Obey the Commandments

Matt. 28, Matt. 5 through 7, Hebrews 10

After Jesus rose from the dead and He had met with His eleven disciples, He told them to go to Galilee and to meet Him on a certain mountain. When they got there and saw Him, they worshiped Him. Then He spoke to them and gave this message that we call the Great Commission. (The first part of the verses below were covered a post called His Great Commission):

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commandments I have given you. 

And be sure of this; I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 

Matthew 28: 18-20 NLT

One of the things in this address that you don't hear about very often is:

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commandments I have given you."

Have you ever wondered what commandments He wants us to obey? How did Jesus feel about the law and all the commandments that the Jewish people were required to obey? Did He bring us a new perspective?

In His Sermon on the Mount, He said:

Sermon on the Mount - Carl Bloch

"Don' misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until it's purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

But I warn you - unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the Pharisee's, 

you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven".  

Matthew 5:17-20 NLT

Very strong words Jesus gives us!!! We should take them seriously. Have you read the Torah, the five books of the law written by Moses in the beginning of the Bible? I finished listening to them a while back as part of a daily through the Bible chronological reading plan. Wow! Most of the law is really important for society and in fact much of laws for the US government were originally written from the law of Moses, as it builds a civil society when people respect one another's rights. But there are many parts, particularly the sacrificial system of sacrificing animals to show sorrow for their sin, that was very burdensome and I feel sad for the animals. But I find it interesting that Jesus said in the verses quoted above that:

"Don't misunderstand why I have come. 

I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. 

No, I came to accomplish their purpose..."

So the sacrificial system disappeared because Jesus came to be the sacrifice. He achieved the law's purpose of sacrifice through His own sacrificial death. No longer do human beings need to sacrifice animals to deal with their sins. Thank heavens... the reality of that would break my heart. Christ once and for all accomplished this for us. His sacrifice should move our hearts to the core. Check out what it says in Hebrews about this

"The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come... The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing... But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins...

"He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 

For God's will was for us to be made holy 

by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time." 

Hebrews 10: 1-10 NLT

Amazing what God has provided through Christ for us! We should never tire of being in awe of Him and what He has done for us. It is His love that compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but to live for Him who died and was raised for us. And this actually means that we, us who belong to Him, are actually new creations, like new Adam and Eve's who can live a whole new life beyond the power of sin in Him. (see 2 Corinthians 5:14-17)

So, back to our text; how else did He come to fulfill the purpose of the law? 

As Jesus continues in the Sermon on the Mount, He gives them a higher calling of the Ten Commandments. He makes the point that murder begins in the heart, with anger and broken relationships. Adultery also begins in the heart with lust. (See Matt. 5: 21-32, 15:19) He teaches us to rise above vengeance and retaliation and to respond with love. Then He teaches how to be honest before God, not as hypocrites, seeking admiration from people. Our prayers and acts of righteousness should be to please God alone. Rather than stand on street corners, go into a secret place to approach God in private and in that place pray before God alone. He teaches us to be loyal to God, not divided in pursuing wealth or pursuing Him, rather to trust Him in everything. (Matt. 6:19-34) He teaches us to not be critical of others, but to be honest and deal with our own faults. This is all about our hearts. Then He makes obeying the law very simple, by giving us The Golden Rule:

"Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 

This is the essence of all that is in the law and the prophets." 

Matt. 7:12 NLT

What did the disciples think, when Jesus said:

But I warn you - unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the Pharisee's, 

you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven".  

Matthew 5:17-20 NLT

How could their righteousness ever exceed that of the "holy" pharisee's, their "spiritual" leaders? He begins to teach them how to recognize a true follower of God by giving the illustration of recognizing the type of a tree by the fruit it produces. (Matt. 7:15) The book of Matthew continues with helping His disciples "see" the difference between true discipleship and hypocrisy, but using the Pharisees as an example NOT to follow. Some of His strongest words against the Pharisees are in Matthew 23. It is all about the heart.

