, I would say, for consumers. After all, by spending only the money they actually have in the bank, consumers save themselves monstrous interest charges and mountains of debt which can land some in the poor house.
Although I am quite happy to see more consumers spending responsibly, I am also thankful that the message of Christmas is about a man who gladly and knowingly spent everything he had with reckless abandon and landed himself in the poor house for our sakes. Our reading for Christmas Eve from Titus 3 explains thusly:
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. (verses 4-6)
When Jesus appeared in history as a baby in a manger, he poured out his Spirit through Christ not minimally, but generously. The Greek word for “generously” is plousios, meaning “richly.” In other words, God “broke the bank,” as it were, when he gave us Jesus.
And indeed he did. God have everything he had – even the life of his one and only Son – so that our salvation could be purchased and secured. God sent Jesus to the poor house so that we could be rich in eternal treasures. As the apostle Paul elsewhere says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “What Child Is This?” I especially appreciate the second verse:
Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.
Nail, spear shall pierce him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary!
These lyrics capture well the poor house, or “mean estate,” in which Jesus lie. And the “ox and ass” were only the beginning of Jesus’ poverty. As the carol so appropriately reminds us, Jesus would lose everything, even his life, when nails and a spear pierced him through.
This Christmas Eve, I hope that you are financially stable. If you are not, I pray God’s guidance and help for you, that you would enter into a better fiscal season. But whether you are financially secure or shaky, tonight, give thanks for the One who spent everything he had for our salvation. He came to the poor house so that we, whether we are rich or poor in money, would always be rich in salvation. Praise be to God.
“Word for Today” – Titus 2 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“I, Zach McIntosh, a resident of San Antonio, Texas, being of sound mind and body and over the age of eighteen years, and not being actuated by any duress, menace, fraud, mistake, or undue influence, do hereby make, publish and declare the following to be my Last Will and Testament, revoking all previous will and codicils made by me.”
Such begins a standard Last Will and Testament. Perhaps the most famous line in the above paragraph is, “being of sound mind and body.” This phrase is foundational and fundamental to any Will, because it indicates that person signing it is familiar with their property and family and that they are physically well enough to sign a Will and are not doing so under any sort of coercion or duress. In order to sign a will, a person must be sound – both mentally and physically.
In our reading for today from Titus 2, we find that the same thing needed for a will – soundness – is also needed in a Christian’s life: “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (verses 1-2). The Greek word for “sound” in these verses is hugiano, meaning “healthy.” Thus, a Christian is called to healthy doctrine and healthy living in faith, love, and endurance. This is a high calling.
Far too often, Christians sacrifice so-called healthy living for so-called healthy doctrine and so-called healthy doctrine for so-called healthy living. I have seen many who have prided themselves on living well while simultaneously refusing to take principled stands on important doctrinal issues. Conversely, I have also met many who, while priding themselves in their doctrinal purity, do so arrogantly, without the humble spirit that should mark a follower of Christ.
Trying to have sound doctrine without sound living and trying to have sound living without sound doctrine is impossible. Both sound doctrine and sound living are needed. Indeed, this is precisely what Paul says later this same chapter:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (verses 11-14)
Here we find both sound doctrine and sound living. The gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ – the very crux of Christian doctrine – is taught clearly and unequivocally while a call to righteous living is upheld.
Do you hail sound doctrine over sound living or sound living over sound doctrine? Today, take an inventory of your beliefs and your life. Is there any area in your doctrinal beliefs that you need to clarify or on which you need to take a solid stance that you have not heretofore? Is there any area of your life where you are not soundly living within God’s commands? God calls us all to a sound mind, believing sound doctrine, and a sound body, practicing sound living. May you live and believe soundly. For this is living and believing soundly in Christ.
“Word for Today” – Titus 1 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
There are two kinds of families in this world: Dog families and cat families. Growing up, I was a member of a cat family. We always had at least two cats frolicking around the house, shedding fur and using our sofa as a scratching post. I love cats. They’re low maintenance and, at least when they’re in the mood, they can be quite affectionate.
