The New Covenant

Scripture For The Day 

 December 5, 2023, Luke – Part 2

The New Covenant 

One day, while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and scribes were sitting by. They were among the crowd to trip Jesus up. In the meantime, a group of men were trying to figure out how to get their friend, who was not able to walk, to be healed by Jesus. When they couldn’t find any other way, they took him through the crowd and went up to the housetop and lowered the friend on his cot right down into the midst of Jesus. They were determined to get their friend the help he needed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. The scribes and Pharisees began mumbling within themselves. “Who is this man to speak such blasphemies? Only God can forgive sins” Jesus heard their thoughts and asked them “Why are you questioning this? Which is better? “Your sins are forgiven, or “Rise up and walk? But, so, you will know that the Son of man has all power to forgive sins, (Jesus then turns to the paralytic man) Arise, and take up your couch, and go to your house.” The man was healed immediately by the Word of Jesus. He didn’t have to go to rehab or stumble or be weak in the knees. He was made fully whole. He was healed and had strength enough to take his bed up and go. But what was the most important part of the whole thing is that He was forgiven of his sin.

The people were amazed and began to Glorify God and were filled with fear, saying “We have seen strange things today” After this, Jesus left and, on His way, He saw a publican, (tax collector) named Levi, sitting at his workstation and he said unto him, Follow me. And Levi (Matthew) rose up and followed Him, just like that, he didn’t hesitate. And Levi made Jesus a great feast in his own house: and there were many publicans there as well. But the scribes and Pharisees began to murmur once again, this time against the disciples. “Why do you sit and drink with publicans and sinners?” And Jesus answered “They that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” But they weren’t satisfied with that. “Why then do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers but yours eat and drink?” Jesus began sharing with them that as long His Presence was there, it was a time of joy. One day soon, He would be gone and His disciples would be in sorrow. Now was not the time to be for fasting. He says “No one takes the cloth off a new coat to cover a hole on an old coat. That would ruin the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat wouldn’t match the cloth on the old coat. Also, no one ever pours new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would break them. Jesus didn’t come to do away with the law but to fulfill the law and bring a New Covenant to believers in Christ of every nation. PTL