You might say, “What a most offensive thing to suggest!” And rightly so! But this is, in fact, what the witness of many Christians are teaching about Jesus (Y’shua). Religious Jews and Rabbis, who know the Old Testament well, know that it states if anyone comes speaking against the Old Testament, then that person is a false prophet or teacher and that they should stay away from them (Deuteronomy 13). This is one of the main reasons why religious Jews have a problem coming to a saving faith in Jesus (Y’shua). It is directly tied to what many Christians are teaching about Jesus (Y’shua): That Jesus (Y’shua) fulfilled or did way with the law (Torah), that he came to free us from having to obey the law (Torah).
Listen to what Jesus (Y’shua) has to say about the subject in Matthew 5:17-19: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law (Torah), or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill (carry out). For truly I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass[1], one jot or one tittle (small marks in a letter) shall in no wise pass from the law (Torah), till all be fulfilled (carried out). Whosoever 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 whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus’ (Y’shua) use of “fulfill” here is often abused by traditional churches to teach that the law (Torah) has been done away. In Luke 24:44, after Jesus (Y’shua) was resurrected he explains what “fulfilled” means: “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses (Torah), and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Jesus (Y’shua) used the word “fulfill” to mean the carrying out the prophecies about himself. And in Matthew 26:56 “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. …” Other examples just in the book of Matthew include Mat. 1:22; 2:15; 2:17; 2:23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9; 27:35. In Romans 15:9, Paul uses the same Greek word to mean “I have fully preached[G4137]” in the King James.
The Witness of the Life of Jesus (Y’shua)
W.W.J.D. – What Would Jesus (Y’shua) Do!? This is a popular Christian youth saying. But the better question is: What DID Jesus (Y’shua) Do!? Then we should do the same!
The Witness of Jesus (Y’shua)
Reveals How We Should Live
1 John 2:5-6 (ESV): “By this we may know that we are in him (Jesus/Y’shua): whoever says he abides (lives) in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
With all the talk of the Bible, of Paul’s teachings and debates on a multitude of topics and points-of-view we often overlook the one most important and critical witness – that is of Jesus (Y’shua) himself. Jesus (Y’shua) lived his life as “the model” for how we should live our lives. In doing so he limited or humbled the divine nature of himself (Philippians 2:5-8) becoming the servant instead of the king. Through his life he taught us how we are to live our lives and how to relate to God the Father so that we could learn how to be the Body of God (Jesus/Y’shua).
Jesus (Y’shua) obeyed the Will of the Father found in the Old Testament Scriptures including God’s Laws and Commandments. Jesus (Y’shua) kept all of God’s laws so he was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21). If he was not sinless then he would not have been the perfect sacrifice required to pay the penalty for our sins. If Jesus (Y’shua) did these things what does that say about us, for a disciple is not above his master (Matthew 10:24-25). Should we not do as Jesus (Y’shua) did!?
In Luke 6:40, Jesus (Y’shua) said: “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”
1 John 2:5-6 (ESV): “By this we may know that we are in him (Jesus/Y’shua): whoever says he abides (lives) in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
Some teach in traditional churches that Jesus (Y’shua) went to all this hard work not to sin (to obey all of God’s laws) so that he could be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so that he could free us from the obligation to obey the laws of God – so it doesn’t matter if we continue violating God’s laws – it doesn’t matter if we continue to sin. Is this not perverse!? How can anyone so easily discount the Jesus’ (Y’shua) entire life, witness, and ministry on Earth!? How can anyone throw his sacrifice back in his face!?
The Law of Jesus (Y’shua)?
Is the Law of Jesus (Y’shua) in the New Testament any different from the Laws of God in the Old Testament? Could Jesus (Y’shua) have ever added to, contradicted, revoked, changed, or repeal any of God’s laws from the Old Testament? If Jesus (Y’shua) did he would have violated the law itself and committed a sin, thus making him NOT the sinless sacrifice required to pay for our sins. In Deuteronomy 12:32 (NIV), God states: “See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.”
Some in the traditional churches teach that we only have to obey Jesus’ (Y’shua) commandments in the New Testament and not the Old Testament laws. Are they really suggesting that we don’t have to obey the 10 Commandments “do not murder” or “do not steal?” “Oh no!” they say, those are good laws. Since when do we get to pick and choose which laws we suppose to obey? What are the Old Testament laws except the commands of God? And are not Jesus (Y’shua) and God one? Could Jesus (Y’shua) ever really contradict the Father? Absolutely not!
God, the Father, has only One Will and One Way and Jesus (Y’shua) and the Holy Spirit are united in it. W You will learn later in the article titled “Jesus (Y’shua) is God in the Flesh” that Jesus (Y’shua) is the one who gave us the Old Testament Laws. That when you reject God’s Laws in the Old Testament you reject Jesus. That Jesus is actually “the Scripture” the Word of God as is stated in John Chapter 1. And a newly, re-discovered revelation, that the Early Church knew about, is that the Mark of Jesus (Y’shua), known as the Alpha and Omega in Greek or the Aleph and Tav in Hebrew, this mark shows up thousands of times in the Old Testament.
John 10:30 Jesus (Y’shua) states: “I and my Father are one.”
John 5:30 Jesus (Y’shua) states: “I can of mine own self do nothing: … I seek not mine own own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me.”
John 14:10,24, Jesus (Y’shua) states: (10) “… the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works.” (24) “He that loves me not, keeps not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”
John 8:28-29, Jesus (Y’shua) states: “… I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
Be Doers of the Law
James 1:21-22 (ESV): “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
In 2nd Timothy 3:15-17, Paul writes to Timothy: “And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures (from the Old Testament), which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture (from the Old Testament) (including the Law) is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Learn More about the Old Testament being “the Scriptures” – click here.
In John 5:46-47, Jesus (Y’shua) said: “For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?”
In Luke 16:31, Jesus (Y’shua) said: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Psalms 11:3: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
In Hosea 4:6, God said: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you … seeing that you have forgotten the law (Torah) of your God.”
Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law (Torah), happy is he.”
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FOOTNOTE:
[1] The phrase “till heaven and earth pass” is a Hebrew slang phrase meaning “it is never going to happen.” Similar to the American phrase: “When Hell freezes over.” No one ever expects Hell to actually freeze. Compare with Jesus’ (Y’shua) statement in Luke 16:17: “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”