So in summery, what commandments should we obey and teach others to obey? How do I apply this today? Remember this is all about your heart, and mine. Have I fully given my heart to Him, so that He can change it? No one can just obey all the commandments in their human ability. It takes a changed heart, changed by the heart of God to be like the heart of God. What does the heart of Christ looks like in our life? We will look at this more in the next post. For now, be honest in your relationship before God, not a hypocrite... seek Him alone and not the praise of others. And then to treat other people like you want them to treat you. The next post will be:

The Greatest Commandment.

His Great Commission

Matthew 28

What DID Jesus do after the resurrection? The story does not end here. And yet most of us, move on after Easter. Did you know that Jesus spent 40 Days with His disciples AFTER He resurrected? Yet I have heard very little about what happened during these 40 Days taught from the pulpit. What did He do? What were His final words as the Resurrected Christ to His disciples? What was He doing to prepare them for what was to come? We are looking at each of the four gospels and the book of Acts.

Today we start with the gospel of Matthew in chapter 28. In the first part of the chapter, the women  go to the tomb and they experienced... an earthquake, an angel came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it! His face shone like lightening. The guards shook with fear and fell into a dead faint. The angel spoke to the women and told them not to be afraid.  "Jesus has risen from the dead... go and tell His disciples that He has risen... and is going ahead to Galilee." So the women ran quickly from the tomb... frightened, yet filled with great joy... Then they met Jesus and He said "Don't be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."

His eleven disciples met Him at the mountain. When they saw Him they worshiped Him... and then this is what He said,

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commandments I have given you. 

And be sure of this; I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 

Matthew 28: 18-20 NLT 

What Jesus said and did with His disciples in His last days before He was crucified was of great importance. Now how much more significant are His final words as the Risen Lord!

Now, Jesus has been given ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH! Wow! Just let that soak in. Not a little, not some, but ALL AUTHORITY in both the heavenly realm and here on earth.  What did that mean for His disciples then? What about for you and I today? I believe that He wants us to know that we can trust Him no matter what happens in our life on this earth. But a question I ask is; what needs to happen within the church today that we would move in greater authority of Christ, as His disciples did after Pentecost? See Words from A Friend

And next He says "therefore". When ever there is a "therefore; we can ask"; "what is it there for? Why did He tell His disciples that He has been given ALL AUTHORITY? Because He wanted them and wants us today to have faith to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them... and teach them to obey all the commandments that He gave while He was on this earth. This is to be our mission; to make disciples, not just tell people about Christ, but follow through and mentor people. His commandments were meant to bring a whole new change into this world through His disciples obeying them. All of His commandments stem from one word, LOVE. When He walked among His disciples as a human being, a Pharisee lawyer ”asked Him a question, testing Him and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to Him,

“You shall love the LORD your God 

with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. 

This is the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like it: 

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” 

Matthew 22:35- 40 NKJ

When you look at each of His commandments they all stem from love, loving God with your whole heart and loving people. Very simple, yet impossible in our own human nature without His Spirit dwelling within. His words are just as powerful and important today, 2,000 years later as they were for His disciples then. Stay tuned and we shall continue to seek Him to see what He had in store for His disciples then and for us today. I love how He ends His Great Commission:

"... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 

Matthew 28: 20b NKJ

I wonder how often His disciples then remembered Him saying this when they were in difficult circumstances... when they were being tortured and/or martyred? What a comfort to them! This promise is not only for His disciples then; but for us now as well. He is with us modern day followers always, not sometimes, but always, even to the end of the age!!! Hallelujah! Remember this when You need Him most.

The story and quotes above were summarized and quoted from the New Living Translation, except where otherwise specified.

Do you Love Me?

Reading: Mark 14:27-31, Luke 22: 31-34, 52-62, John 21, I john 4:7-12
If you are familiar with this introduction, just scan to the read more for the essence of this post. Oh and don't miss the second picture.

