Where Does Jesus Say The New Testament Starts?

Jesus told his disciples that the new testament started with his body given for them and his blood poured out for the forgiveness of their sins.

In Luke 22:20, he said,

“This cup is the new testament (covenant - same Greek word) in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said,

"This is my blood of the testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

According to Jesus, the new testament did not begin with Matthew 1, his birth.

Actually, according to Jesus, the new testament began with his death.

Hebrews 9:16-18 confirms the new testament began with the death of Jesus.

"In the case of a will [testament or covenant] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant [testament - same Greek word] was not put into effect without blood."

Why is it important to understand the new testament does not begin with Matthew 1?

It is important to understand because people will never be able to accurately interpret the Bible without a correct understanding of where the old and new testaments begin.

Consequently, they will never experience the freedom that is theirs in Jesus.

For example, Jesus said in the Lord’s Prayer or Disciple's Prayer,

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

In these verses, according to Jesus, forgiveness is conditional.

If you forgive others, then God will forgive you, and if you do not forgive others, then God will not forgive you.

How are we to interpret conditional forgiveness in light of the other verses that tell us:

-God is not counting our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

-God has forgiven all of our sins (Ephesians 1:6-18; Colossians 1:13-14; 2:13-14; Hebrews 10:18)

-God remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 10:17).

These are verse about forgiveness that occur after Jesus died.

Remember, Jesus and the letter to the Hebrews tell us the new testament, where the blood of Jesus was poured out for the forgiveness of the sins for all people and where God remembers our sins no more, began when Jesus died.

Matthew 6:14-15 are the words of Jesus before he died.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus is teaching under the old testament of law where forgiveness is conditional.

He has not poured out his blood yet for the forgiveness of sins, therefore the old testament of law was still in effect and forgiveness was conditional.

However, under the new testament of grace, forgiveness is complete.

After Jesus died, the Bible teaches that all of our sins are forgiven.

Jesus taught Paul that forgiveness is received by faith (Acts 26:18.)

Paul taught that forgiveness is received by faith (Acts 13:38-39).

We now forgive one another just as God through Jesus forgave us (Colossians 3:13).

We learn in Colossians, which was written after Jesus died on the cross and established the new testament, that we forgive others, not in order to be forgiven by God, but because we are forgiven by God.

So Colossians reflects Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness after he established the new testament of grace in his blood, whereas The Lord’s Prayer reflects Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness before the new testament of grace was established.

This is very important to understand because a Bible teacher or Pastor who doesn’t know where the new testament begins will misinterpret and miss teach these verses.

This will lead those being taught to misapply the verses about forgiveness before the cross, thus putting them under the condemnation of the old testament of law where if we do not forgive others God will not forgive us.

We do not live under the old testament of law but the new testament of grace.

This testament, according to Jesus, went into effect when he died not when he was born.