“Write On My Heart Every Word”
Introduction:
“[8]Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [9]not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt....For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people....[12]For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:8-9a, 10, 12)
Discussion:
1. “His Precious and Very Great Promises”– The Old Testament Prophecies
a. “[2]It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, [3] and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3)
b. “[5]Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; [6]then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy....[8]And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it....[10]And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:5-6a, 8a, 10)
c. “[26]I will make a covenant of peace with them....[27]My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Ezekiel 37:26a, 27)
d. “[2]But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days....[4]And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. [5]And he shall be their peace....” (Micah 5:2:4-5a)
e. “‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23)
f. “[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7a] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end....” (Isaiah 9:6-7a)
g. “[1]Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations....[6b] I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, [7] to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:1, 6b-7)
2. “And the Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us” – Christ is Born
a. “[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19] And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:18-21)
b. “[67]And...Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,[68] ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people [69]and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, [70]as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,...[72]to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant....’” (Luke 1:67-70, 72)
c. “[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. [10] And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’ [15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.... And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:4-15; 20)
d. “[25]Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him....[28]He took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, [29]‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; [30]for my eyes have seen your salvation [31]that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, [32]a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25, 28-32)
e. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
3. “And we have seen his glory” – The Life and Teaching of Jesus
a. “[13]Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. [14] John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ [15] But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. [16] And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:13-17)
b. “[37]You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: [38]how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:37-38)
c. “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. [17] And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, [18] ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’ [20] And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21] And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:16-21)
d. “... his disciples came to him. [2] And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: [3] ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [7]Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ [16]In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. [6:20]....But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21]For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [28]...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. [7:7] ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ [12]’So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’ [13] ‘Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. [14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.’ [21] ‘Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’” (Matthew 5:1b, 2,3,5,7,8,16; 6:20-21,28b-29, 33; 7:7,12-14,24)
e. [9] “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. [10]...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:9,10b, 11)
f. [1] “And ... Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. [3] And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. [4] And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ [5] He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’" (Matthew 17:1-5)
g. [13]” ... He asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ [16] Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ [17] And Jesus answered ... [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [21] From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:13, 16, 17, 18, 21)
h. “[27]And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it all of you, [28]for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’... [42]...‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’” (Matthew 26:27-28, 42b)
4. “Therefore God has highly exalted him” – The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
a. [1] “When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. [2] And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.... [22] Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ [23] And he said, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’" (Matthew 27:1, 2, 22, 23)
b. [15] “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. [22] And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). [24] And they crucified him ....” (Mark 15:15, 22, 24)
c. “And Jesus said, ‘ Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’" ... (Luke 23:34)
d. “[22]He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. [23]When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. [24]He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree...” (1 Peter 2:22-24a)
e. “...He said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30b)
f. “[12]He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption....[15]Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance....” (Hebrews 9:12, 15a)
g. “[2] And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. [3] And they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ [4] And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. [5] And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. [6] And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.’" (Mark 16:2-6)
h. “[40] but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, [41] not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” (Acts 10:40‑41 )
i. “[18] And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’" (Matthew 28:16, 18-20)
j. [19] “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. [20] And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them ....” (Mark 16:19-20)
5. “Brothers, what shall we do?” – What Christ Means to Us
a. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
b. “[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3‑4)
c. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.... (Romans 1:16)
d. “[13]For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ [14]But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed?...” (Romans 10:13-14a)
e. “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
f. “[9] Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9‑10)
g. “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
h. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
i. “[47] ... And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. [42]And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:47b, 42)
j. “...If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
k. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Conclusion:
1. “[20]Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead the 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 pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)
2. “[1] Therefore... let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith....” (Hebrews 12:1‑2a)
3. “[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28‑30)