Week of Monday, March 1 – Saturday, March 6
Good News – Man as an Instructor
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 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, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” — Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV
Early in the pandemic, actor and producer John Krasinski, raised Catholic and known for his roles on The Office and as Jack Ryan, launched a YouTube channel called “Some Good News.” He wanted to bring heartwarming, feel-good stories into homes since people were feeling increasingly isolated and fearful. The circumstances of the world were disheartening and downright depressing to many, so Krasinski dedicated himself to sharing some good news each week.
No doubt Jeremiah felt even more obligated than John Krasinski when God gave him the words we find recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It wasn’t often that Jeremiah got to deliver good news like this. Remember, they had continued to rebel against God and refused to turn from their sin. As a result of worshipping idols and breaking God’s covenant, they had been invaded by the fierce Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and uprooted them from their homeland. Now they were living in exile in a foreign land. Jeremiah had predicted it all would happen, and it did. In fact, Jeremiah’s nickname had become: “Terror on Every Side” (see 20:10) because he mostly delivered “bad news.”
But here God gave Jeremiah some incredibly good news. A new day was on the horizon. A New Covenant was coming. As a result, the LORD would be their God (not worthless idols) and they would be His people, He would write His laws on their hearts and would remember their sins no more. Of course, Jeremiah couldn’t see fully how God was going to do all of this. Yet he had seen a few glimpses of a glorious future in the coming Messiah, the “Righteous Branch” of David, Jesus Christ, who would make it all possible.
In Jesus, we don’t just have some good news, we have THE Good News! At the last Passover meal before He went to the cross, Jesus broke the bread and raised the cup of wine and announced to His disciples the fulfillment of the New Covenant predicted by Jeremiah: “This is my body, which is given for you... This cup that is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20). Because Jesus died as the full and final sacrifice for sin, we are freed from its condemnation through our faith in Him. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). Sin and death have been defeated by the cross and resurrection of Christ and we have the promise of living forever with Him when He comes again to make everything good (1 Cor. 15:52). In the meantime, the law that is written on our hearts means that God is consistently orienting our hearts toward His word, will, and ways through His Spirit. Best of all, He is our God and we are His people. We get to enjoy life now and forever as the objects of the Father’s love as His sons and daughters. Those are all important points to make about the Good News of the New Covenant in our role as Instructors. Spread the WORD!
See, the Good News we have in Jesus is better than a video report about nice people doing good things during a pandemic. Plus, we don’t have to wait a week in between for another “feel good” story. Our faith in Jesus is life-changing, purpose-giving, hope-inspiring and therefore a constant source of encouragement and joy. That is truly Good News in these difficult days, and it is news too good to keep to ourselves!
Good News – Man as an Instructor
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 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, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” — Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV
Early in the pandemic, actor and producer John Krasinski, raised Catholic and known for his roles on The Office and as Jack Ryan, launched a YouTube channel called “Some Good News.” He wanted to bring heartwarming, feel-good stories into homes since people were feeling increasingly isolated and fearful. The circumstances of the world were disheartening and downright depressing to many, so Krasinski dedicated himself to sharing some good news each week.
No doubt Jeremiah felt even more obligated than John Krasinski when God gave him the words we find recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It wasn’t often that Jeremiah got to deliver good news like this. Remember, they had continued to rebel against God and refused to turn from their sin. As a result of worshipping idols and breaking God’s covenant, they had been invaded by the fierce Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and uprooted them from their homeland. Now they were living in exile in a foreign land. Jeremiah had predicted it all would happen, and it did. In fact, Jeremiah’s nickname had become: “Terror on Every Side” (see 20:10) because he mostly delivered “bad news.”
But here God gave Jeremiah some incredibly good news. A new day was on the horizon. A New Covenant was coming. As a result, the LORD would be their God (not worthless idols) and they would be His people, He would write His laws on their hearts and would remember their sins no more. Of course, Jeremiah couldn’t see fully how God was going to do all of this. Yet he had seen a few glimpses of a glorious future in the coming Messiah, the “Righteous Branch” of David, Jesus Christ, who would make it all possible.
In Jesus, we don’t just have some good news, we have THE Good News! At the last Passover meal before He went to the cross, Jesus broke the bread and raised the cup of wine and announced to His disciples the fulfillment of the New Covenant predicted by Jeremiah: “This is my body, which is given for you... This cup that is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20). Because Jesus died as the full and final sacrifice for sin, we are freed from its condemnation through our faith in Him. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). Sin and death have been defeated by the cross and resurrection of Christ and we have the promise of living forever with Him when He comes again to make everything good (1 Cor. 15:52). In the meantime, the law that is written on our hearts means that God is consistently orienting our hearts toward His word, will, and ways through His Spirit. Best of all, He is our God and we are His people. We get to enjoy life now and forever as the objects of the Father’s love as His sons and daughters. Those are all important points to make about the Good News of the New Covenant in our role as Instructors. Spread the WORD!
See, the Good News we have in Jesus is better than a video report about nice people doing good things during a pandemic. Plus, we don’t have to wait a week in between for another “feel good” story. Our faith in Jesus is life-changing, purpose-giving, hope-inspiring and therefore a constant source of encouragement and joy. That is truly Good News in these difficult days, and it is news too good to keep to ourselves!
- How does the Good News of Jesus need to impact the way you live your daily life, especially in your role as the Instructor?
- Are you submitting yourself to the Spirit of God so that He can reorient your heart to live out God’s word and His ways? First, the Instructor in the home must humble himself so that he can receive instruction from the Lord.
- Thank God for the gift of the Good News you have in Jesus Christ. Ask Him to point out opportunities to share the Good News with someone this week.