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Have you ever been reading something or attended a meeting where someone was speaking and asked yourself, what’s the main point of all this?

Yes, today I want you to see the authors’ focus on the big idea here in Hebrews.

Namely I would say that of Christology.

That is who Jesus is and what he has done for us.

Jesus is a prophet.

Jesus is a priest.

Jesus is a King.

I want you to see today some things about Christ ,but also how he reigns far superior to any one who has ever lived.

In our passage today the word Covenant stands out to us.

In fact, it is used 8 times in verses 6,7,8,9,10 and 13.

So, this is a big deal.

But, what does it mean???

Let me define this for us today so we can understand what the author is trying to convey here for his readers.

The word Covenant come from the original Hebrew word (berit) which means a compact or agreement between two parties binding them mutually too undertakings on each other’s behalf.

There were many Covenant’s that God made with his leaders down through history.

-Noah = To repopulate the earth and to never again flood the entire earth.

God has given us the rainbow.

It is his promise.

-Abraham = through Abraham he would be the father of many nations.

-Moses = God promised to look after his people and protect them as long as they followed his commandments.

-David = promised to give David an everlasting throne and kingdom.

The reason why I want to point these out this morning is because our author here in Hebrews is writing all of this to an audience of Jewish people who had converted to Christianity, but were also very familiar with these covenants and great patriarchs of the Jewish family.

However the author is telling this congregation that there is a better or far-superior covenant than any of these and it has everything to do with Christ.

Some of these church members at the time would have thought there is no way that this could be possible.

How could there be a better covenant than the ones God made with these faithful men?

So, this is why the author takes time to help explain their need for a greater covenant which is the main point!!!

I want to point out 3 major things that we see about Christ today.

1. Christ is seated next to the Majesty.

Here in the beginning of chapter 8 we now begin to see the main point or focus of what is going on here in Hebrews.

The arguments and main points of chapter 1-7 may have been a little difficult to see.

So, the author now begins to simplify all of this to show us that we have this great high priest who loves us and has given his life for us.

The last 7 chapters we have been told what we have needed.

Now as we come to chapter 8 the author lays out exactly what we need.

We need Jesus!

Everyone of us because of our sin desperately need Jesus as a great high priest who mediates a new and better covenant.

The first thing the author points us to see about Christ is where He is seated.

Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.

This is a big deal because it shows us that Christ’s priesthood is completely different from any other priest.

Christ the great high priest, serves as an exalted status that has never been occupied by any earthly priest.

Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2 exactly what this looks like.

So, what we see here in Philippians is this imagery of sitting at the right hand of God and in the ancient world we know that kings would surround themselves with powerful people.

The person who was seated on the right of the king was the most powerful and most prestigious person in the royal court.

This is why Christ’s position at the right hand of God is an exalted position.

As Christ is seated at the right hand, he continues his work as Redeemer.

I think it can be easy for us as believers to think that the work of Christ is done, however he continues to work.

We know from the book of Revelation that we are still waiting for the return of Christ to come and vindicate his church and judge the nations, and so this aspect of his work is still to come.

He is also not done mediating for his people.

While the atoning work of Christ is done his advocating work is not.

Jesus is sitting on his Father’s right hand and he is interceding for us right now.

I hope today for you that this is an encouragement to reflect on, because it shows us Christ’s active and ongoing work for us his people.

2. Christ’s home is heaven.

The author of Hebrews in verse 2 mentions this word “sanctuary of the high priest.”

More specifically the word tabernacle or tent where God met with his people after the exodus from Egypt.

The point here is that Israel needed a tent as a place of meeting for several reasons.

First of all we see that at this point in the history of Israel they are out wondering in the wilderness and God had not commanded them to build the temple because they had not arrived in Jerusalem at this point.

Because of this they had the “mobile tabernacle” and yet this was the very place they were to meet with God.

The amazing thing here is that Hebrews tells us that Jesus fulfills his ministry in a tabernacle that the Lord set up.

This is not an earthly tabernacle or even temple but one that is so much better because it is actually in heaven.

2. The second thing we see in verses 3-5 show us in detail the priest’s duties in the tabernacle.

The priest never went in empty handed.

He always would enter by taking a sacrifice with him.

The priest had to have something to offer.

He had to offer a sacrifice for his own sin and then the sins of the people.

But, Jesus was not like the typical priests because he did not come from the line of the Levitical priests.

Jesus of course came from the line of Judah or tribe of Judah.

Jesus did not bring his offering to an earthly tabernacle.

In fact, Christ ministers to us from a heavenly tabernacle as the great high priest and brings a superior offering because He gave his life.

What we see from verses 4-5 is that the earthly priests serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.

God implemented these things for a reason but the Old Testament Tabernacle and the priests that served there were inadequate.

God met with his people there, but all of this was pointing to something far greater to come.

(Jesus)

In verse 5 we see this word “pattern.”

God gave Moses this pattern for building the tabernacle.

This pattern helps us to see that the earthly tabernacle was modeled after something else, which was the heavenly tabernacle.

Moses was to build the tabernacle in exactly the way that God showed him from Exodus chapter 25.

In Exodus chapter 26 God gives these detailed plans for the tabernacle.

By using the shadows and copies the author of Hebrews shows us that these detailed plans and specifications had a deeper reality.

Jesus ministers to us from his heavenly temple and as believers someday we will all find our rest and home with Christ for all eternity.

3. Christ’s Covenant is Superior to the Old Covenant.

As the author of Hebrews explains here, we are getting ready to see that because of the work of Christ this allows us to directly and confidently to enjoy God’s presence.

We no longer have to come before God in a tabernacle made by human hands.

Why?

Because Jesus has fulfilled the tabernacle’s purpose and we as believers can draw near to the very throne of God.

Heaven is God’s true tabernacle or place where he dwells.

King Jesus has ransomed his people from their sins and brings us to peace with God and has ushered us into this new covenant by his blood.

This covenant is far greater than the Old one.

The Old Covenant had many faults in it.

The priests were faulty because of their own sin, then there was a need for constant sacrifices from the people.

We needed something better.

Ironically the prophet Jeremiah lays this out that something better is coming.

Verses 8-12 are a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

The reason that the author of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah here is that he wants his readers to see that Jeremiah wrote to show that God had long ago foretold about the day the final priest would come.

It’s like the author of Hebrews is saying hey wake up church, were we not told about this a long time ago?

Why can’t you see this? God spoke to Jeremiah to announce the need for and the coming of a new and better covenant.

Jeremiah’s prophecy helps us to see four specific ways in which a new covenant is better than the old one.

Notice verse 10.

In the Old Covenant God gave Moses the 10 commandments.

In the New Covenant God will put his laws into our minds and write them on our hearts.