(Day 20)
Jesus’ teachings seemed so original
in his time, that some thought he was putting aside the law… but it was quite
the opposite. Jesus said:
(Matthew 5:17) Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them.
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| I have come to fulfill... |
The word translated “abolish” (greek
Kataluo) may also be translated: dissolve, break up, untie, demolish, tear
down, overthrow.
The word translated “fulfill” (greek
Pleroo) literally means: fill something up, to make it full; that is to bring
to its fullness.
Truly, Jesus never transgressed God’s Law. He was perfect and
righteous. Yet, he did not submit to the “law
of men”.
Jewish leaders had added extra laws
besides those God had given them. Laws like the washing of hands and specific
prohibitions on the day of rest, which were not written in the Word. Jesus did not submit to those laws, because
they were human interpretations, not divine.
The Law of God is written in the
Bible, specifically, in the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy. In Hebrew it is known as “Torah”, in English as
“Pentateuch”.
If we dared to criticize the Jews for
“adding” to the Law, we as Christians should also look at ourselves in the
mirror. So many different Christian denominations or faiths have added
doctrines and rules to the Word of God.
Even if it has been done with a “good intention”, at the end they
distracts us from the truth of the Word of God… this is how religions are born.
Jesus did not come to “abolish” the
Law (Torah) or to minimize what the Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi) wrote. On the
contrary, He came to fulfill it; not only by practicing the Laws of the
Kingdom, by living as God commands, but by fulfilling the prophecies written
about the Messiah.
The apostle Paul wrote:
(Romans 10:4) For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
This particular verse has been a
subject of misinterpretation, since the word “end” has several meanings in
English. In this verse the Greek word used is “Telos” which literally means: goal or objective. Jesus is not “the
ending” of the Law, but the objective and purpose of the Law. It aims to Him
and speaks of Him. Jesus did not do away with the Law, but fulfilled it.
Rejection to the Torah started very
early in the history of the Christian Church, due to the anti-Semitic spirit
that the roman persecution instigated. It is heartbreaking that we inherited
this, because it has gotten us away from the foundation of the Bible: The Torah
(or Pentateuch), the first five books, which are known throughout the Bible as
“the Law” or as “Moses”.
Instead of calling us to depart from
the Law, Jesus calls us to turn our eyes to this very vital, yet abandoned,
part of God’s Word. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues saying:
(Matthew 5:18-19) For truly,
I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will
pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of
the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be
called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
There has not been a referendum in
Heaven authorizing us to make any amendments to the Laws of the Kingdom of God
(Jeremiah 31:31-33) Behold, the days are coming,
declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the
day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my
covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
Read Psalms 119 (since it is a long passage, you may read it during the
next few days).
PRAYER
Lord, please forgive me because, in
my ignorance, I have rejected the Law, your commandments. By doing this I have
rejected You. You have not changed, because you are the same yesterday, today
and forever. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Until heaven and earth pass away, not
an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Lord, I do not want to be called
least in the Kingdom
of Heaven
Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me
your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way
of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your
precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will
not forget your word. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and
keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your
law. Amen.
[Hebrews 13:8-9; Matthew 5:18-19, 24:35;
Romans 3:31; Psalms 119:12-18]
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