Who Did Jesus Make A Covenant With?

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

 

[Hitch]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

Believers

 

[Theofilus]

The New Covenenant is first mentioned by Jeremiah:

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jer. 31:31-33 ESV)​

The covenant is made with "the house of Israel and the house of Judah", not with Gentiles. We only get to be partakers in this covenant because we are grafted on to Israel.

 

[tim-from-pa]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

I studied a lot on this. In answer to your question, the OT were multiple covenants. What is generally considered the "old" covenant was the Mosaic Covenant which were types and shadows of things to come, and salvation by self effort --- notice the Israelites were not offered salvation. The New covenant, replacing the Mosaic and old Priesthood is now salvation by grace thru faith.

However, there were other covenants in the OT such as Adamic, Edenic, Abrahamic, Palestinian and Davidic (besides the Law of Moses). From the Abrahamic onward were earthly promises to a specific genealogy of people and as such these covenants are neither "old" nor "new" but ongoing today. These are the chosen of race and should not be confused with chosen of grace. The former chosen people are God's elect, they have all the blessings, and birthrights and can still be a child of hell. The latter is open to all people, but the means that God showed grace is thru the former his people Israel by virtue of these other promises and blessings. In other words, besides marvelous earthly promises, they were to not only be a type to show the way for Christ to come and His Kingdom, but to inherit the new priesthood as well.

The fact that many missed out on salvation does not negate what Paul clearly said was Israel's, but to put it colloquially is like playing with half the deck. They are not doing what God intended despite the promises to them. But I have faith that God would convert their hearts in the time of the end--- he said it.

This is extremely difficult for the simple or scoffer to understand God's truth, but the best way I found to explain this is in terms of a football game. Let's say you (God) pick certain players (Abraham's seed) at a certain stadium (land) and a certain head coach (a King). Now--- these players are going to show the rest of the people how the game is played BY these rues (old covenant law of Moses). Now, the rules are changed (new covenant) and are going to play the game this way now--- same players, same field, same coach. The rules now allow for new players, but the old ones still remain. If they so depart, then so be it, but they were still the original selected team, and they still possess the same field and coach. Furthermore, the coach promises the new rules in such a manner than many of the original players accept the rules (that new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah).

I'm into lost tribes theory and teaching, and the Jews I don't believe are all of Israel, but the Israelites became as Gentiles and were actually receptive of the gospel and became a light (and the Christian nations) to the rest of the fallen world. Same players, new rules and home stadium is still theirs no matter what others say. :D

 

[Nathan]

The covenant made with Abraham was not for his seed's, but a seed that would come through him. Jesus of Nazareth.

The "new" covenant was to His 'body'. The church. The outward manifestation of Him in the world. Those 'in Him' are in this covenant. Those who are not in Him are not.

The "new" covenant was to fulfill the original covenant made to Abraham. Through Abraham's seed(Jesus) all the nations of the world were blessed. So, in all realities, its an old/new covenant. But, for us, it truly is new. And that is why it is called such by Jeremiah and Christ when He was speaking with His disciples.

Gal 3:15-17 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

See, God had already "ratified" the covenant. It was set in stone. It was going to be Christ. When He came, He declared that covenant to be "new". As in, it was starting right then. It included all who looked forward to that starting, and it includes all of us who look back on it, but at that moment it was "new". But it was one made, a long time ago.

 

[Drew]

Nathan - I entirely concur with your post.

 

[Eventide]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

Hebrews 9 explains the OLD and NEW nicely and how they relate.. there are other portions of Hebrews whis speak of the New Testament although CH 9 seems to be the most detailed.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

From scripture we see Jesus sort of inaugurating a New Covenant in Matt 26 and Luke 22, very likely the one spoken of by Jeremiah in Jer 31.

This New Covenant/Agreement isn’t just a promise, rather, it is a two-sided agreement, for God indicated that He would require something from those who wish to participate in it. However, exactly what the requirements would be, weren’t specified at the time when this "Sacred" agreement was first mentioned (in Isaiah and Jeremiah), there it only tells us that these laws or requirements would be written in our hearts.
What kind of a law requirements would be written in the hearts of those party to the New Covenant? Though the surrounding scriptures are not specific as to what these requirements are, a study of the NT does reveal the following to us.

Jesus' Words:
Matt 22:36-40 - ‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart, life, and mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. The second, like it, is, You must love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments are the basis of the whole Law and the Prophets.
John 13:34, 35 - ‘I’m giving you a new commandment, to love each other. Love each other just as I have loved you. This is how they will know that you are my disciples, by your love for each other.’

Paul's words:
Romans 13:10 - ‘Love is the Law’s fulfillment.’

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - Love is kind and patient. Love isn’t envious, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t conceited, it doesn’t scheme, it doesn’t just watch out for itself, it doesn’t stir things up, it doesn’t hold a grudge, it doesn’t rejoice over unrighteous things. Rather, it rejoices over things that are true. It covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, and endures everything. Love never fails.

