In the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ is heralded as the mediator of a new covenant, a fulfillment and transcendent renewal of the covenant God had established with His people. This new covenant is founded upon better promises and is integral to understanding God’s plan for redemption and reconciliation with humanity.

The prophet Jeremiah foretold this new covenant, saying: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

Jesus Himself proclaimed the new covenant during the Last Supper with His disciples, signifying the covenant would be established through His blood, which was to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28).

This new covenant, unlike the old covenant made with Moses that was based on adherence to the Law, is based on faith in Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection—offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe. It’s marked by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who writes God’s laws on the hearts of believers, enabling them to have a personal relationship with God and to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

In essence, Jesus is the new covenant because through Him, God has provided a way for humanity to be restored to a right relationship with Him, not based on our ability to adhere to the Law, but based on faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. This is the good news of the gospel, that through Jesus, we can enter into a new and everlasting covenant with God.