Jesus: The Long-Promised New Covenant and Hope

I told a story about why I’m careful with promises as a dad—because I’m limited, circumstances change, and I can’t control outcomes. But God is not like me. He makes promises because He rules history, sees the end from the beginning, and never gets surprised. That matters at Advent. We remember the promises that pointed to Jesus’ first coming and hold fast to the promises that point to His return. The thread running through Scripture is covenant—Noah, Abraham, Moses, David—where God binds Himself to His people. We routinely fail our side. He never fails His.

Jeremiah ministered in the collapse of Judah—siege, famine, exile, temple torn down. He is the “weeping prophet,” and still he announced hope: God would raise up a righteous Branch from David, save His people, and be their righteousness. In Jeremiah 31, the Lord promises a new covenant—not like the one Israel broke. He would write His law on hearts, be our God, forgive our iniquity, and remember our sin no more. Not merely survival, but a transformed people who all know Him.

Jesus takes that promise into His own hands at the table: “This cup… is the new covenant in my blood.” The geography of Jeremiah’s restoration promise becomes the street address of Jesus’ obedience—right there in Jerusalem, near the Kidron. Jeremiah 33 pushes it further: a forever King from David’s line, a priesthood rendered obsolete, a righteousness that outlasts every exile and rebuild. Jesus is the true Prophet, Priest, and King—the fulfillment and the Mediator in one person.

So what do we do? When everything falls apart—marriage pain, relapse, vocational disappointment, the ache of estranged kids—we cling to what God has pledged. Our faithlessness cannot cancel His faithfulness. He began a good work and will complete it. He sanctifies thoroughly. He never leaves or forsakes. And because Jesus is our new covenant, we don’t bring sacrifices to earn favor or punish ourselves to feel forgiven. We live changed lives not to get into God’s good graces, but because grace has already remade us. The Spirit Himself resides in us—teaching, convicting, encouraging—so we live Advent with a clear-eyed hope: Come, long expected Jesus.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s promises outlast our failures God’s covenants do not wobble when we do. Israel’s unfaithfulness led to real consequences—siege, exile, loss—and yet the promise endured untouched. Your worst chapter can’t rewrite His script; God’s “I will” is stronger than every “I didn’t” of ours. Hope is anchored in His character, not your consistency. [39:50]
• 2. The new covenant transforms from within Jeremiah foresaw a day when God’s law would be written on hearts, not merely on stone. That’s more than information; it’s holy renovation—desires realigned, loves reordered, obedience flowing from a new nature. Forgiveness is not a reset button; it’s a new engine. Grace changes what we want, not just what we do. [51:21]
• 3. Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King Every role Israel needed but could never sustain converges in Jesus. He speaks God’s Word perfectly, brings us to God with His own blood, and rules with justice and mercy. That means no more scrambling for mediators or systems to make up for our lack; He Himself is our righteousness and our access. [61:16]
• 4. When life collapses, cling to promises Advent faith looks straight at ruins and still expects redemption. God completes what He starts, sanctifies thoroughly, and never abandons His own. Don’t measure tomorrow by today’s debris; measure it by His pledged future. Even sorrow is material in His hands for joy. [63:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [34:29] - A dad’s promises vs. God’s
• [37:03] - What covenant means in Scripture
• [39:50] - Our faithlessness vs. God’s faithfulness
• [42:34] - David’s line and dashed expectations
• [45:19] - Jeremiah warns of Jerusalem’s fall
• [47:44] - Are God’s promises still true?
• [50:14] - Jesus: our long-promised new covenant
• [51:21] - Reading Jeremiah 31: a new heart
• [54:01] - Sorrow to joy and Matthew’s echo
• [56:04] - The cup: new covenant in His blood
• [58:05] - Jerusalem restored and specific places
• [58:41] - Kidron, the city, and fulfillment
• [61:16] - Prophet, Priest, and King complete
• [63:07] - When everything falls apart
• [66:34] - You don’t need a priest
• [69:24] - Prayer and Advent hope

1. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, list what God promises to do in the new covenant. Which actions are His “I will” statements, and how are they different from the old covenant?
2. In Jeremiah 31:12-14, what images and activities describe the move from mourning to joy? What do these pictures tell us about the kind of restoration God brings?
3. In Jeremiah 31:38-40, Jeremiah names exact locations (towers, gates, Kidron, fields). What is the effect of tying God’s promise to specific places?
4. What crisis is Jeremiah living through in this moment (siege, famine, exile, temple torn down), and how is he described emotionally during it? [45:19]

1. “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). How is God’s law on the heart different from rule-keeping on stone tablets? What inner changes in desire and love would show up if this is happening? [51:21]
2. “The Lord is our righteousness” is the name tied to the promised King. What does it mean for righteousness to be received rather than achieved? How would that reshape how a person handles guilt, shame, or the urge to perform? [01:01:16]
3. Why does God attach restoration promises to a map (31:38-40)? How does Jesus lifting the cup of the new covenant in Jerusalem, near the Kidron, speak to God’s precision in keeping promises? [58:41]
4. If Israel’s collapse did not cancel God’s covenant, what does that teach about the strength of God’s “I will” compared to human “I didn’t”? Where might someone be tempted to think their failure rewrote God’s script? [39:50]

1. When life feels like it’s falling apart (marriage pain, relapse, vocational disappointment, estranged kids), which specific promise will you cling to this week, and how will you bring it to mind daily? [01:03:07]
2. Since Jesus is the true Prophet, Priest, and King, where are you still scrambling for other mediators or systems to make up for your lack? What would it look like to go straight to Him in that exact place this week (prayer, Scripture, confession)? [01:01:16]
3. If the new covenant means a new heart, what is one desire God needs to realign in you right now? What small practice this week will feed that new desire (a habit to start or stop)? [51:21]
4. You don’t need to “bring sacrifices” to get back into God’s good graces. Where are you subtly punishing yourself to feel forgiven? What would concrete repentance and received grace look like instead? [01:06:34]
5. God tied hope to real places. Name a specific place of pain in your world (home, office, hospital, school). How could you “map” Jeremiah 31 over it this week—praying on-site, writing a verse on a card, or speaking hope there? [58:05]
6. When you get frustrated with slow growth, how will you remind yourself that the One who began a good work will complete it and will sanctify you completely? What reminder will you set (alarm, verse card, shared check-in) to return to that promise? [01:04:47]
7. Advent looks at ruins and still expects redemption. What Advent habit will help you hold clear-eyed hope—daily reading, simple prayer (“Come, Lord Jesus”), or weekly communion with fresh gratitude—and when will you practice it? [01:09:24]