I can remember one afternoon, I decided that I wanted to take our cat, named Neffy, for a walk. Interestingly enough, even though we never had any dogs, we did have a dog leash. So I called my brother and sister and announced, “Let’s take Neffy for a walk!” And so, we placed the leash on her collar. Dogs, of course, gladly welcome the opportunity to be walked. They happily pant with anticipation and even jump up at their owner as a sign of eagerness. Our cat, however, dug her claws into ground and began rumbling with a low, disgruntled growl punctuated by an occasional hiss. And it was then that I learned the perils of walking a cat. For cats do not like to be led.
In our reading for today from Titus 1, the apostle Paul gives a pastor named Titus an assignment at the churches at Crete that is about as easy as walking a cat: “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you” (verse 5). Apparently, things on the Mediterranean island are not going well. This is why Paul continues, “For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers…They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach – and that for the sake of dishonest gain” (verses 10-11). The Greek word for “rebellious” is anupataktos, a word meaning “submit” with an alpha privative. Thus, these are people who refuse to submit to Christian teaching and godly guidance. Like cats, they do not like to submit to leadership.
What is the solution to these cats of Crete, who refuse to be led? Paul answers, “Rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith” (verse 13). Even though it may be difficult and harrowing, Paul encourages Titus not to give up on these wayward ones. For he wants them to be led to soundness in faith.
Walking a cat is not easy. Neither is leading one who has wandered from the faith. But as hard as it might be, such leadership is certainly worthwhile. For God’s desire is that more and more people “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught” (verse 9).
As Christmas approaches, is there anyone whom you can lead with God’s Word and gospel? Perhaps you can invite them to Christmas worship. Perhaps you can share with them the gospel. Even if they seem hostile to Christianity, take a chance on introducing them to the Christ child in the manger. For his birth, life, death, and resurrection is the very thing on which all of history – and even all of eternity – hangs. So take a Cretan cat for a walk. Yes, they may growl. But, then again, they may believe.
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 13 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
It was my parents who first taught me about Jesus. I can still remember them reading stories to me from my children’s Bible about folks like Abraham and King David and the twelve disciples and Paul and, of course, Jesus. These stories warmed my heart. But more importantly, God’s Word saved my soul.
As I grew older, and my faith grew deeper, I continued to learn about Jesus. In high school, an unbelieving friend tested my faith. So I studied and consulted one of my teachers until I found transcendent answers to her objections. In college, I had a professor who taught me New Testament Greek. His love for God’s Word gave me a deeper appreciation for Scripture than I could have ever imagined. In seminary, a pastor took it upon himself to mentor through a very difficult season in my life. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be a pastor today. Over and over again, from my parents to my teachers to my professors to my pastors, I have been taught God’s Word and have had my faith stretched and deepened. It is because of these people that I am who I am today.
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (verse 7). Such is the exhortation of the preacher of Hebrews in our reading for today from Hebrews 13. And this is an exhortation we would do well to take to heart. For we all have leaders in the faith – those who have gone ahead of us and have gladly, willingly, and freely shared their wisdom, knowledge, and insight with us to help us grow in our faith. It is these people we are to remember.
Sadly, we all too often fail to honor these people. Past mentors all too easily become forgotten relics of a bygone era. The less we see them, talk to them, and ask for their counsel, the less often they come to mind and the less often we thank God for their influence on our lives. And yet, their teaching is just as valuable today as when they first shared it with us. For the author of Hebrews continues by reminding us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (verse 8). In other words, the doctrines of Christ do not change because Jesus does not change. Thus, true doctrine that we are taught at the age of two is just as true when we recall it at the age of eighty. The people who taught it to us, therefore, are to be remembered and celebrated.
Who has led and mentored you in your faith that you can remember? Was it a pastor? A parent? A professor? A friend? Today, write that person a card or send them an email or give them a call or take them to lunch and thank them for the formative influence they have had on your life. “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God of to you.” And then, lead someone else. Mentor someone else. For even as you were led, others need your leading. For leading someone in the faith by God’s Word can change a life – and even change an eternity.
