God made two foundational promises to Abraham: the land-nation promise and the redemptive promise. These two commitments frame the biblical narrative and reveal God’s faithfulness throughout history.
The land promise, as first outlined in Genesis 12:7, assured Abraham’s descendants a homeland. Today, the Jewish people benefit from this promise, evidenced by their enduring connection to and present possession of the land of Israel. Despite centuries of exile and dispersion, their presence in the land testifies to the reliability of God’s promises.
The redemptive promise, however, points beyond physical inheritance to spiritual salvation. The prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah foresaw a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) and a suffering Redeemer (Isaiah 53) who would mediate this new relationship with God. Daniel 9 provides a prophetic timeline for the Messiah’s arrival, fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. His death and resurrection uniquely qualify Him as the mediator of the New Covenant, offering atonement for sin through His sacrificial blood.
The New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant, marking a shift in God’s redemptive plan. While the Old Covenant, mediated by Moses, required repeated animal sacrifices for atonement, something impossible for Jews to obey today since there is no Temple or priesthood, the New Covenant offers a once-for-all atonement through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:26). This covenant fulfills the redemptive promise, making reconciliation with God available to all who recognize Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Today, the Jewish people remain recipients of the land promise, while the Church—composed of believers in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles—benefits from the gift of salvation and have been charged with spreading news of the New Covenant redemptive promise. According to Scripture, both the Tanakh and B’rit Hadashah, Jesus’ atoning blood is the only means of redemption, fulfilling God’s eternal plan for uniting humanity in Oneness with Him. Without this atonement, no one can approach the Father, underscoring the centrality of Jesus in God’s covenantal purposes.