Today’s Chapel Homily

Prayer and Preaching, p. 265

Reading:

A reading from Hebrews 13:

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Responsory

Hymn: #475 "Good Christian Friends"

Homily

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the ancient form of the words of institution used in the church at Rome, part of today's reading finds its way onto the lips of Jesus as He is giving His Supper to the disciples on Maundy Thursday. Listen: this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant. Have you ever pondered how absolutely odd it is to speak of the covenant as both NEW and ETERNAL? How can it be both? I think, the answer to that touches the very heart of the revelation of Christ. 

When Jesus speaks of the blood of the new covenant or testament, he's obviously announcing the fulfillment of that prophesy in Jeremiah 31. You remember it, right?

What's new in the new covenant is its unilateral nature. It's not iffy. It's not, IF you, then I, AND IF you don't, then you better watch out cause then I most certainly will... that's the Moses covenant. And it leaves hearts quaking because we know we haven't done.  

Instead, with the New Covenant all the action is mercy and it all ends up being God's.  But here's the whole joy: what showed up NEW in the history of God's people on that night when Jesus fulfilled the prophesy of Jeremiah 31 by reaching his disciples the new covenant in His blood is the joyous "aha" that that's what had been on the heart of God from before He created a thing: eternally on His heart. In fact, eternally His heart. This is what I'll do for you, I'll write my law on your heart so that you want to do it and you will know me as I really am, your God and you my people, because, you see, I'll forgive all your iniquity and I will remember your sins no more. That's how you'll know me. That's how you'll know my heart. That's the gift of the new and eternal covenant in my blood.

So the Benediction that we heard as our reading kind of wraps up the whole book of Hebrews, which has all been about how the new thing that shows up in Jesus is so much BETTER than the old thing under the Mosaic covenant because the new thing in Jesus actually ends up being an ETERNAL thing. And so the whole of the old as it limped along and was passing away, prefigured and pointed toward the perfection of what God was up to in Jesus. Listen to it again:

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

The God of peace. Peace because of the blood of the eternal covenant. Peace comes from knowing He's not fickle in His commitment to you. That new covenant blood cries out: "You cannot make me hate you. I love you. I forgive you. You are mine. Eternally. Forever. You belong to me. It doesn't hang on you and your doing or not doing, your right speaking or thinking or anything. It hangs on me. And this blood seals the deal forever. As I raised the shepherd so I will raise the sheep from death, do not fear." Now that's peace. And it's out of that peace being planted right into your heart with His blood that God prepares for you every good thing. Every good thing is IN that blood. That new and eternal covenant blood of Jesus. And as it goes into you, it changes you. God works in you so that you WANT to do His will. Not grudgingly like a slave and not even poutily like a rebellious kid displaying the truth of original sin, but out of sheer joy as when you want to please the person whose love surprised and delighted you. 

And it all comes with the blood. Now when you hear blood, never hear an idea. It's not an idea or theory about blood that saves you. It's blood, real blood, blood from real veins, blood that came from a real body, His body, yet blood that carries with it a new and yet eternal covenant. And so His blood is not a dead thing. It's not like all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain. It's not even like the blood of Abel and all his kin whose blood cries to heaven for justice. No. The living blood of Jesus speaks a better word than that. His new and eternal covenant blood, cries out: forgiven wholly, forgiven entirely, forgiven forever, what sins? I remember them no more. You are mine now. You are mine always and forever. And I created you to pour this forgiving love over you and into you with my blood. 

And that's how you come to know Him as He really is. And it's a new revelation. But part of the new is the shocking realization that that's what has always been His heart. For you. 

Oh, people loved by God, when they rejected Him, the Jewish leaders cried out: His blood be on us and on our children. And His heart's desire was exactly that. That His new covenant blood would ever belong to them and to you and to us all. May you ever revel in the blood, blood of the new and eternal covenant, with all that it carries your way. 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Litany...

...especially for Roger, Ruth, Allen and Jan and Ezariah, and military chaplain Joseph Watson. 

NT Canticle