PASTOR SUNIL BALASUNDARAM
FEBRUARY 2026
THE NEW COVENANT
What is this “New Covenant” that the prophets spoke about? Was it any different from the “Old Covenant”? Why does Jesus use that phrase when he gives us the practice of Holy Communion, also known as “The Lord’s Supper”: “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you…” (Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25)?
The “Old Covenant” was the basis of the relationship that God had with his people, the Israelites. It was based on the Mosaic Law, which was given by God, and depended on human obedience and perseverance in order to sustain and grow a relationship with him. It was realistic about human disobedience and sinfulness, and therefore needed a sacrificial system that, in turn, needed adherence to that system for it to have any meaning and effect. But everything about the Law had to do with externalities, with the aim that the doer would internalize it. Yet Israel’s history (and ours as well) showed that humans are pretty bad at obedience and perseverance (just as “New Year’s resolutions” rarely last past a limited time!). However, we discover that the “Old Covenant” was just a prelude to what God had planned – the “New Covenant.” This would be something internal, and prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke about it.
Lent prepares us for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross and his resurrection, through which this “New Covenant” was ushered in. But before we begin Lent, let us discover why these “Old Covenant” prophets spoke about a “New Covenant” long before it ever came to pass. Maybe we’ll be surprised with the discovery that this was God’s intention all along, and respond to him!
In Him, with prayers and Blessings,
Pastor Sunil Balasundaram
What is this “New Covenant” that the prophets spoke about? Was it any different from the “Old Covenant”? Why does Jesus use that phrase when he gives us the practice of Holy Communion, also known as “The Lord’s Supper”: “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you…” (Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25)?
The “Old Covenant” was the basis of the relationship that God had with his people, the Israelites. It was based on the Mosaic Law, which was given by God, and depended on human obedience and perseverance in order to sustain and grow a relationship with him. It was realistic about human disobedience and sinfulness, and therefore needed a sacrificial system that, in turn, needed adherence to that system for it to have any meaning and effect. But everything about the Law had to do with externalities, with the aim that the doer would internalize it. Yet Israel’s history (and ours as well) showed that humans are pretty bad at obedience and perseverance (just as “New Year’s resolutions” rarely last past a limited time!). However, we discover that the “Old Covenant” was just a prelude to what God had planned – the “New Covenant.” This would be something internal, and prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke about it.
Lent prepares us for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross and his resurrection, through which this “New Covenant” was ushered in. But before we begin Lent, let us discover why these “Old Covenant” prophets spoke about a “New Covenant” long before it ever came to pass. Maybe we’ll be surprised with the discovery that this was God’s intention all along, and respond to him!
In Him, with prayers and Blessings,
Pastor Sunil Balasundaram