Daily Devotional | A New Covenant

Sometimes it is hard to part with a well-loved item, even if the new version is better. For example, a baseball player might be reluctant to replace his favorite mitt. A guitarist may cherish one guitar for a lifetime, rejecting a shiny substitute.

In the parable of the wineskins, Jesus observed that “no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5:39). Today’s passage helps us understand why a new covenant was necessary. Jesus came to enact a new covenant because of what was “wrong” with the first (v. 7). We learned that the Law was never designed to be a permanent solution to humanity’s sin problem. Instead, it pointed to something greater.

The difference between the Law of Moses and the ministry of Jesus is the difference between an original and its copy. The features of the Aaronic priesthood with its sanctuary and sacrifices were copies of “the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being” (v. 2). God ordained these elements of worship under the Law of Moses but they were merely a “copy and shadow of what is in heaven” (v. 5).

God intended the Law to give way to the grace that comes through Christ. Jesus’ priesthood is superior to the Aaronic priesthood. His sacrifice had a more enduring result. The covenant Jesus put into effect by His ministry is “superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises” (v. 6).

Some people were finding it difficult to accept that the old ministry of the Law was meant to give way to the new ministry of grace through the high priesthood of Christ. They were tempted to say, “The old is better.” But the law was meant as a signpost, not a solution.

Go Deeper

Why do you think New Testament believers struggled to part with old ways? Why was the Law of Moses unable to be a permanent solution to our sin problem?

Pray with Us: We celebrate Your promise to us, “I am making everything new!” (Rev. 21:5). You enacted a new covenant and gave us freedom to live under grace, not under Law. We ask for Your guidance on this narrow road.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.