Have you ever let someone down to the point of great sorrow? Have you ever been in need of reconciliation in a relationship? Have you ever let the Lord down? Are you in need of reconciliation? The apostle Peter did let the Lord down in a way he never thought could ever happen. And it left him in deep anguish and sorrow. Jesus knew that Peter needed to be reconciled to Him and their relationship restored. This story actually begins before Jesus was taken away by the soldiers at Gethsemane. Then we will see what He did after He was risen from the dead. In His final hours of life as a natural human being, like us all, He told His disciples:

"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.  Mark 14:27-31 NLT

In Luke, Jesus is recorded as saying:

"' Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.'" Luke 22:31, 32 NKJ

Peter denies Jesus by Carl Bloch

  Peter said he would die for Jesus. He believed that within  his strength, his determination, his love for Jesus that he would never fall away. But, in that terrible night, all the disciples ran away for fear of being beaten and killed. Peter at least followed along at a distance.Yet, when surrounded by soldiers and those who did not like Jesus, He denied Him three times. On the third denial, a rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, 'Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know Me.' And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly." Luke 22: 52- 62 NLT

Oh, the anguish Peter must have felt for not standing up for the Lord in that moment. In all the human strength and determination that Peter had, it all evaporated and he let Jesus down and denied that he even knew Him. Jesus knew ahead of time that this would be a great moment of testing for Peter. Satan must have known something of Peter's potential and determined to attack him. But Jesus knew this and prayed for him ahead of time, that his faith would not fail. That brings us to another visit with the Risen Christ.

My Lord and My God

John 20:24-29

Have you ever been in such a time of anguish or grief that the truth of the gospel was more than you could believe at the moment? Maybe you lost someone you dearly loved? If so, perhaps you can relate to Thomas. He lost Jesus. When Jesus died, all the wonderful things he said and did seemed meaningless now that Jesus was dead. Perhaps Thomas thought he would restore His Kingdom and rescue them from the oppression of Rome... that Jesus would rule with fairness and justice. But now that he is dead, all hope is lost. What about his teachings and his promises? Where is God when I need him the most?

Yet strange things were happening. It is described in John's gospel, beginning in chapter 20, verse one. On Sunday morning, the first day of the week some of the women said they went to His tomb and His body was gone. Peter and John ran to the tomb and went in. There was nothing there but the grave wrappings.

The Lord Worked Through Them

Mark 16

This post is continuing a series of asking the question "What did Jesus do on earth for the forty days that He was still here after He resurrected? So I am looking at each of the four gospels and Acts. In the gospel of Mark beginning in chapter 16 verse 9 that early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene saw Him and afterward He appeared to two of His other followers as they were walking and later He appeared to the eleven disciples. As each gospel is written by different witnesses, each one remembered what was impressed in their minds and hearts. Here is the version of the Great Commission in Mark:

"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These Miraculous signs will accompany those who believe. They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drank anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.

And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs." Mark 16: 15-20 NLT
 

The apostle Paul got bit by a poisonous snake when he was on the island of Malta, after being shipwrecked. When he did not swell up or suddenly drop dead, the people of the island thought he was a God. While he was there, he healed many people. All through out the book of Acts, people were healed and miracles took place. This gave the gospel message the authority of being from God. People were in awe and listened to the message.

As believers today, we hear of some miraculous signs in our time, yet this is not common place in our churches today. Why is this not happening today as it did then? If miraculous signs were accompanying the preaching of the gospel today, as it did then; I believe the message would be better received here in our country. What is missing? Does God have gifts for us to accompany His gospel that we are missing? How should we pray?

I asked all these questions to a dear friend and have included her thoughtful response below this post. I pray you will be inspired as I was.

Words from a Friend

After posting The Lord Worked Through Them I sent an email to a friend asking her to read the above post.
Here is her sensitive reply:

"As I have sought the Lord, I have seen this time we are in as one of purging and testing, a time of reckoning. He is drawing those that will to Himself in a way that will bring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. A time that will bring understanding of His Word and the ability to KNOW God.  This awakening, if you will, is a work of His Spirit in the willing heart, a quiet work between God and His Beloved... the passionate, persistent, pursuer of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior by His Holy Spirit which brings His transformation in the inner man.

Do you see the church, His Body, transformed like Peter was?  He has called us to new birth in Him.   Jesus Christ is the author of a faith which purifies and gives victory over sin.

His timing is perfect. Who can hold the Glory of the Lord that brings forth the anointing which will bring His signs and wonders that will follow His Word of truth? We see in Acts, they all waited in one accorded. In seeking the Lord, they relinquished all to Him. The Lord brought the baptism of fire that brought forth the power of God through them.