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 12 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
A couple of weekends ago, I was taking care of some things around the house while my wife, Melody, was relaxing on the couch and watching TV. She was enjoying a movie I had not seen in decades – the movie “Annie.” You know Annie – that indomitable red head with an irrepressible spirit. And then, of course, there is her unforgettable song: “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun. Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, till there’s none. When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely, I just stick up my chin and grin and say: The sun will come out tomorrow!”
If only we all had Annie’s perpetually cheery disposition. But real life doesn’t always allow for Annie-esque optimism. For life doles out plenty of days which are “gray and lonely.” The clouds of trials and troubles often overshadow the sun of joy and jocularity.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I had to endure many a cloudy day. Under what seemed to be perpetually gray skies, a burst of sun was always a welcome and even exciting sight. For me, a sunny day is better than a cloudy one. That is part of why I find the opening of Hebrews 12 so fascinating: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (verse 1). The preacher of Hebrews says that our life of faith is marked not by sun, but by clouds. It is marked by a cloud of witnesses. Who are these witnesses? These are those who have gone before us in the faith and sometimes have suffered and died for the faith. Indeed, the Greek word for “witnesses” is martys, from whence we get our English word “martyr.” We meet some of these witnesses in the previous chapter of Hebrews: Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the like. In fact, Hebrews 11 and 12 seem to echo Jesus’ transfiguration, when the witnesses of Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus before Peter, James, and John, and a “cloud appears and envelopes them” (Luke 9:34). The image of preference for the Scriptural writers to describe those who surround our lives of faith seems to be that of a cloud.
But why? Isn’t the image of a cloud dark, dank, and depressing? Well, certainly a Christian’s life is not always easy. It is often marked by suffering from sin and persecution from the devil. But the image of gray skies carries with it not only difficulties, it also carries hope. For we are promised: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen” (Revelation 1:7). And I always thought the day of Jesus’ return would be sunny. I guess it will be marked by clouds.
Annie may have hoped for the sun to come out tomorrow. But today, I’m hoping for clouds. For on the clouds my Savior will come. And that promise is enough to make even the cloudy day of his return seem awfully sunny.
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 11 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
The year was 431. The Christian Church had called an ecumenical council at Ephesus to address the teaching of its Archbishop of Constantinople, Nestorius. Nestorius taught that although Mary was the mother of Christ the man, she was not the mother of Christ, the Son of God. Rather, Mary gave birth to a mere mortal who was subsequently “occupied,” as it were, by God. Under the leadership of Cyril of Alexandria, pictured above, the council declared this teaching heretical and affirmed a doctrine known as the hypostatic union – that Christ is completely God and completely man. He is not merely occupied by the Divine, he is the Divine.
The word “hypostatic” is from the hypostasis, meaning “substance.” The hypostatic union, then, is a doctrine that declares that two natures – Christ’s divine nature and his human nature – are contained in his one person, or substance.
It is this Greek word which we encounter today in our reading from Hebrews 11: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (verse 1). The Greek word for “sure” is hypostasis. Thus, this verse might be translated, “Now faith is hope with substance.” Accordingly, faith is not just wishful thinking, it is substantive. It hopes in something, or more precisely, someone, who is tangible and true.
The church father Bernard of Clairvaux comments on this passage thusly: “The substance…of things hoped for [is] not a fantasy of empty conjectures…Under the name of substance something certain and fixed is put before you” (Some Letters of Saint Bernard, 272-273). What is this “certain and fixed” substance put before you? The One in whom the hypostatic union comes together, of course – Jesus Christ. This is why the preacher of Hebrews finishes his exposition on faith by exhorting us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is the one who gives substance to our faith. Therefore, he is to be fixed before our eyes at all times.
