The new Covenant

Jesus was a Jew. His disciples and other direct followers were also Jews. In Matthew 15:24, we read what Jesus said: “But He answered and said, ''I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'' Thus we can accept that nearly everything that Jesus said was first and foremost directed towards the Jews.

Most of us, who are Christians, have no Jewish roots. According to Old Testament standards and Gospel standards we are all Gentiles. We don't belong to the nation with whom God wrote His history. At the time of the Bible, our forefathers mostly lived in pagan cults and had nothing to do with Jehovah, the God of Israel.

And although God knew that He could not bring His nation to repentance through His Son, He still sent Him only to them. He wanted to give them the first opportunity to get on the right path.

Only after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the situation changed. At the end of the Gospel by Matthew Jesus spoke to His disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...''

Only after God made a new covenant with the people, non-Jews were also allowed to come to God. Although He created us too, He loves us too, we did not belong to His nation – we still today don't belong to His nation. His nation is and remains Israel.

And nevertheless we are allowed to come to Him today, He has promised us His glorious eternity as well. In contrast to His nation, we will celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb with Jesus in heaven and will rule the world from above, together with Him.

In Acts we read about the first Gentiles who repented and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ: the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius, the Roman centurion. They knew the Jew a little and wanted to understand more. Philip and also Peter brought the Gospel to them and they requested to be baptised thereafter.

And exactly like these first Gentile-Christians, we are also invited to God, to follow Him and praise Him, even though we are not descended from the Jews.

God makes a new start. Our origin doesn't matter, only our own, personal acceptance of Jesus, His Son.

Have you accepted this invitation?

I wish you a blessed day.

Rainer Gigerich