When Jesus was being interrogated by the chief priests prior to his crucifixion, two witnesses came forward with an accusation that led to a charge of blasphemy deserving death: “This Jesus fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.' And at the moment Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple that separated the most holy place, the curtain that protected the ark of the covenant, was torn in two from top to bottom. With his life of service and his sacrificial death, Jesus became the first human being to FULFIL the law, a covenant that not even Solomon in his wisdom could fulfil. And with his resurrection three days later, Jesus SUPERSEDED the covenant delivered by Moses with a NEW covenant, initiated with his blood. No longer would God and his people operate under a covenant like spouses – now they would operate under a covenant like parent and child. And the temple of this new covenant will be Jesus himself, risen and present in the lives of his believers, the focus of the church, and the point of contact with God for worship and prayer and reconciliation.
We are now God's agents for this new covenant, living under it, and offering it to the people around us. And what are the promises that are made in this covenant? God promises to adopt us as his children, and to provide for us and love us as our heavenly Father, correcting us when we mess up, and forgiving us when we come to our senses. And we, in turn, promise to place our trust in Jesus, receiving his sacrifice on our behalf as a gift, and growing into the fullness of Jesus as the embodiment of our Father's will. This new covenant is uncomfortable, because it will not let us boast, for we must receive it as a little child. But the new covenant will also...not let us fail.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your great love, shown to us through your Son Jesus. Make us effective agents for your covenant, in Jesus name, amen.