One of the most important chapters of the bible that you've never read: Hebrews 8
- Thad DeBuhr
- Aug 11
- 14 min read
Updated: Sep 3
Hebrews 8
The Main Message: This study guide shows that Jesus didn't just tweak the old rules; he completely replaced the entire system with a new, better one. It’s like trading in a dusty old instruction manual for a direct conversation with the guy who built the machine. The old way was a picture of what was to come, but now we have the real person—and that changes everything.
Sarah's hands trembled as she held the worn photograph. It was the only thing she had left of her husband, James, since the telegram had arrived declaring him "missing, presumed dead" in the Pacific theater of World War II. For years, the photo was her anchor—a frozen moment of his smile, his kind eyes, and the love she thought was lost forever. The picture was the only way she could remember his face, the only way she could show their young son the man who was his father. It was a cherished, but painful, substitute for the man she longed to hold.
One evening, as she sat with the photo, a knock rattled the front door. With a heavy sigh, she prepared to greet a neighbor or a salesman. But as she opened the door, a figure stood in the shadows. He was older, thinner, and had a scar on his cheek, but the eyes were unmistakable. It was Sam. The man in the picture was standing on her porch, flesh and blood. The photograph slipped from her numb fingers, clattering to the floor. Its flimsy paper image, a pale echo of reality, now seemed insignificant. The smile in the photo was a still-frame; the one on his face was real, a joyful expression that lit up his entire being. She didn't pause to pick up the picture. Instead, she rushed into his open arms, clinging to the man she had mourned for so long. The picture was a beautiful memory, but it was nothing compared to the reality of his embrace. She would never need to look at it in the same way again, because the person it represented was finally, miraculously, home.
This story beautifully illustrates the central point of Hebrews 8. The Old Covenant—the Law, the priests, the sacrifices—was like that photograph of Sam. It was a cherished picture, a temporary way for people to connect with God and remember His promises. But it was never the real thing. It was a shadow of what was to come. With the arrival of Jesus, the reality has come home. He is the person the entire Old Covenant system was pointing to. And now that we have the person, why would we ever want to go back to the picture? Let's dive into Hebrews 8 and see how the author makes this case for the supremacy of Jesus.
Before moving on, pause and read through Hebrews 8 in a couple of different translations. Choose two from this selection: NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, NKJV
Setting the Scene: Hebrews 8
This is the pivot point of the entire letter, where the author unveils the "new covenant." He has been building his case that Jesus is superior to everything that came before him, and now he reveals the long-awaited promise from Jeremiah 31:31-34 has finally been fulfilled in Jesus.
The original readers, Jewish Christians tempted to return to the Temple rituals, are reminded that the old system was always a shadow, a picture pointing to the real thing. Brad Gray from Walking the Text says the Old Testament was the picture, and Jesus is the person. Why settle for a picture when you have the person? The author of Hebrews has been making this exact point throughout the letter, and chapter 8 is the culmination of his argument. He's been telling his readers, "Don't go back to the picture when you have the person."
In Hebrews for Everyone, N.T. Wright emphasizes the profound implications of Jesus fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Under the old covenant, the law was a list of external rules, literally etched onto stone tablets, and people had to be taught to obey it. But the new covenant is different. It's an internal transformation, where the law isn't a list of dos and don'ts but is instead written on our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit. This gives us a direct, intimate knowledge of God. We don't just follow external rules; we are changed from the inside out.
Scholar Craig Keener reinforces this point by highlighting the significance of Jesus' ministry in the "heavenly sanctuary." The earthly Tabernacle and later the Temple were meticulous, but they were ultimately just copies or shadows of a heavenly reality. The Old Covenant priests served in that earthly copy, performing temporary rituals. But Jesus, our high priest, entered the genuine, heavenly sanctuary and sat down at the right hand of God, signifying the completion of his work. This demonstrates that his ministry is not only superior to but also eternal and perfect in a way the earthly rituals could never be.
The old covenant, with its endless cycle of sacrifices, could never truly perfect the worshiper. Every year on the Day of Atonement, and even with daily sacrifices, the blood of bulls and goats served as a temporary covering for sins, but it was a constant reminder of sin's presence and the people's inability to fully atone for it. It was a repeated, incomplete process. The new covenant, however, established by Jesus' perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, provides what the old one couldn't: full and final forgiveness of sins. Jesus' single act of self-sacrifice was so complete and powerful that it cleansed us from our sins permanently, making further sacrifices unnecessary. It allows us to be made perfect in God's eyes, offering not a temporary solution but eternal reconciliation.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO PODCAST THAT GOES DEEPER INTO THIS SECTION OF HEBREWS
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Rabbit Trail 1: Don't settle for the picture when you have the person: Jesus
The author of Hebrews has been making this exact point throughout the letter, and chapter 8 is the culmination of his argument. He's been telling his readers, "Don't go back to the picture when you have the person." The author of Hebrews systematically shows how the entire Old Covenant system was a "picture" that pointed to the ultimate reality found in Jesus. He's been arguing that all the great figures and institutions of their faith were temporary placeholders, not the final destination.
