Jesus and the Transformation of Old Testament Laws

Devotional

Day 1: The Completeness of Christ's Sacrifice

Jesus' death on the cross marked the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system. The rituals and animal sacrifices that were once necessary to atone for sin were ultimately pointing to a final, perfect sacrifice—Jesus Himself. The book of Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus offered Himself once for all, eliminating the need for ongoing sacrifices. This profound act of love and obedience highlights the completeness of His sacrifice and our new standing in Him. As believers, we are invited to rest in the assurance that our sins are fully covered by His blood, and we no longer need to strive for atonement through rituals. [02:25]

Hebrews 10:10-12 (ESV): "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God."

Reflection: In what ways do you find yourself trying to earn God's forgiveness, and how can you rest in the completeness of Christ's sacrifice today?

Day 2: A Global Community of Believers

Jesus' mission was to create a new people of God, inclusive of all nations, which shifts the focus from Israel to a global community of believers. This transformation impacts how we view Old Testament laws that distinguished Israel from other nations, such as dietary restrictions and clothing regulations. Jesus declared all foods clean, symbolizing the removal of cultural barriers and inviting all people into His family. As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace this inclusivity and recognize the unity we share with believers worldwide, transcending cultural and national boundaries. [04:01]

Ephesians 2:14-16 (ESV): "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in fostering unity and inclusivity within your local church and the global body of Christ?

Day 3: Seeking God's Original Intent

Jesus often pointed back to God's original design in creation, suggesting that some Old Testament laws were temporary measures. For instance, when addressing divorce, Jesus referred to the creation narrative, emphasizing the permanence of marriage as intended by God. This perspective encourages us to seek God's original intentions in creation when interpreting the law. By understanding the heart behind God's commands, we can better align our lives with His purposes and live in a way that reflects His design for humanity. [06:31]

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV): "He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to seek God's original intent, and how can you begin to align with it today?

Day 4: Living by the New Covenant

Our relationship with God is now based on a new covenant through Jesus, emphasizing a life led by the Spirit rather than strict adherence to the law. This new way of living focuses on bearing fruit in Christ, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out God's commandments with love and grace. The New Testament encourages us to pursue righteousness not through a checklist of rules, but through a transformative relationship with Jesus that produces genuine change in our hearts and actions. [07:35]

2 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV): "Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Reflection: In what ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to lead and transform your daily life, moving beyond mere rule-following to a vibrant relationship with Christ?

Day 5: Discernment in Applying God's Commandments

The New Testament provides criteria for applying God's commandments today, focusing on love, sound doctrine, and alignment with the gospel. This approach helps us discern which Old Testament laws remain relevant and how they should be lived out in our modern context. As we seek to follow Jesus, we are called to prioritize love and truth, ensuring that our actions and beliefs align with the heart of the gospel. By doing so, we can navigate the complexities of applying ancient laws to our lives today with wisdom and grace. [09:15]

1 John 3:23-24 (ESV): "And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us."

Reflection: How can you ensure that your understanding and application of God's commandments are rooted in love and aligned with the gospel in your daily interactions and decisions?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of how Jesus transforms our relationship with the Old Testament, we delve into the complexities of applying ancient laws to our modern Christian lives. The Old Testament laws, including the Ten Commandments, were part of a conditional covenant with Israel, which was broken. With the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, our approach to these laws must change. The New Testament provides guidance on how to interpret and apply these laws today.

Firstly, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross ended the Old Testament's sacrificial system. The rituals and animal sacrifices pointed to a final sacrifice, fulfilled in Jesus' life and death. This fulfillment is emphasized in the book of Hebrews, which highlights that Jesus offered himself once for all, eliminating the need for ongoing sacrifices.

Secondly, Jesus established a new people of God, encompassing all nations, not just Israel. This shift means that laws designed to distinguish Israel from other nations, such as dietary restrictions and clothing regulations, are no longer applicable. Jesus declared all foods clean, symbolizing the removal of cultural barriers.

