In the old testament, your read about how Israel was always turning against God. Matter in fact, the time of the Judges, even the Judges God chose were doing sinful things. The Old Testament stories about how god would over and over and over save his people when they cry out to him, would happen so many and countless times. Now in the day of Jesus, the religious leaders secretly in their own hearts turned against God and their focus was money, fame, and just making themselves look like a way better Jew then all the other Jews in the country. One problem with that though, Jesus knew.
Why is so important that Jesus knew? Because Jesus is the Lord our God. The same one that meet Adam and Eve and the same one that meet all the prophets in the old testament in the human form. God knows. For some reason the Jews had a feeling that, oh God not watching us, because he is to busy talking to the prophets. They misunderstood who God was. God is so holy, he can’t be with us, but at same time he knows everything about our hearts. He see’s everything and hears everything and knows everything. The God who knows every hair on your head and every name of each star in the sky. The same God who created the heavens and earth. The Spiritual unseen, but more real world. This God isn’t stupid as some make him out to be.
God understands that the evilness of mankind keeps them from obeying and following God. He understood they need more than just a rule book. So God comes and lives as a men on earth, he calls himself “Jesus” which means “God with us”. He lives this amazing humble and godly life before men. You couldn’t find nothing against him. He teaches many thing’s, and then he calls forth a higher standard. He doesn’t get rid of the law, but he builds on top of it. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish [get rid of] them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17.
How does Jesus fulfill that law?
First we need to ask, why was the law given in the first place? It was given to man, to see how sinful we are in the eyes of God. Without the law, we wouldn’t know that the things we do were against the ways of God and that they made God burn against us in wrath. God gave the law, to make us see that we are sinners and God is Holy. That we need to understand our place and his place, that we are separated from God, because of sin. “I would not know what sin was, if it had not been for the law.” Romans 7:7.
In the law, there where all this different things that the Jews had to do and not do. It was a book of “Do’s and Don’t’s”. Don’t we sinful people just hate “Don’t’s”? We also hate when we are told to “Do” stuff. But God wanted his people to be different then all the other people around them, so that his name would be Holy and Glorify in heaven and earth, above all the false God’s.
See, Jesus didn’t come to just make another religion of people to give even harder rule book to. He came to save the world. To save those who would come to him. To save was his almighty goal. Saving people, is the way God receives his glory. The law was given for 2 reason’s. First to show us that we are sinners. Next, to make a way. It was the set up of the plan of God. In the law, the people of God would be required to kill an animal. For the forgiveness of sin. This animal would have to be perfect in almost every way. Jesus came as the spotless lamb of God. Jesus was the animal, to say, that god would use to fulfill that very requirement of his people. No longer would we his people be required to kill an animal for the forgiveness of sin and all that other things like a thanksgiving offering and all them other offerings that are in the law. He came to set up a new kingdom and new high standard way of living. One that was by the spirit of God and not by just physical help.
God’s higher standard for the church is to be a people set apart from even the Jewish people. A people who walk the talk and not just talk the talk. After 4000 years, God got tired of a mouth people, he wanted a heart people. People who would worship him because they desired and wanted to, not because it was law to. That is what Jesus is talking about in verses 18-20 of Matthew 5.
Do many people today in your church, that you speak with and spend time with, do they represent Jesus? The answer is “No” for about 80% of the church world-wide. Mainly in the spoil rich nations like USA. People just got so much in their hands, they forget about the after life and living the faith, the church now goes with the flow. That is dangerous. You and me make ourselves weak spiritual by going with the flow. We need to go with the voice of God.
I could write more and more, but just sum it up right now. If we say we are Christians, are we really Christians? Church, bible study and prayer is one thing, but loving people with a Godly Love and living our lives in a manner of the lord is a whole other story. Are we going to step down from our world lives and take a stand on the spiritual life we have?
Matthew 5:18-20 (NIV)
18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
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