Sign of the Covenant

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ came to save all of us from sin, death, and the devil.

Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross to pay the penalty for all of my sin, all of your sin, all of the world’s sin.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days later – proving that God accepted His sacrifice and will raise us up on the last day. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will live eternally in heaven.

Jesus ascended into heaven and before He did He gave us this job: to make disciples of all nations.

That’s what I’ve been called to proclaim. This is what you all have been called to proclaim.

No matter what is happening in our world and in our own country – servicemen being gunned down by terrorists, high courts establishing laws, congress doing … whatever congress does, and the president du jour doing whatever he – or she – will do … it doesn’t trump (pun intended) what God has called you to do.

Proclaim the Gospel.

Use your gifts and talents to proclaim the Gospel. Proclaim the Gospel to your family and friends. Use the creation around you to proclaim the Gospel.

God says, “I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:13).

The rainbow is God’s sign of the covenant that He made with His creation.

It happened a long time ago. The world was in pretty bad shape. The people were finding new and more perverse ways to sin. Does this sound familiar?

“[T]he wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

“Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Genesis 6:11-12).

Of course, we’re not told the nature of the corruption, violence and evil. But it must have been as bad – if not worse – than what we are witnessing today for God to decide to literally flush the entire creation away.

So God caused it to rain. Not like the rain we had last week. But a month and a half of so much rain that it covered the entire surface of the planet – even the mountain peaks!

But God is merciful. God has compassion. So Noah and his wife, his sons and his son’s wives are all saved – along with the animals needed to repopulate the earth.

To remind them of His compassion, God told them that when they see a rainbow, they should see it as a sign of the covenant – or promise – that He will never destroy the world by water again.

So, whenever it rained, and they saw a rainbow, they would remember God’s love and compassion and promise.

Why a rainbow? When light shines through a prism – like a drop of rain, for example – it breaks apart into a “rainbow” of colors.

God’s Covenant of Salvation to us – signified by the rainbow - reminds us that His salvation is singular but also multi-faceted. There is only one plan of salvation – His love through the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Yet it comes to all people. It is one promise to all of us.