The Scripture reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 31:27-37.

Something had to change. God had renewed his covenant countless times with His people over the years, but it just wasn’t working. His people chased after false gods, they trusted in themselves and in their military might, and they defiled God`s reputation. Even though God was a husband to His people, they had broken His covenant over and over. So God declared a plan to fix it once and for all.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 is the central message of hope in the book of Jeremiah. When we consider the entire prophetic work of Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” this hope-full message stands in sharp contrast to the many judgment passages throughout Jeremiah. God proclaims in this message of hope, as is always true, that judgment won’t be His last word for His people. In verses 27-30 God proclaims that he will rebuild and replant Judah and Israel after the exile, and no longer will His people be forced to carry burden of sin from previous generations. While that is good (even necessary) news for the returning exiles, it’s not enough, because they will still die for their own sin.

In verses 31-34 God proclaims that a time is coming when he will “make a new covenant” with His people based solely on His mercy and grace. This covenant will be new in form, but a continuation of the previous covenant with Abraham. Rather than stone tablets, God’s law will be written in minds and on hearts, and it comes with the same promise that God will be their God. Everyone, God promises, will know Him “from the least to the greatest.” And this will be accomplished because “God will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.”

This is the answer God’s people needed – and it is the answer to sin that we need. “The time is coming … I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” We ought to be humbled by the fact that God’s answer to our sin is his decision to not remember it. Instead of remembering and punishing our sin, God forgave our sin at the cross where He watched His beloved Son die. Now when we sin, he chooses to remember Jesus’ sacrifice instead, and Jesus’ blood washes us clean.

But we still await the complete fulfillment of the promises in Jeremish 31:31-34. Not everyone knows the Lord or lives as though God’s law is in their minds and written on their hearts. As people who love the Lord, we don’t live like that – at least not all the time. However, we know that this will come true. Verses 35-37 are God’s assurance to the exiles returning to Israel that He will keep his renewed covenant: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord.

God assures us of his covenant faithfulness in this passage and He demonstrates His faithfulness in the sorrow of Good Friday and in the joy of Easter. As we draw ever nearer to the cross this Lenten season, this passage reminds us that even as we await the entire fulfillment of His renewed covenant promises, in Jesus Christ we are given a new start.

We are in Christ. Our sins are forgiven. Our humanity has been redeemed.

Praise God!