The Newness of the New Testament

 

I am attempting to preach two sermons for the Diocesan Year of the New Testament in these couple of weeks before Lent.

 

I have one on the nature and purpose of the New Testament in which I try to say something about the historical reliability of the gospels, Jesus’ identity as Lord, the truth and authority of the Bible and the goal that we might meet Jesus there, hear his voice, believe in him and have new life in his name. It deserves a whole sermon series, I know!

 

I am also thinking of saying something about the newness (or otherwise) of the New Testament / Covenant. All the time seeking to proclaim and apply the good news of Jesus, not just to give an academic lecture.

 

So perhaps you can help me on content and implications. Much of the New Testament actually wrestles with issues related to this (how will Jew and Gentile relate in the church, what of the Law of Moses etc.), but perhaps few of our people are tempted to live as Old Testament Jews, so we need to work out where the rub is for us.

 

Continuity

 

The same Triune God!

 

The unity of Scripture: God’s big picture – The Old Testament the Word of God not the Word of God Emeritus

 

Love in the Old Testament; wrath in the New Testament

 

One work of creation and redemption – one plan of salvation – The Covenant of Grace (in Old and New Testament administrations)

 

Salvation always only by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone

 

The Newness of the New Testament

 

Here is Jesus come in the flesh!

 

The incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus

 

The Old Testament not abolished but fulfilled – from shadows to substance

 

Something of an internalising and intensification of the Law in the teaching of Jesus? (Though this obviously wasn’t absent in the Old Testament).

 

(To say the NT goes from physical to spiritual etc. would probably be overstating it and misleading?)

 

All foods declared clean

 

The temple and the sacrificial system, Jesus and the church – the torn curtain, the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70

 

The people of God no longer infants under the tutelage of the Law – a mature learning from the wisdom of the Law, an internalising of its message of love

 

The New Testament itself, of course!

 

New sacraments

 

Pentecost: The outpouring of the Spirit to permanently indwell all God’s people

 

The gospel going to all the nations and the radical inclusion and equality of the people of God as those who have faith in Jesus

 

Looking forward not to the coming of Christ but to his Second Coming

 

A new and better glory!

 

Applications?

 

Read your New Testament (and Old Testament), obviously!

 

Delight in and stick with this Jesus and his gospel

 

Share this Jesus and his gospel with all the nations

 

* * *

 

Right? What else and so what? How would you aim to communicate some of this engagingly on a Sunday morning?

 

Again, this is probably far too much for one sermon so what main thing or things would you want to communicate?