Prophets were God's messengers who spoke in various ways and at different times. But Jesus is God's final and complete word to humanity, speaking directly as the Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). The prophets provided a series of snapshots; Jesus is the full, high-definition film.
Angels were glorious, powerful beings who were used to deliver the Old Covenant law. But Jesus is superior to all angels. He is God's Son, to whom the angels must bow and serve (Hebrews 1:4-14). The angels were a picture of divine communication; Jesus is the ultimate divine communication.
Moses was a faithful servant in God's house who led the people out of slavery and received the law. But Jesus is a Son over God's house, the one who built the house in the first place (Hebrews 3:1-6). Moses was the designer and builder of a temporary structure; Jesus is the designer and builder of the eternal house of God.
The Law was a set of external commands written on stone, a temporary guide that couldn't truly change hearts. But Jesus is the lawgiver himself, and he establishes a new covenant where the law is written on our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:6-13). The law was a picture of God's perfect standard; Jesus is the one who perfectly fulfills that standard and gives us the power to follow it from the inside out.
Priests were temporary, mortal men from the tribe of Levi who had to offer daily sacrifices for their own sins as well as the people's. But Jesus is our eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek, who offered a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 7:23-28). The old priests were a picture of a mediator between God and man; Jesus is the perfect and permanent mediator.
The sacrificial system was a constant, repetitive cycle of animal sacrifices performed in an earthly tabernacle to atone for sin, but it could never truly make a person perfect. But Jesus is the final and perfect sacrifice, who entered the heavenly sanctuary once and for all to secure eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-14, 10:1-18). The old sacrifices were a picture of the need for atonement; Jesus is the reality of that atonement.
All of these examples lead to the ultimate conclusion in Hebrews 8. The author is essentially saying, "Why are you tempted to go back to the picture of the priest, the picture of the sacrifice, and the picture of the law when you have Jesus—the person—standing right in front of you?" The old system wasn't bad; it was God's way of setting up the picture. But once the person arrives, the picture becomes obsolete. It's time to put away the picture and embrace the person.
Rabbit Trail 2: The True Meaning of "They Will All Know Me"
The phrase "they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest" (Hebrews 8:11) is a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:34. On the surface, this might seem to suggest that evangelism is pointless or that everyone is saved. However, a deeper look at the context reveals a different meaning.
In both Jeremiah and Hebrews, this promise is addressed to the people of God, the community that is part of the new covenant. The "they" refers to covenant members, not every single person on Earth. The promise is that every single person within this new family of faith—from the newest convert to the most seasoned saint—will have a direct, personal, and internal knowledge of the Lord.
It's about the nature of the relationship, not the scope of salvation. Under the old covenant, the knowledge of God was often external, mediated through priests, prophets, and the law written on stone tablets. You had to be taught. Under the new covenant, the Holy Spirit gives every believer an internal knowledge of God. It is a direct and intimate relationship.
It's a statement of assurance for believers. For the readers of Hebrews who were tempted to go back to the old, external system of rituals, this was a powerful reminder that their new relationship with God was far superior. They didn't need to return to a system that required constant teaching and endless sacrifices because they now had a personal and permanent connection to God through Jesus.
It doesn't cancel the Great Commission. The command to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) still stands. The truth of Jeremiah and Hebrews is what makes evangelism possible and effective. We can go and share our faith with others because the new covenant offers them the opportunity to also have this intimate, internal, and personal knowledge of God.
So, this passage isn't a reason to stop sharing your faith; it's a powerful statement about the quality and depth of the faith that is being shared.
Rabbit Trail 3: Putting the Old Testament in its Place
The final verse of Hebrews 8 declares, "By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear." This can lead to a dangerous misunderstanding: that the Old Testament is irrelevant. It's easy to assume that since the old covenant is obsolete, we can simply ignore the first two-thirds of our Bibles. This, however, couldn't be further from the truth.
The author of Hebrews isn't saying the Old Testament is useless. He's saying it's fulfilled. The Old Testament is the historical and theological foundation upon which the New Testament is built. To ignore it would be like trying to understand a play by only reading the final act. We need the whole story to understand the climax.
This is a little like a mission trip. As a youth pastor, I took students on mission trips that exposed them to people living in much harder conditions than back home. Those trips inevitably led to a profound appreciation for what the students had, and they often stopped complaining so much to their parents. In a similar way, studying the Old Testament is like a mission trip back in time to explore the ways people lived, the strict rules they had to follow, the persecution they endured, and how hard it was for them to stay faithful to God in the midst of it all.