We are told that this new Covenant is sort of an "internal thing", and it resides in hearts, rather than in a book of laws. We're also told in at 1 Corinthians 13:13 about faith, hope, and love with the greatest of these is love which may in fact be what is to be "written in our hearts". So, one could conclude that if we fully apply this "Law of love" in our lives, it will govern us better than any written code of laws. So, by practicing love we show ourselves to be Jesus’ true disciples and participants in God’s New Covenant.

 

[warhorse]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

Read hebrews 8-12. Jesus confirmed the first covenant as the lamb of God. And became the mediator of the new covenant as awarded by God. Oh and a covenant is not the same thing as a testiment. a covenant is a blood promise, a testiment is the account of the witness.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

An additional note about Luke 22 is that Jesus, after speaking about the Covenant seems to make a promise as well which was not part of the covenant he was initially speaking of. See his words in Luke 22 beginning in verse 28.

‘You’re those who stayed with me through my trials,
So I’m making this promise to you, as my Father made a promise to me for a Kingdom:
In my Kingdom, you’ll eat and drink at my table
And upon thrones you will sit,
To judge IsraEl’s twelve tribes.

 

[Eventide]

An additional note about Luke 22 is that Jesus, after speaking about the Covenant seems to make a promise as well which was not part of the covenant he was initially speaking of. See his words in Luke 22 beginning in verse 28.

‘You’re those who stayed with me through my trials,
So I’m making this promise to you, as my Father made a promise to me for a Kingdom:
In my Kingdom, you’ll eat and drink at my table
And upon thrones you will sit,
To judge IsraEl’s twelve tribes.

Compare what you see here in Luke 22 with Matthew 19... there it speaks of the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit upon the throne of His glory and how His Apostles will also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel... then connect this with Matthew 25 and we know that the Lord will sit upon the throne of His glory when HE COMES in His glory.. Matthew 25 also tells us that then people will inherit the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world.

Clearly speaking of the future Kingdom of God on earth.. which will be the Day of the Lord, the Day of Jesus Christ.. the day of His rest.. and a thousand years long..

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Compare what you see here in Luke 22 with Matthew 19... there it speaks of the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit upon the throne of His glory and how His Apostles will also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel... then connect this with Matthew 25 and we know that the Lord will sit upon the throne of His glory when HE COMES in His glory.. Matthew 25 also tells us that then people will inherit the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world.

Clearly speaking of the future Kingdom of God on earth.. which will be the Day of the Lord, the Day of Jesus Christ.. the day of His rest.. and a thousand years long..

I believe the Matthew 19 passage is the direct parallel to Luke 22 and in both narratives, we see Jesus' select apostles in a position of authority within Jesus' kingdom. These select ones seem to be offered authority and a place in the Heavenly realm with Jesus in addition to kingdom citizenship.
I used to think that being in the kingdom meant going to Heaven, but the more I study, the more I believe that the resurrected kingdom inheritors will do so on the land whether it be our Earth or some other land. As far as it lasting for only 1000 years, I must admit that I disagree, I believe scripture leads us to believe that it is an age-lasting kingdom.

 

[Eventide]

I believe the Matthew 19 passage is the direct parallel to Luke 22 and in both narratives, we see Jesus' select apostles in a position of authority within Jesus' kingdom. These select ones seem to be offered authority and a place in the Heavenly realm with Jesus in addition to kingdom citizenship.
I used to think that being in the kingdom meant going to Heaven, but the more I study, the more I believe that the resurrected kingdom inheritors will do so on the land whether it be our Earth or some other land. As far as it lasting for only 1000 years, I must admit that I disagree, I believe scripture leads us to believe that it is an age-lasting kingdom.

Amen to that.. I firmly believe one of the cornerstones of the gospel is the literal resurrection of the dead.. not some spiritualized realization of this in heaven but literally resurrected bodies inheriting the earth..

For the meek shall inherit the earth..

 

[Elijah674]

The Godheads Covenant is Eternal to all of Their creation! Heb. 13:20

In the pre/son/Christ period, and after Adam lost his domain to satan, the Godhead was limited with not being omnipresent. Christ in the singular of the Godhead (1 Cor. 10:1-4) was only allowed to be in a much smaller location. (by Their own allowed restrictions) They agreed to have Christ come as the second Adam in time. But up to this time They restricted Themselves to Adams local restrictions. And even so, with O.T. Godhead Power being limited to Christ God. There were many Born Again but in a much smaller scale.

And after Christ 'Confirmed' the Eternal Plan faithfully & left to do His Priestly work, it was then that the Holy Spirit was once again presenting Christ OMNIPRESENT! This is another reason we see the remark of the Old Covenant & the New Covenant. It was the Same 'ETERNAL' Covenant but was now once again non/restricted by the Second Adam (Christ) being fully faithful to Mission!