With all my heart, I believe that we shall see the powerful, anointed move of God through His Body, His Church, the question is to all of us is... what or who has your heart?"

40 Days Jesus Appeared

Did you know that for 40 Days Jesus Christ appeared at various times to His disciples AFTER He was crucified and rose from the dead?!! Let's journey with Him through the eye witness accounts found in the gospels of the New Testament. Imagine you are actually there seeing the events unfold. What did the disciples experience that changed their lives forever? How can that change your life today and forever?

 

You will find the eyewitness accounts beginning with the Resurrection and continuing to the Ascension recorded in:

Matthew 28:1- 20
Mark 16:1- 20
Luke 24: 1- 53
John 20: 1- 25
Acts 1:1- 11

However before we open these amazing texts, let's ponder these two questions:

Why is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ important to all people? What is so significant about the forty days He appeared to His disciples and many more people?

As human beings most of us have a sense of value of our own individual life and the thought of death is unthinkable... we simply don't like to think about it. We find death to be an uncomfortable, troubling reality. When a loved one dies, we are shaken to the core. Our hearts are broken, knowing that we will never see or talk to our loved one again in this life. Furthermore, it is a reminder that our death will come someday as well. This fact of life has impacted people for thousands of years. Is there a religion or philosophy that could answer that troublesome question of  "What happens to me when I die?"

The Promise to Come

 John 13-16, Luke 24:49

What is the Promise that would come? The night before Jesus was crucified He shared His Last Supper with His disciples. Knowing that this was his last time with them before He was crucified; He told them what was to soon happen and of the promise to come. Everything he said and did was what was most important for them to understand before He was taken away and killed. The verse below shows his heart, his motivation for everything He said and did this final night.

"Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. 

Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." 

John 13:1 NIV

He washed their feet to show them an example of how He wanted them to love and serve one another. Interestingly, He washed Judas' feet as well. Right after that He revealed Judas as His betrayer and Judas left to betray him. Then he told them:

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer.

"A new commandment I give to you: 

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 

By this all men will know that you  are my disciples, if you love one another." 

vs 33, 34 NIV

The disciples were wondering where He was going so He told them:   

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in Me. 

In my Father's house are many rooms;.. I am going there  to prepare a place for you... 

I will come back and take you to be with me... You know the way to the place I am going... 

I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

14:1-6 NIV

Now we come to the promise:

More Prophecies Foretelling of His Suffering

Jesus met with His disciples the evening after He was resurrected. He said to them: 

"When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.   

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 

And He said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die 

and rise from the dead on the third day..." Luke 24:44-48 NLT

Have you ever wondered what scriptures Jesus told His disciples foretelling His suffering, death and resurrection? I have wondered and offer a few. They are so poignant, I am in awe as I type them and pray these verses will bless you, as you realize the truth of God's Word from beginning to end.


"And then He opened their minds to understand the scriptures".  Lord I pray that You will open our minds, me and this dear reader, to understand the scriptures, the Old Testament verses that foretell of your suffering, death and resurrection. Help us to see You Lord in all of our reading of Your Word. 

Continuing from the previous post, here are more verses telling about the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.

He Opened their Minds to Understand the Scriptures

Our Launching Verse: Luke 24:44-48

In a previous post, Our Hearts Burned Within Us, Jesus walked along the road with two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Not knowing who He was, they sadly told Him what had recently happened to Jesus in Jerusalem. They were confused when He died; because they thought the Messiah was going to rescue them as a people. He said, "'Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?'" Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24: 26, 27 NLT Later, when they recognized them, he vanished. They said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while... He opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24: 32 NKJ

These two men got up immediately and went to Jerusalem to find the 11 disciples and others who gathered with them. They were marveling that Jesus really has risen from the dead. Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus appeared to them along the road. Just as they were telling the story, Jesus was suddenly standing there with them. "Peace be with you." He said. After reassuring them that He was not a ghost, allowing them to touch Him, and even eating some broiled fish; then He said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day..." Luke 24:44-48 NLT

Have you ever wondered what these scriptures were that Jesus told His disciples foretelling His suffering, death and resurrection? I have wondered that. Here are a few that may have been some that He told them.