It is fashionable these days to extol a faith which, rather than having Jesus as its substance, finds its substance elsewhere. Pastor Josh recently shared with me an article from USA Today in which a researcher from the Pew Foundation hailed the syncretism of Americans as a sign of “spiritual and religious openness.” This article chronicled how more and more people are meshing nominal Christian beliefs with other false beliefs, such as a belief in reincarnation, or Kabbalah, or pantheism. These people take a smorgasbord approach to faith – you choose whatever doctrines from whatever religions you desire and then synthesize them into your own personal faith. This kind of faith does not find its substance in Jesus, but in the personal whims, preferences, and desires of its believer.
The orthodox Christian faith is most certainly different than this kind of cafeteria Christianity. For orthodox Christian faith finds its substance in Christ and Christ alone, as the apostle Paul passionately declares: “For I resolved to know nothing…except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). This is the faith for which those at the Council of Ephesus, and many since then, have so earnestly contended.
What is the substance of your faith? Is it your own personal whims, which can change and shift according to your mood and will? Or is it the rock solid, never-changing, ever-faithful Jesus Christ, who is both God and man? I hope it’s the latter. For faith in Christ – and faith alone in Christ – is the sole source of true hope for salvation.
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 10 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Thursday is laundry day at our house. When we get home, Melody and I throw a couple loads of laundry into the washer, into the dryer, and then dump the freshly washed clothes onto our bed to fold and put away. It’s usually a team effort. But every once in a while, if one of us has a commitment, the other is left doing laundry alone. Indeed, this happens to me from time to time. However, I never mind doing laundry myself. I wash, dry, fold, and put away the clothes. At least, I used to put away the clothes.
It’s happened again and again. I would fold the laundry, put away my clothes, and then put away Melody’s clothes – except I could never remember which articles of Melody’s clothing went where. I would inevitably put things in the dresser I should have hung in the closet and hang things in the closet I should have put in the dresser. Melody, upon noticing that her clothing was not where it should be, would chide me: “You’ve seen me put my clothes away a hundred times! You can remember all sorts of theological minutia, but you can’t remember where my clothes go?” And as much as I hate to admit it, she’s right. To this day, I cannot remember which articles of Melody’s clothing go where, although I can remember lots of other, more complex, information.
I suppose like many guys, I suffer from selective memory. There are certain things which seem to naturally lodge themselves in my brain while there are other things I cannot recall, no matter how hard I try.
In our reading for today from Hebrews 10, we are met with a case of selective memory. The preacher of Hebrews begins with that which is easily remembered:
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (verses 1-4)
The preacher says that the very Old Testament sacrifices which were meant to cleanse from sin, sadly, served only as a “reminder of sins” (verse 3). In other words, these sacrifices lodged in the brains of the ancient Israelites the sins they had committed against God. Indeed, the Greek word for “reminder” is anamnesis, meaning “remembrance.” To sacrifice is to remember the very things you would most like to forget.
Thankfully, in the New Testament, we receive another anamnesis:
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” “In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
The Greek word for “remembrance” in these verses is anamnesis. A new sacrifice has been given to help us remember. But it is not the sacrifice of “bulls and goats” (verse 4) which only serves to remind us of our sins. Instead, it is sacrifice of “the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (verse 10) which reminds us that we have a Savior. It is this sacrifice that we remember in Communion. And marvelously, through the reception of Christ’s body and blood, there is not only a remembering, but also a forgetting. As the preacher of Hebrews promises, “Their sins and lawless acts God will remember no more” (verse 17). God, it seems, has a selective memory. He remembers his love, his faithfulness, and his grace toward us, but forgets all our sins. And there is no greater and more blessed selective memory than that.
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 9 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
The story is told of a pastor who had a group of children gathered around him one Sunday morning for a special children’s message. He asked the kids, “Who wants to go to heaven?” Every child raised their hand eagerly. “And what do you have to do to get to heaven?” the pastor continued. The expected answer, of course, was, “You must believe in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose again for the forgiveness of sins.” But that is not the answer little Timmy had in mind. No, Timmy pursued a different route. What do you have to do to get to heaven? “You have to die!” Timmy proudly pronounced.
