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Jesus (and the ‘New’)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.’

2 Corinthians 5:17

Wow, am I ever excited to write this column. The subject is Jesus and the ‘new’!

Jesus came not to repair the old but to make New! Jesus came to fulfill the Law and establish a new covenant. In Jesus God has made peace and torn down the wall of separation between God and man. So in Jesus we have a new life, a new relationship with the Father and all things are new.

Jesus wants to do a new work in you. It is easy to stay in what you know and develop a comfort zone in your life. You pray for others but like a flat stone you refuse to let God do a new work in your life.

I could write many things but in this column I will give the scripture about new in the Gospels and Revelation and then make a comment after each.

Matthew 9:16-17

“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.

But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Coming to Jesus is not reformation but new life, a new birth. Jesus speaks here of patching an old garment with a new piece. No! Or putting new wine (grape juice) into an old wineskin (an old wineskin has already been stretched by the previous fermentation). No!

You put new wine (grape juice) into a new wineskin (a fresh skin will stretch or expand as the juice ferments into wine).

So Jesus is saying He gives a new life to a new person. Glory.

Be a fresh wineskin for God to ferment in you and expand your life for His Glory.

Matthew 26:28-29

” For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Mark 14:25-26

“Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God .”

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives .

Glory, I’ve been drinking with Jesus in the Kingdom for He is ruling over His Kingdom today, in me and in every follower of His.

Matthew 27:59-60

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

Jesus liked the new so much that the Father arranged for Jesus to be buried in a new tomb. A used tomb that was common was not to be used. For Jesus was bringing new life and from that new tomb the world would know that Jesus had been raised from the grave.

Mark 1:27

Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this ? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

The people that heard Jesus knew that Jesus was totally different from all the prophets of history. This was a new teaching and new doctrine and a new way. It is true. Truth had come down to earth and Christ the Savior had come to give new life.

Mark 16:17

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

Jesus now only gives new life but new tongues! Should you have not received a new tongue then ask Jesus now and He will give you a new tongue! You can speak, witness and pray in new power! In Acts chapter 2 the new tongues came and you can experience the same.

John 13:34

” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

See, this new commandment is different from the one in the Old Testament and the one Jesus spoke about Himself. In this new commandment we are to ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ The old commandment was to love one another as ‘we love ourselves’. Jesus brought love to another level. You may not love yourself very much or even enough. You overeat or abuse your body and have failures in your heart and life’¦

but the new commandment is that we are to love “ As I have loved you.” Wow!

I’ll let you ponder how Jesus loves us!

Revelation 3:12

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God , the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

I have been many times to Jerusalem. I even named one of my sons Jerusalem but I am looking forward to the New Jerusalem! Glory, Glory, Glory!

Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

I love good music and sing unto the Lord but oh, wow, I do want to hear the “New Song’ in Heaven!

Revelation 14:2-3

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.

They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

Glory, New Song part 2!

Should you not like music you will feel out of place in Heaven.

Revelation 21:1-2

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth , for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem , coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. A mansion made by Jesus Himself.

2 Peter 3:10

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

This earth and all that is in it will pass but a New Heaven and a New Earth will receive the New Jerusalem!

Revelation 21:5

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

Yes, “I make all things new’! What a promise from God.

Jesus will give you new life. Believer and follower of Jesus be open for the ‘new’ thing God has for you.

In the past year God has expanded me, enlarged me, opened me to many new things and new ways of His working and might! Even as I grow older Jesus is doing new things in my life. I have just finished a new book. We moved to a new city and to a new church. We have a new baby’¦on and on I could go.

Be open and grow and Go!

New! New! New!

Jesus!
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1