Thirdly, Jesus often referred back to God's original design in creation, suggesting that some Old Testament laws were temporary compromises with sin. For instance, Jesus addressed divorce by pointing to the creation narrative, emphasizing the permanence of marriage as intended by God.

Fourthly, our relationship with God is now based on a new covenant through Jesus' death and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This new footing means that righteousness is pursued through bearing fruit in Christ, not merely by adhering to a list of laws. The New Testament encourages us to keep God's commandments, but with a focus on love, sound doctrine, and what aligns with the gospel.

In guiding others, especially children, in understanding the Bible, it's crucial to explain that some Old Testament commands were specific to that time and context. Today, we discern right from wrong by aligning with New Testament teachings.

Key Takeaways

1. Fulfillment of Sacrificial Laws: Jesus' death fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system, ending the need for animal sacrifices and rituals. This highlights the completeness of His sacrifice and our new standing in Him. [02:25]
2. Formation of a New People: Jesus' mission was to create a new people of God, inclusive of all nations, which shifts the focus from Israel to a global community of believers. This change impacts how we view Old Testament laws that distinguished Israel from other nations. [04:01]
3. Return to Creation's Intent: Jesus often pointed back to God's original design, suggesting that some Old Testament laws were temporary measures. This perspective encourages us to seek God's original intentions in creation when interpreting the law. [06:31]
4. New Covenant Relationship: Our relationship with God is now based on a new covenant through Jesus, emphasizing a life led by the Spirit rather than strict adherence to the law. This new way of living focuses on bearing fruit in Christ. [07:35]
5. Guidance for Today: The New Testament provides criteria for applying God's commandments today, focusing on love, sound doctrine, and alignment with the gospel. This approach helps us discern which Old Testament laws remain relevant. [09:15]
** [09:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Introduction to the Question
[00:37] - Examples of Old Testament Laws
[01:18] - How Should Christians View Old Testament Laws?
[02:25] - Jesus' Fulfillment of Sacrificial Laws
[04:01] - Formation of a New People of God
[05:01] - Shift from Israel to Global Community
[06:04] - Jesus' Return to Creation's Intent
[07:35] - New Covenant Relationship
[08:48] - Commandments in Christian Life
[09:15] - Criteria for Applying Old Testament Laws
[11:09] - Explaining to Children
[11:47] - Conclusion and Practical Advice
[12:02] - Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Hebrews 7:27 - "He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself."
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."
Romans 7:4-6 - "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God."

Observation Questions:

What does Hebrews 7:27 say about the frequency and necessity of sacrifices after Jesus' death? How does this relate to the Old Testament sacrificial system? [03:42]
According to Matthew 5:17, what was Jesus' purpose concerning the Law and the Prophets? How does this purpose affect our understanding of Old Testament laws? [03:05]
In Romans 7:4-6, what does it mean to have "died to the law"? How does this change the way believers pursue righteousness? [08:12]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the fulfillment of the sacrificial system by Jesus' death impact the way Christians view Old Testament rituals today? [02:25]
What implications does Jesus' formation of a new people of God have for the application of Old Testament laws that were specific to Israel? [05:17]
How does Jesus' reference to God's original design in creation influence our understanding of certain Old Testament laws, such as those concerning divorce? [06:31]
In what ways does the new covenant through Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit redefine our relationship with God compared to the Old Testament covenant? [07:35]

Application Questions:

Reflect on the idea that Jesus' sacrifice was "once for all." How does this understanding affect your personal view of forgiveness and grace? [03:42]
Considering that Jesus declared all foods clean, how can you apply this principle of removing cultural barriers in your interactions with people from different backgrounds? [05:51]
How can you align your life more closely with God's original intentions in creation, as Jesus emphasized, especially in areas where you might be compromising? [06:31]
In what ways can you focus on bearing fruit in Christ rather than merely adhering to a list of rules? Identify one specific area in your life where this shift could make a difference. [08:12]
How can you use the New Testament's focus on love, sound doctrine, and alignment with the gospel to discern which Old Testament laws are relevant to your life today? [09:15]
Think of a time when you explained a biblical concept to a child or someone new to the faith. How can you improve your approach to make complex ideas more understandable, especially regarding Old Testament laws? [11:09]
Identify one Old Testament law that you find challenging to understand or apply. How can you seek guidance from the New Testament to gain clarity on its relevance today? [09:15]

