Week 1: January 4, 2026
Topic: “The Obsolescence of the Old Covenant”
Main Text: Hebrews 8:6–13
Time Allocation: 30 Minutes
Hebrews 8:6-13 (CSB)
6 But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second one. 8 But finding fault with his people, he says: See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah 9 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt.
I showed no concern for them, says the Lord, because they did not continue in my covenant. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And each person will not teach his fellow citizen, and each his brother or sister, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them.
12 For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. 13 By saying a new covenant, he has declared that the first is obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old is about to pass away.”
Focus especially on verse 13: "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
1. Opening Prayer (3 Minutes)
"Heavenly Father, we thank You for gathering us this first Sunday of the year. Thank You that our relationship with You is not based on our performance but on the perfect work of Jesus. Open our hearts to understand why the New is truly 'better.' In Jesus’ name, Amen."
2. Teaching Points (10 Minutes)
The "Fault" was with the People, not God: You know, we really need to get this point clear: when Hebrews 8:8 says God 'found fault with them,' it’s emphasizing that the defect wasn’t with God’s holiness, but with the people’s inability to keep the deal. The Old Covenant, or the Law of Moses, was essentially a high-standard contract that demanded 100% righteousness; it said, 'do this and live,' but the tragic reality was that it gave absolutely no power to actually do so. It’s like having a high-definition mirror that clearly shows the dirt on your face but gives you no water to wash it off.
Recent theological studies often point to Romans 8:3 here, reminding us that the Law was 'weak through the flesh'; it could expose our sin, but it couldn't fix our hearts. So, the 'fault' wasn't that the standard was too high, but that the people were spiritually bankrupt, and the Old Covenant had no mechanism to bail them out, which is exactly why we needed a 'Better Covenant' that doesn't just demand obedience, but actually empowers it through the Spirit.
The "Package Deal" Logic: You have to understand the 'Package Deal' logic because this is where many get confused. In New Covenant Theology, we emphasize that the Law of Moses is an indivisible unit; you cannot just cherry-pick the parts you like, such as keeping the Sabbath, while conveniently ignoring the sacrificial system or the dietary laws. It’s essentially 'all or nothing'; as Paul argued in Galatians 5, if you commit to one part of the law, you are obligated to obey the whole thing. The idea of splitting the law into 'moral,' 'civil,' and 'ceremonial' categories is actually man-made and not found in the text itself. So, when Hebrews declares the Old Covenant 'obsolete,' it means the entire legal code established at Sinai lock, stock, and barrel has been retired to make space for the superior authority of Christ
Shadow vs. Reality: Think of it this way: imagine you have been away from your spouse for a long time, and suddenly you see their shadow cast on the wall; you might get excited because the shadow proves they are near, but would you run to hug and kiss the flat shadow on the wall, or would you turn around to embrace your actual, living spouse? Of course, you’d choose the real person, right? That is exactly the point of Hebrews 10:1 and Colossians 2:17; all those Old Covenant laws, the specific holy days, and the Sabbath were just a skia (a shadow) designed to outline the shape of the coming Messiah. But now that Jesus, the soma (the substance or body), is finally here, insisting on keeping those old shadows is like ignoring your spouse to romance their shadow; it makes no sense to go back to the blurry outline when we can now enjoy the full, tangible reality of a relationship with Christ.
4. Discussion Questions (7 Minutes)
● Question: Coming from our background, why is the word "obsolete" scary for some people when talking about the Law?
● Question: How does knowing that the Old Covenant has "vanished away" change how you view your security in salvation?
5. Summary & Closing Prayer (5 Minutes)
Summary: The Old Covenant served its purpose as a guardian for Israel (Gal. 3:23-25), but it is now retired. We are not lawless; we are under a superior agreement built on better promises.
Prayer: "Lord, help us to stop trying to stitch the torn veil back together. Teach us to rest fully in the finished work of the Better Covenant. Amen."
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