Jesus himself constantly pointed back to the Old Testament. He used its stories and prophecies to explain his identity and mission. The New Testament authors do the same. They reference Abraham's faith, David's kingship, and the prophets' words to show that Jesus is the culmination of God's entire plan. The old covenant and its stories are our family history as Christians.
Consider the parable of the two debtors in Luke 7. A woman, whose great sin was forgiven, shows incredible love and devotion to Jesus, far more than the man who thought he had little to be forgiven for. In the same way, a deeper understanding of the old covenant can lead to a greater appreciation for the new. When we study the law, the sacrifices, and the struggles of our ancestors in the faith, we see just how difficult and restrictive their path was. We see the limitations of a system that couldn't provide full forgiveness or direct access to God.
By seeing the challenges they faced—the persecution, the meticulous rituals, the lack of personal access to the Holy of Holies—our hearts should be filled with profound gratitude for the new covenant. The ease with which we can approach God's throne of grace should not lead to complacency but to overflowing thankfulness. The old covenant wasn't meant to be forgotten; it was meant to be understood and cherished as the backdrop that makes Jesus' victory and our inheritance so breathtakingly glorious. It provides the context that transforms our faith from a simple transaction into a rich, deep-rooted story of God's faithfulness.
Questions for you to chew on and discuss:
The author says the old covenant was "obsolete." How do we, as modern Christians, sometimes cling to "obsolete" things in our faith, like legalistic practices, instead of embracing the freedom of the new covenant?
The new covenant is written on our hearts and minds. What does this mean for your daily life and decisions?
Journey Group Discussion Starter:
How does the promise that "they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest" (Hebrews 8:11) challenge the idea that some people are "more spiritual" or "closer to God" than others?
How to Apply This Today: Learning to Be with the person instead of the picture
Applying the truths of Hebrews 8 means living from a place of radical freedom and assurance. Here are a few practical ways to do this:
Embrace the finished work of Jesus: Stop trying to earn God's favor. The old covenant was about a constant striving to be "good enough." The new covenant is about resting in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Your salvation and acceptance are not based on your performance but on his.
Real-life scenario: You make a mistake at work or have an argument with your spouse and immediately feel a need to "make it right" with God by reading your Bible for an extra hour or doing a good deed. The application is to remember that your standing with God is secure, not based on your performance. You can repent and ask for forgiveness, but you don't have to earn your way back into God's good graces.
Live from the inside out: The law is now written on our hearts, so our obedience should flow naturally from a transformed heart, not from a fear of punishment or a desire for reward.
Real-life scenario: You see an opportunity to cheat on your taxes or gossip about a coworker. Instead of thinking, "The Bible says not to do this, so I better not," the application is to let your transformed heart guide you. You refuse the temptation because your inner spirit is aligned with God's will, and you desire to honor him in all you do. The instructions from God's Word back up or confirm your inner conviction.
Recognize the priesthood of all believers: Because of Jesus, we all have direct access to God. You don't need a middleman, a priest, or a special ritual to communicate with the Creator of the universe.
Real-life scenario: You're going through a tough time and feel like you need a pastor or a "super spiritual" friend to pray for you because their prayers are "better." The application is to remember that you have the same direct access to God. You can and should pray directly, knowing that your voice is heard just as clearly as anyone else's.
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EXCITING DREAMS TAKING SHAPE
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As full-time traveling missionaries and founders of YourJesusJourney.com, we live on a modest income, relying on the generosity of others to support our three-fold ministry vision: helping people understand the Bible in context, finding Christian friends, and equipping disciple makers. So, you might be wondering, how are we able to pursue something this ambitious? About a year and a half ago, Kaila’s beloved dad passed away. With his passing, Kaila inherited their expansive family home and horse property on the breathtaking North Shore of Lake Superior, in beautiful Ontario—the place she grew up, where she rode her first bike and horse, and learned to drive. After much prayer and seeking God’s guidance, we decided to sell the property. What you see here came as a result of that incredible blessing, and all the work unfolding in the next year or two will also be funded by it.
Ultimately, it’s all God’s money, God’s land, and God’s resources—we simply want to be faithful stewards, investing what He’s entrusted us with to serve our family, friends, and help countless others experience God and the lessons of the Bible in a whole new way. We prayed and searched high and low, from Texas to Idaho, and God consistently drew us back to this breathtaking location in Northwest Arizona. Imagine: a spot overlooking the world's densest Joshua Tree forest, just minutes from the Grand Canyon, with epic mountains in our backyard! Our deepest desire for this place is to be a haven for renewal. A spot where our kids can visit, Kaila's mom can stay, and friends can gather. But even bigger than that, it's a launchpad for new ministry—a place to invite people to rest, recharge, share meals, grow friendships, and truly be renewed in the desert sun. We're already dreaming of leading hikes, teaching Bible lessons, and hosting retreats.
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Thank you for this, and for the addition of audio!
Really excellent treatment of Hebrews eight!