Sermon Clips

The simplest way to see the massive implications of his coming is to realize that when he died when Christ died for our sins he put an end to the entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament because the sacrifice of all those animals and the performance of all those rituals in the temple or tabernacle were pointing toward a great final sacrifice described in Isaiah 53 when Messiah comes. [00:02:28]

Hundreds of commandments and rules regarding animal sacrifices and priestly activity are brought to an end, fulfilled as Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 by Jesus life and death as our final sacrificed and our final High Priest. This is what the book of Hebrews is written to show for example Hebrews 7:27 he has no need like those high priests to offer sacrifices daily first for his own sins and then for those of the people since he did this once for all. [00:03:02]

Jesus is forming a new people of God made up not only of Jews but of all the peoples of the world who believe in him so at the end of the book of Matthew go make disciples of all nations Jews and all the other thousands of people groups on the planet so the time is passed for God's focusing primarily on Israel as his redeemed covenant people which he did for 2,000 years. [00:04:05]

The new covenant has been inaugurated with the blood of Jesus Luke 22:20 everyone who believes in the Messiah and has a new heart so Jesus spoke these ominous words in Matthew 21:43 he said the kingdom of God will be taken away from you addressing the Jewish leaders as representative of Israel will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. [00:04:38]

The implication this has for the appropriation of the Old Testament laws is that all the laws which had as they're designed a ritual distinction between Israel and the nations have come to an end because those nations are now being folded into the very people of God and the cultural stumbling blocks are being removed like circumcision like food and dietary laws. [00:05:20]

A third way to see the change that Jesus has brought about is that he now goes behind the Old Testament mosaic laws to God's original design in creation and argues that the law in some cases was a temporary compromise with sin, but in the beginning it was not so it was different that's the way he deals in the Old Testament for example with the laws of divorce. [00:06:04]

The law permitting divorce was quote owing to your hardness of heart and then he reaches back to Genesis 2:24 to say when God made man one flesh let no one separate this union mark 10 4 through 6 so there's this this creational dimension which in the coming of Jesus takes precedent over the legal compromises in the Old Testament. [00:06:46]

Christ by his death and his indwelling Spirit have put our relationship with God on a new footing the Mosaic law doesn't have the same standing for those who have died with Christ and risen to walk in newness of life and the key passage here is Romans seven four and six goes like this you have died to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another. [00:07:29]

Once you belong to the law now you belong to another namely to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God in other words there's a new a new footing a new way to pursue righteousness and it isn't list keeping or law keeping it's bearing fruit because you belong to Jesus Christ. [00:08:04]

Now we are released from the law having died to that which held us captive so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit not in the old way of the written code now this doesn't mean that commandments have no place in the Christian life for example first Corinthians 7:19 neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision but keeping the commandments of God. [00:08:26]

The New Testament gives us for appropriating God's abiding Commandments and let me mention just three one love I'm thinking of Matthew 22 40 on these two Commandments love God and love your neighbor depend all the law and the prophets or Matthew 12 7 if you had known what this means I just our mercy and not sacrifice you would not have condemned the guiltless. [00:09:20]

There are mercy and law commandments which sum up the entire legal moral code and become a guideline for us today number two sound doctrine in accord with the gospel I'm thinking of first Timothy 1:8 now we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully then it gives a list of Commandments and says whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. [00:09:56]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Jesus and the Transformation of Old Testament Laws

Devotional

Day 1: The Completeness of Christ's Sacrifice

Day 2: A Global Community of Believers

Day 3: Seeking God's Original Intent

Day 4: Living by the New Covenant

Day 5: Discernment in Applying God's Commandments

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Jesus and the Transformation of Old Testament Laws

Share