Today, we will wrap up our series on Relationships by looking at Hebrews 8. Ultimately, the most important relationship any of us has is with God. Hebrews 8 begins, “Now the main point of what is being said is this…” (v. 1), and then the writer points to Jesus. Our relationship with God affects all other relationships. Jesus summed up all the commandments in two: love God and love others. The vertical impacts the horizonal. If you want your relationships with others to work, you need to work on your relationship with God. They are inseparable. What is required to have a relationship with God?
A High Priest
The second half of verse 1 says, “We have this kind of high priest….” To have a relationship with God, we need a go-between. There is only one mediator between God and man. That’s Jesus, the main point. The whole message of Hebrews is Jesus is greater, superior. He is King of Kings, Prophet of Prophets, Minister of Ministers, High Priest of all Priests. What we need is not religion but relationship, not death but life. We have everything we need in Jesus. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). On the cross He said, “It is Finished.” He did not say He was finished. You do not have to clean up your life to come to Jesus. Come just as you are and He does the rest. Verse 2 refers to Jesus as a minister. Jesus, in an atmosphere of worship, continues to intercede for us. He pleads our cause every time the devil accuses, and He never tires of praying for us.
A Heavenly Place
Verses 2-5 talk about the “true tabernacle” in Heaven. The earthly temple and tabernacle were just copies, shadows of the real thing. A copy is good, but it’s not as valuable as the real thing. Think about it. If your loved one is deployed, you may keep a picture of them as a reminder. When they get home, you don’t hold on to the picture. You hug the real thing! There is a real place called Heaven. It’s as real as the address you live at on earth. It’s a place where He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
A Horrible Past
We’ve all sinned and fall short of God. Verse 7 says, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one.” Today, we are under the new covenant. We can be saved from our sin because of what Jesus did on the cross. There are eight covenants mentioned in Scripture: Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Land, Davidic, and New. These are covenants God made with sinful man. Some characteristics of covenants are – bloodshed (animals sacrificed), name change (God changed Abram’s name to Abraham), an outward sign (a rainbow), a meal (a wedding reception), and a gift (parties would exchange gifts). When it comes to us, Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Lk. 22:20). We can enter into a relationship with God because Jesus’ blood paid for our sins. When we do that, we bear the name of Christ, Christian. There is an outward sign to show others we’ve been changed, baptism. We are promised eternity in Heaven and the first thing we are going to do there is eat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Finally, when we become God’s, everything He has belongs to us. We get His righteousness, peace, victory, etc.
A Holy Promise
Verse 6 says Jesus “is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.” The law condemned but it could not convert. The law was not given to merely be obeyed; it was given to reveal we can’t do it. This new, final covenant will never be broken. It all depends on God, not on us. Notice the number of times God says “I will” in verses 8-10. Our salvation is not based on a merit system, all that we can DO. It is based on what Jesus has DONE. All we have to do is believe. The new covenant is inward not outward. It is a relationship not a ritual. Verse 12 says, “For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.…” The new covenant is about irrevocable forgiveness. It’s not that God is forgetful, but He chooses to forget because grace chooses to forgive. He holds it against us no more. A covenant is an unchangeable agreement between God and man that stipulates the relationship. Define the relationship. Do you have a relationship with God?