Father, as I look out at the beautiful creation before me I am in awe of Your majesty and greatness! It is hard to grasp why someone so awesome would love me so…but I am so glad You do! Praise Your name!
Matthew 5:17-20 (<<click the green)
One thing that has come out in our recent Bible studies at church is Jesus’ relationship with the “law of Moses”. We might not be able to put all the pieces and parts together but it seems to boil down to Jesus bringing a new covenant onto the scene – as communicated in the New Testament. The word used for “testament” is a translation of the word “covenant”. So we have the Old Testament (Covenant) and the New Testament (Covenant).
So the question is, did the covenant Jesus laid out replace the covenant given to Moses? Jesus himself states very clearly in verse 17, and again the Amplified Bible plainly communicates it,
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Jesus didn’t change anything. He didn’t eliminate it or destroy it. He fulfilled all of it! By the time Jesus came on the scene, Jewish religious leaders had added to and expanded and “explained” the law to the nth degree. And if you expected to please God, you had to abide by it all! It was so burdensome that no one could possibly do so!
The new covenant didn’t replace the old covenant, it clarified it. Jesus didn’t eliminate the core importance of the law but He did eliminate all the man-made layers it had accumulated over the millennia. Jesus lifted our burden!
Humanity – in trying to be diligent in honoring God’s law – had made it into a confusing mass of rules and regulations. Jesus, when asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” summarized the entirety of the law in just a few words.
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-34)
Lord, in Your life here amongst us You showed us how to fulfill the law in our lives by following Your example. By giving ourselves over to You each and every day, and throughout each day, Your Spirit will guide and direct our heart, soul, mind, and strength to love You and to love others as You do, as well.
Oct 18th, Wed, 9:59 am