Death is never a desirable thing. And yet, there are some instances in which death is a necessary thing. If I want really good deer sausage, a deer must die. In order for us to enjoy beautiful foliage in the fall, leaves must enter into senescence, on their way to death as they eventually fall to the ground. And in my house, if I don’t want pesky ants raiding my kitchen, I must put out ant baits so that the ants will die. Death is not desirable. But it is sometimes necessary.
In our reading for today from Hebrews 9, we read of something else which necessitates death: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (verse 22). Death – the shedding of blood – is a prerequisite for sins to be forgiven. As the preacher of Hebrews explains:
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. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. (verses 15-17)
The Greek word for “covenant” in verse 15 and “will” in verses 16 and 17 is the same: diatheke. This word describes a last will and testament. In other words, it is a word connected to death. The covenant of forgiveness that God has made with us, therefore, can only be put into effect upon a death. In this case, it is the death of God’s Son that enacts God’s covenant. Death is necessary to our forgiveness. Yes, death is at the very heart of the gospel.
But it’s not just Jesus’ death that is at the heart of the gospel. No, our deaths are vital as well. As the apostle Paul says in Romans 6:8, “We died with Christ.” But this death, counter-intuitively enough, leads to life: “We died with Christ so that we will also live with him.” Death to sin, death, and the devil is a prerequisite for eternal life with Christ.
I suppose Timmy was right after all. You do have to die to go to heaven. But the good news is, when you die, you don’t stay dead. For you are raised to new life in Christ!
“Word for Today” – Hebrews 8 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I know I really should, but I don’t always update my computer and other electronic devices as regularly as possible. It seems that every time I log on, my laptop is asking me to download a software update or my iPhone is asking me if I want to update a whole host of apps. Speaking of my iPhone, I have a “restaurant app” which gives me nutritional information for a slue of popular restaurants to assist me in making healthy choices when I got out to eat. I had not used this app in quite a while, but the other day, I decided I wanted to look at some information on a burger. So I brought up the app. No sooner did the program appear than I was met with a message: “There is updated restaurant information available, would you like to download it now?” I hit “download.” Next came the message, “Downloading 1 of 2734 items.” “Hmm,” I thought to myself, “Maybe I don’t need to know the nutritional information on that burger after all.”
In our reading for today from Hebrews 8, the preacher of Hebrews speaks of an update. But this update is not for some computer program; rather it is an update for the covenant God has made with his people:
The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (verses 8-12)
God has declared, “It is time for an updated covenant. A better covenant. A covenant which cannot be broken by the sins of men, but instead is written on the hearts of men and is upheld by my forgiveness as I remember the sins of my people no more.” And this updated, better, new covenant, of course, is fulfilled by Christ. The preacher then concludes concerning this new covenant: “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ God has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (verse 13). The updated covenant has superseded the old.
A few key words need to be noted in order to understand the full punch of the preacher’s polemics. First, the Greek word for “obsolete” is palaio’o, which carries with it the sense of something that is worn out and used up. This is the word Jesus uses in Luke 12:33 when he says, “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out (Greek: palaio’o), a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” The old covenant, then, is worn out and broken down. It is time for a new model. But the preacher is not done yet. He also calls this covenant “aging.” The Greek word here is gerasko, from whence we get our English word “geriatric.” This old covenant is so old that it belongs in the geriatric ward! Finally, the preacher says this covenant will “soon disappear.” The Greek word for “disappear” is aphanismous, loosely related to our English word “phantom.” Upon the coming of Christ, the old covenant becomes nothing but a phantom.
All of this is to say that the old covenant has received a major update in Christ. Indeed, it has not just been updated, a whole new model has arrived! But in a world where updates race toward us so fast that we could probably spend days just updating our electronics, this may hardly strike us as good news. However, this update in Christ, blessedly, is the only update there is, for it is given by a “Son who has been made perfect forever” (Hebrews 7:28). No more updates are needed.
This time of year, we celebrate the advent of God’s updated covenant. For God’s updated covenant came not as a download off a website, but as a baby in a manger. And this updated covenant does not need our maintenance, for it is maintained by Christ’s faithfulness and not ours. Praise be to God for his updated – and forever perfect – covenant!
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