Monday 18 June 2012

Jesus taught us to keep the commandments


MATTHEW 5:17-19 (Jesus)
17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For amen I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
MATTHEW 19:16-19
16 And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He says to him, Which? Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19 Honour your father and your mother: and, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.
MATTHEW 23:1-3
1 Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you do after their works: for they say, and do not do.
MARK 10:17-19
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled down to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honour your father and mother.
LUKE 18:18-20
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? none is good, except one, that is, God.
20 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother.
Note: Jesus could not break any of the ten commandments, because if he did he would be a sinner: "for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). Nor could he teach men to break any of them, or he himself would be least in the kingdom of heaven according to his own words:
(Matthew 5:19) "Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Who, of all men who ever lived, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? It is Jesus! According to his own words then, he must have kept and taught men to keep every "one of these least commandments." In fact Jesus kept all of the commandments, including observing the Sabbath day (See #1.22), and here we can see he taught others to do it also (Matthew 19:17-19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). He even told people to obey the Scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 23:2-3), and they would certainly have told people to keep the Sabbath day! Does the fact that these scriptures do not specifically mention the first four commandments, mean that we should not keep them? No, because keeping these is an expression of our love for God (See #1.25 Note), and loving God is the first and great commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).
Jesus' words are still applicable to us today:
(Matthew 24:35) "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
(Matthew 19:17) "if you will enter into life, keep the commandments."
(Luke 6:46) "And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
(John 14:15) "If you love me, keep my commandments."
(John 12:48) "He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."
The apostle Paul also confirmed the importance of Jesus' words:
(1 Timothy 6:3-4) "If any man teach otherwise, and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing".