The Timeline of the Two Covenants

Jesus said, “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it” (Luke 16:16).

The “Law and the Prophets” is a phrase Jesus used a few times in the gospels to identify the old covenant.  The law given to Moses and the Old Testament prophets that follow represent the old covenant, the old arrangement between God and man.  Jesus is saying as clearly as He can that this old arrangement ended with the coming of John the Baptist.  John was the last of the old covenant prophets.

With the coming of Jesus, everything changed in our connection to God.  Jesus proclaimed “the good news of the kingdom of God.”  And the good news is that when you believe the gospel message of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven, you become a child of God, and you inherit eternal life.  This good news is called the new covenant.  It describes the new arrangement that we have with God based on Jesus’ finished work on the cross.  And this new arrangement of a life set free in Jesus is ours the minute we believe the gospel.

The timeline of the covenants could not be made more clear.   According to Jesus,

Moses to John the Baptist = the old covenant.

The coming of Jesus to forevermore = the new covenant.

It really is that simple.  And the most beautiful part of all is that the invitation is open to all.  “Everyone is urgently invited to enter in.”  Believe the gospel and enter into this new covenant, this new arrangement with God.  Believe the good news and enter into His kingdom.  Jesus is inviting you.  Jesus is waiting for you.  Are you ready for your “Welcome home!”?

The Power of God in Fifty-Seven Verses

Well, we have just completed twenty-nine posts on the power of God as revealed in the New Testament.  We have explored God’s power from the vastness of the Creator of the Universe to the specificness of His power mightily flowing through our veins.  The power of God is all over the New Covenant.  I hope you have been encouraged by these posts to find the power of God IN YOU; a power to love, to serve, to obey, and to worship

If you are inclined, take a quiet moment and read through the fifty-seven power verses that have appeared somewhere in our last twenty-nine posts.  The power of God rests upon you and dwells in you.  And by His power, you are set free!

Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.”

Matthew 24:30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”

Mark 9:1 “And Jesus was saying to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.’ “

Mark 13:26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

Mark 14:62 “And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ “

Luke 1:35 “The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’ “

Luke 4:14 “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.”

Luke 4:36 “And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘What is this message?  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’ “

Luke 5:17 “One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.”

Luke 6:19 “And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

Luke 8:46 “But Jesus said, ‘Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.’ “

Luke 9:1 “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.”

Luke 21:27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Acts 3:12 “But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?’ “

Acts 4:7 “When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ “

Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.”

Acts 6:8 “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.”

Acts 10:38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Romans 1:4 “Who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:19 “In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

I Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

I Corinthians 1:24 “But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

I Corinthians 2:4 “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

I Corinthians 2:5 “So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

I Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”

I Corinthians 6:14 “Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.”

I Corinthians 15:43 “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.”

II Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”

II Corinthians 6:7 “In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left.”

II Corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

II Corinthians 13:4 “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.”

Ephesians 1:19 “And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might.”

Ephesians 3:7 “Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”

Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”

Philippians 3:10 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Philippians 3:21 “Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

Colossians 1:11 “Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously.”

Colossians 1:29 “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”

I Thessalonians 1:5 “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

II Thessalonians 1:9 “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”

II Thessalonians 1:11 “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.”

II Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-control.”

II Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.

II Timothy 3:5 “Holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these” ().

Hebrews 1:3 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.  When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Hebrews 7:16 “Who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.”

I Peter 1:5 “Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

II Peter 1:3 “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

II Peter 1:16 “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

I John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds.  Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name” ().

Revelation 5:12 “Saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ “

Revelation 19:1 “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.’ “

Worthy is the Lamb to Receive Power

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing’ “ (Revelation 5:11-12).

Jesus is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.  And He alone is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.  He is worthy indeed!  Celebrate our worthy Savior with these lyrics from a song you may recognize.

Is He Worthy?

By Andrew Peterson / Ben Shive

Do you feel the world is broken?
(We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
(We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t
Stop the light from getting through?
(We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
(We do)

Is all creation groaning?
(It is)
Is a new creation coming?
(It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
(It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?
(It is)

Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave

Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is

Does the Father truly love us?
(He does)
Does the Spirit move among us?
(He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves?
(He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us?
(He does)

Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe
Every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God
To reign with the Son

Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?

He is!
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
He is!
He is!

The Kingdom of God is Coming with Power

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’  Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’  Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:36-37).

When Jesus stood trial before Pilate, before the Sanhedrin, and before Caiaphas the High Priest, Jesus stood alone.  And standing alone, we think of Jesus’ disciples as cowards.  But this isn’t necessarily the case.  Jesus made the point to Pilate in the passage above that His kingdom was not of this world.  If it was, His followers would be fighting to free Jesus.

Jesus had prepared His disciples for this day – not by training them to fight – but by pointing them to the necessity of Him being handed over to the Jews to be killed.  They knew this day was coming.  And even though they were looking through a glass darkly, they knew the true kingdom of God in its most powerful expression was coming in some future as Jesus had promised.  His death was not an end to His kingdom, but a pathway to the kingdom; the kingdom at home in them, and the powerful kingdom to come in the future.

While on trial before the High Priest, Jesus gave us a beautiful picture of the coming of His future kingdom.  “But Jesus kept silent and did not answer.  Again the High Priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’  And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven’ “ (Mark 14:61-62).

Jesus told Pilate that He was born to be a king.  But for now, the kingdom that Jesus established is a secret kingdom, alive in the hearts of His children.  But a day is coming when the secret will be blown wide open.  A day is coming when Jesus will arrive on the clouds of heaven to establish a kingdom without end; a kingdom with Jesus firmly seated at the right hand of the power of God.

The Eternal Power of God

God’s power is eternal.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

God’s power is eternal and full of glory.  “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (II Thessalonians 1:9-10).

God’s power subjects all things to Himself.  And this power will transform our bodies into conformity with His glory.  “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

And Jesus is bringing all of this power with Him when He returns.

“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

“And the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:25-26).

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25-27).

We will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory.  Amen !!!