Just another thought! See if you can get a 'special message' in John 20:17 for why Christ said what He said to Mary?? 'Touch Me not, for I have not yet ascended to My Father'? (and that was 3 days past His death) And there was another special message at Christ's baptism that 'i' see for His Annointing to start the time of His mission! Whatever??

 

[elijah23]

In most Bibles, we have the scriptures divided in 2 parts which are called the Old and New Testaments or Covenants respectively. Are these designations accurate or might they be a source of confusion. Was the entirety of pre-christian era scriptures from Genesis to Malachi representative of an "Old" covenant or did that collection of writings contain multiple covenants? Placing the focus on the "New Covenant", where do we find the covenant? One place I found was in Luke 22, but it has left me with some questions.

In Luke 22 we read of Jesus making a covenent, but to whom?
What are some of the other NT covenants? To whom are they between?

This is my understanding of our covenant with Jesus:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 RSV

 

[savedbygrace57]

The New Covenant is for Gentiles !

Who can read Jer 31:31-34

31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Now who can read this and not see that these promises were not fulfilled through the Ministry of the Apostles and Particularly the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul ? Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3:1-6


1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Main Characteristic of the New Covenant was to give Spiritual Life, and that is promised in Jer 31:33

Christ Blood is that which confirmed the New Covenant Matt 28:26

28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The same blood that purchased the Church Acts 20:28


28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.


So the House of Israel and house of Judah of Jere 31:31-33 is none other than the Church , which is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles in Christ !

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

The New Covenant is for Gentiles !

Who can read Jer 31:31-34

31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Now who can read this and not see that these promises were not fulfilled through the Ministry of the Apostles and Particularly the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul ? Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3:1-6


1Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

3Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

4And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Main Characteristic of the New Covenant was to give Spiritual Life, and that is promised in Jer 31:33

Christ Blood is that which confirmed the New Covenant Matt 28:26

28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The same blood that purchased the Church Acts 20:28


28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.


So the House of Israel and house of Judah of Jere 31:31-33 is none other than the Church , which is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles in Christ !

I have been studying the prophecies and have been surprised that some of what has been accepted as Messianic, is in fact not. For instance there is the Jeremiah 23 passage that some Jews use to say Jesus did not fulfill what was require while others believe is better applied to King Hezekiah and is no way Messianic. It reads:

O you shepherds who scatter; you who're destroying the sheep of my pasture; Jehovah (the God of IsraEl) has made [this pronouncement], against the shepherds who are tending His people: 2 'You have scattered My sheep; You have pushed them away, and refused to [watch over] them. So, {Look!} I will take vengeance upon you, for the wicked things that you've done. 3 Then, from the whole the earth I will gather, those who are left of My people (wherever I may have pushed them), and bring them [back] to their pastures, where they will grow and multiply. 4 Then I will raise shepherds to tend them, so they will not fear or know terror, nor will they be searched for [again],' says Jehovah.
5 'Look! The days are coming,' says Jehovah, 'when I'll bring a righteous dawning to David, and an understanding king will then reign, who'll bring what's righteous and fair to the land. 6 During his days, Judah will be saved, and IsraEl will camp in submission. Then by Jehovah, he'll be called JoSedek (Jehovah is Our Righteousness).'7 'And because of this, {Look!} days will come,' says Jehovah, 'when they will no longer be saying: As Jehovah – He who led IsraEl from Egypt – is alive, 8 but rather, As Jehovah – He who gathered and led IsraEl's seed, from the lands in the north, and from everywhere they had been pushed to, and then restored them to their own land – is alive.'

Be careful with Jeremiah. Much of what is written in the context you quoted was in reference to a time that began 100s of years before Jesus starting with Hezekiah.
Another place in scripture that is thought to be Messianic is Jeremiah 32, but after reading it in its surrounding context, I'm not so convinced. In the greater context it looks as if the prophet was speaking about the Babylonian captivity that would overtake the Jews and their subsequent regathering to the land afterwards in a time of Peace under a king of their own. It parallels substantially with Ezekiel 37 as both talk about a regathering of the house of Israel and Judah under a single kind of David's line and God strengthening a covenant of peace with them.
Many look at these as Messianic passages and believe that they illustrate that the Messiah would be a ruler over a united Isreal in a time of endless peace as all the hearts of the people will be turned to God. What gets ignored though is what is written in Jeremiah 33 about this same covenant. Verse 20 speak of the people having the opportunity to annul the covenant. If the people would annul by turning their hearts from God it goes on to say that there won't be a need for them to concern themselves with sons of David who will continuously reign.

By the time we get to Micah, it appears that what had been spoken of by Ezekial and Jeremiah has transpired as we have a united Jacob and remnants of the house of Israel together under the same leadership.